Automotive Industry News & Information - R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc

Our fleet truck customers do not need to spend valuable time in the shop with transmission issues due that could have been avoided by servicing their fleet vehicles based on their owner's manual recommendations! Especially if it is simply changing a clogged filter, changing fluids or clutch issues! Our transmission technicians here at R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc in Lacombe believe that service = saving high repair bills! Therefore, we believe in a proactive approach!

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.

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.

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.

At R & D Automotive Specialists, Inc we offer only the best products to our Lacombe, LA drivers, that’s why we are excited to partner with Jasper Engines and Transmissions. JASPER is known for its great transmissions, some of which are even used in NASCAR. The JASPER 4-Speed Transmission is currently being used by seventeen team/driver combinations during the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 4-Speed transmission is also being used by ten team/driver combinations for the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series as well.

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.

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!

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.