San Carlos Auto Repair

With summer almost here, we might be getting a little stir crazy, spending all this time indoors. With shelter in place in the Bay area, one thing we all learned is that “it is not about the destination, but the journey.” You can quickly get out on the road and explore the Bay Area from the comfort and safety of your vehicle. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a drive through the redwood trees or along the coast, California, specifically the Bay Area, has something for everybody. Here are six scenic drives to take in the Bay Area:    Skyline Boulevard (Route 35): This mountain ridge road is often overlooked, but if you are looking to step on the brakes and appreciate the views and scenery, Skyline Boulevard is perfect for you. We recommend stopping at the vista points and capture this moment with a photograph.  Panoramic Highway: If you are looking for a tour of Northern California’s most scenic geography ... read more

Anyone who drives a gasoline car regularly should be familiar with the most common types of maintenance, especially when overlooking them can compromise one's safety. In addition to damaging the performance and mechanics of the car itself, neglecting to change spark plugs regularly can put drivers at risk of untimely or dangerous breakdowns. Here's how to know when to replace spark plugs. What Is a Spark Plug? Spark plugs are composed of a metal center electrode, an outer casing made of steel, and a ceramic insulator which contains an air gap. While the car runs, the spark plug transfers an electrical charge of very high voltage from the ignition coil outside of the engine and brings it into the combustion chamber inside of the engine. This results in a spark which lights the fuel in the engine, giving the car energy. The Lifespan of a Spark Plug How long a spark plug can go before being replaced varies by what type of spark plug is in the car. Copper tip spark plugs can la ... read more

An oxygen sensor senses how much oxygen is coming through the exhaust system on a vehicle. There is a predetermined air/fuel ratio that the computer expects to see from the sensor. Based on the oxygen sensor reading, the vehicle computer will adjust how much fuel it delivers to the engine, hence affecting the oxygen level. The oxygen sensor is also referred to as the air/fuel ratio sensor or the lambda sensor. For the purposes of this article, we will refer to these sensors as oxygen sensors. Most vehicles have at least two oxygen sensors, one in front of the catalytic converter and one behind it. Vehicles that are equipped with two banks (like a V6 or V8) then will have four oxygen sensors. How Do Oxygen Sensors Work?  Just like catalytic converters, oxygen sensors need to get hot before they start working. Most oxygen sensors are equipped with a small heater inside of them to heat them up quickly. The heater element in the sensor, much like a hair dryer element or an incandes ... read more

A catalytic converter is a portion of a vehicle’s exhaust system that cleans up the vehicle’s emissions. Since 1975, cars, vans, and light trucks were required by law to be outfitted with a catalytic converter for smog purposes. Where Is the Catalytic Converter Located? The catalytic converter looks a lot like a muffler. On the inside of the converter, there is a honeycomb structure made up of special material. The exhaust gases pass through the honeycomb structure, and when the converter gets hot enough, it will “convert” some of the vehicle’s harmful emission to a fraction of what it used to be before it exits the tailpipe. How Will I Know If My Catalytic Converter Is Not Working Correctly? It would be safe to assume the catalytic converter is working properly until one of two things happen. You might get a check engine light on the dash alerting you that the catalytic convert ... read more