hand on the shifter of a car

Just because manual transmissions aren’t as common these days as they used to be, there are still many out there, and at R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc in Lacombe, LA, our certified technicians know how to keep them running at their best.

car wiring chewed up photo

Here at R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc in Lacombe we often do diagnostics and sometimes the problem is obvious after hooking the car up to the computer and reading the codes.  However, sometimes it isn't obvious during a test drive or after hooking it up to all those computer programs!  You know there is a problem and a Check Engine Light is on with the fleet customer telling you the car has been having issues starting and the light has been going off and on depending on several factors.  No pattern, no simple answer but the problem becomes obvious when you start following the "threads of the issue" thanks to all that ASE Technician training.

flat tire on road

Don’t you hate it when potholes sneak up on you? There is a lot of money being spent on vehicle damage due to potholes. Do you know what parts of your car could receive the most damage.

multiple universal joints

U-joints are a small, simple component - in fact, they have changed much since the very first automobiles. However, on any vehicle with a driveshaft, its ability to move depends entirely on the u-joint being there. You’ll often hear “maybe it’s the u-joints” as a solution offered for problems with a vehicle - but what are they, what do they do, and how do you know if yours is bad? R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc in Lacombe, LA has the answers.

Oil gunked up on an engine.

We see this with our fleet customers, our regular Lacombe car pool drivers and our diesel truck drivers so it isn't just one type of driver that ends up with a nightmare on their hands costing thousands of dollars to repair, asking about the costs of a JASPER replacement engine!  The fact is your driving habits and maintenance habits can easily avoid this issue!  6 EASY STEPS - Service, Tires, Don't Ignore Service Engine Lights, Keep it Clean & Stop Driving Crazy!

Lady with car hood up - steam rising

Sometimes it is EASY to see if your car or truck needs to come into our shop for professional repairs! 
1.  You see steam rising from the engine!
2.  The Check Engine Light is on!
3.  The engine starts, but there is an odor that is not right.
4.  You hear grinding or thumping noises.

Transmission Cut to show you the inside of it

Nothing works if your transmission doesn't work!  Simply put you are going nowhere without it and it is the one thing that both car and truck drivers alike never think twice about until it really acts up or they have no power or simply don't move forward.  Most of us have a newer car or truck with an automatic transmission in it vs. a standard transmission so do not notice that it is slipping gears until the problem is really serious so the question is how do you get the most out of your transmission?  The obvious answer is to take care of your transmission with scheduled service per your owner's manual recommendation but we have put together a simple checklist for our Lacombe drivers to help them become "transmission aware" as it were.

Got my diesel going good. - Greg F. (5 star review on Google)

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R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc

31035 US-190
Lacombe, LA 70445
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location small (985) 882-6692
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SHOP HOURS

Weekdays:   8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Weekends: CLOSED

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