San Carlos Auto Repair

    Bringing your Honda in for service is decidedly not the same at every repair shop. An individual shop has its unique method and focus. At A+ Japanese, our focus is strong on customer service.   A Honda dealership, for instance, has its way of handling your needs. You may characterize that experience as a friendly counter person relaying, over the phone or in the lobby, what they’ve discovered about your car as they reach each discovery.     At a small independent shop with smaller resources, you might find a mechanic who will take you to your Honda and, over the open engine, try to bring you up to speed with what’s troubling your Honda. In a calm tone, they will convey to you what they will need to put your vehicle right, explaining the situation as best as possible and pointing out issues to you.   At A+ Japanese Auto, we provide the best of both of these things— and more. Our service advisor Seamus Connors will ask all t ... read more

  You rarely get to know the man who works on your car. But we’d like you to get to know Miguel, the diagnostic technician for Honda service at A+ Japanese Automotive Repair.    Miguel has been a technician with A+ Japanese Auto Repair for over 6 years. He has over 11 years in the automotive industry with training from Wyotech and annual ongoing training to stay up to date on new vehicle technology. And he's the right technician to work on your Honda!   A+ Japanese Auto Service makes customer service an important part of every car we repair. You’re more than a transaction to us; you’re a friend who we want to see safely back on the road, and a customer who deserves the best we can offer. And when you bring your Honda into our location, Miguel will dive in and work diligently to solve your troubles.     That’s why when you choose A+ Japanese for car repairs, we go the extra mile. We pick up and drop off your vehicle. And w ... read more

  Hondas: Fairly Reliable, Even at High Mileage counts! At A+ Japanese Auto Repair, we specialize in Honda service and repair and all other Japanese makes and models. Hondas have long been known for their reliability. Given their reputation, when you purchase a pre-owned Honda, that Honda should last you a very long time -- provided that you take proper care of it, based on the factory recommended services.   Honda recommends having their vehicles serviced every 5,000 miles. The services included in regularly scheduled maintenance range from an oil change and tire rotation to air and cabin filter timing belts, replacing spark plugs, draining and filling certain fluids, and flushing certain fluids. How Many More Years Does This Honda Have? If the car has any history of service, that can be useful to determine how fit the car is. Knowing that it has received the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance is a good indicator of the Honda model’s long-term health. Co ... read more

  Honda is big at A+ Japanese Auto Repair We deal in ten different Japanese brands at A+ Japanese Auto Repair. One of the most loved brands is Honda! We find them to be very reliable cars if you keep up with the proper maintenance, which is why we recommend them to first-time Japanese car buyers.       What do the Honda Service Codes mean? Honda’s manufacturer-suggested maintenance is for every 5,000 miles. There are plenty of engine codes to learn surrounding the engine messages of a Honda. Here’s what the service recommendations mean:   Service A is the simple act of replacing the engine oil. Just draining and refilling, nothing more.   Service B is all the little things that can cause trouble when left unchecked: replacing the oil filter, a brake inspection, and anything else your owner’s manual deems to be significant at 5,000 miles.    Service 1 means rotating the tires and verifying the tire pressure and the con ... read more

Photo by vishal bonthapally on Unsplash   A+ Japanese knows, services, and loves Japanese cars. Most people will know by our name alone that A+ Japanese Auto Repair can service your Toyota. But did you know that we also specialize in the Toyota brand?    Our shop has long earned a reputation in San Carlos for Toyota service. Many times, San Carlos has voted our shop the #1 Independent Toyota auto repair and service facility. We have ASE-Certified technicians that specialize in Toyota and know it exceptionally well. We happen to love to work on Toyotas, and it’s a treat for us when we can work on something a little unusual to the domestic ones we see.   Our brand new client Jon recently brought in his JDM ... read more

Photo by Maximalfocus on Unsplash   Cars seem to be advancing very quickly in recent years. The United States of America finally addresses the dependency we place upon oil with new technology. Soon, that technology will become more affordable. Before that, it will become inevitable due to the climate crisis. The first to leap forward will likely bear the highest cost.   Environmentally, we are running out of options. Combustion engines are individually not terrible as polluters, but given our dependency on cars for travel in America, there were too many cars not to damage the environment. California, long aware of the cost of heavy pollution, has since taken steps to reduce smog and emissions from vehicles.    ... read more

Photo by Anthony Garcia on Unsplash   December is at hand, and this year's holiday season has begun! We hope 2021 has been good to you and the whole family; and that you've managed to keep ahead of things this year, despite a very rushed feeling after the slow torture that was 2021.   We also hope you remembered to take care of winter prep for your car; earlier if you have plans to go North or Northeast into the Rockies for skiing this year. Driving in colder areas means thinking practically about getting your car in the right condition for bad weather. If you haven't and don't intend to, we recommend you at least consider the security of hiring a rental car, one that is suited for winter driving in the ... read more

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash   November is here! Soon, we'll be contemplating family trips that navigate over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house. With the calendar turning to deep autumn, it's time to look ahead to colder weather and the occasional upset. In November, the rain can become a sudden surprise, especially when traveling North.    Soon, the month will be rocketing towards the holiday season, when traveling is at its peak. And if you wind up on the highway and your wipers are not in good enough shape to handle what mother nature is throwing out, it can be a terrifying ride-- and you may be forced to pull over and wait out the weather.   But now that you are ... read more

Photo by Eugene Triguba on Unsplash   October is here! Fresh cool breezes, autumn colors, and the smell of pumpkin pie will begin to file in over time. For kids, the month of October is a countdown to one of the most beloved rites of passage for kids in suburban America: Halloween!   We hope you grew up in a place where trick-or-treat was special, too. Do you remember the excitement of trick-or-treating as a child? Halloween is a great experience for boys and girls as they venture out on their own or with friends searching for adventures with their neighbors and their front door hauntings. It’s also a bit of a dare, and it comes with dangers-- the night, costumes, and the adrenaline of a sugar-high. Protect all the k ... read more

Photo by A+ Japanese Auto Repair   As we get closer to school being back in session, some of us will see first-time drivers emerging from our own homes. High school seniors will be driving to school for the first time, and some of us will be sending our kids out of the nest and off to a university or a college.    Our kids are young. Some are inexperienced drivers who will be going back to school while our even younger children may be walking or bicycling to school-- sometimes on the same roads. It’s crucial that we send our kids out in safe and reliable cars.   Here are the ten car repairs you shouldn’t put off before school starts:   Check the Brakes - Brakes are number one for a reason. Kids will dart in and out of the road on their way to and from school. Drivers, young and old, need all the reaction time they can get.     Check the Battery - People often forget that batteries have water or a gel solution in them. After a ... read more