Austin Improv

Can anyone recommend a good mechanic (preferably near 78704) for a Nissan? My car's been having issues for a while and I've had 2 mechanics look at it and scratch their heads in confusion. I'd like to avoid bringing it to the dealership, if at all possible, though it will be my last resort.

Kareem, I've heard good stuff about Groovy Automotive, but I have no idea if it's actually sweet. I've also heard good stuff about Lamb's. My friend worked at Lamb's and said he never witnessed any asses getting aything blown or stuck inside them.

Groovy does good work but remove EVERY valuable from your car. Someone stole lots of stuff from my car there one time. The car was fixed well though.

Kareem, right up congress is a place called Twomey Automotive. I've heard very good, honest things about them.

acrouch wrote:Kareem, right up congress is a place called Twomey Automotive. I've heard very good, honest things about them.

Yeah, I thought so too...til I took my car there and they told me they didn't know how to fix it. Actually, they told me that fixing my car would require taking my engine out and when I mentioned it to my father (who owned his own mechanic shop for 20 years), he told me that was bull and they were probably just avoiding saying "we dunno what's broke."

*Shrug*

I like Kevin Casey at KC Honda/Acura on Buell. It's further north, off Burnet just south of 183, but Kevin's done good economical work for me for a few years. He specializes in Honda/Acura but he'll work on just about anything and (importantly) tell you if you need to take it elsewhere for specialty work (A/C, transmission, etc.) rather than BS you into paying a fortune for substandard guesswork.

What's the problem Kareem?

DollarBill wrote:What's the problem Kareem?

When the car is stopped and idling, the RPMs drop to below 1,000 and the car starts to sputter. So I have to put it in neutral and tap the gas to keep the engine from stalling. When the car's moving, it's fine.

I can hear that there's some sort of vaccuum leak or something if I start the car and pop the hood. Yet, 2 mechanics have been unable to figure out what the deal is (granted, one of them was Jiffy Lube, and Roy can attest to their occassional lack of skills)

Twomey told me it was a cracked/broken gasket, but it would require basically removing the entire engine to fix. My father told me that was bunk, and they were just covering their asses instead of admitting that they didn't know what was wrong.

This started a long time ago, after getting into a minor fender bender, so I'm sure something just got knocked loose.

I like Dave at Perfection Automotive (I think that's it -something about being perfect.) They are on South 1st near the Mexican restaurant - which makes waiting more fun. I looked them up – Dave's Perfection automotive 1804 S. FIRST ST. Not much BS and he's got a great Texas accent.

Kareem. What kind of car is it? You can pretty easily confirm if it's a blown gasket. The shop should be able to determine exactly what the problem is and be able to tell you what the problem is before you agree to any work.

I definitely think you should get an opinion from one of the shops the people have mentioned here. And if you still aren't satisfied I could take a look at it. There's only a slight chance that I could help, but I'd be willing to try.

I know that with fuel injected cars there's plenty of little computer sensors like the Idle Air Control Valve that can be replaced without too much trouble. I haven't done a lot of trouble shooting on modern cars, but like I said, I'm willing to try an help. Maybe we could get together if it warms up a little.

I've got a 2001 Nissan Altima.

I suspect it's a mechanical problem, rather than a digital/sensor problem, because it's gotten slightly worse over time.

I'll bring it to Dave's Perfection Automotive (walking distance from my place), and see what they say.

Well the IAC (Idle air control valve) has a little spring that surrounds a little penis lookin' rod thing. And if that penis rod thing gets loose and rotates too much it can screw with your idle. Just sayin'. Sometimes those little sensors have mechanical parts that wear out over time. Don't count anything out.

Anyway if a leak is audible a good mechanic will track it down.

Good luck!

SEE! I'm not bull-shitting.

We take our Toyota to Brownie's Automotive, where Brownie himself does a very good job of fixing all things Toyota-car-related. I would think he is adept with Nissans too. Brownie is a long-ago transplant from Boston and he still has a thick accent. He also wears an eye patch.
His shop is off of South Congress behind Ruta Maya. Exact address is 3902 Woodbury or you can call him at 512.442.3363