Tag Archives: service engine soon

Your Toyota's Engine and Your Technician

Your Toyota's Engine and Your Technician

By Stockbakers The Importance of Choosing the Right Technician for your Toyota Vehicle  The engine is the heart of your car and choosing the right technician is key to having it running smoothly and efficiently. Like a doctor trains for years to master the complex network of anatomy in your body, trained automotive technicians do too.   Toyota vehicles have unique maintenance needs that require specific knowledge and training. That's why it's important to research technicians who are experienced in working on Toyotas and understand how they function. Moreover, selecting a trained and certified technician will guarantee that they know what they're doing when it comes to servicing or repairing your vehicle.  What are ASE-Certifications? ASE Certifications are a valuable way to recognize individuals for expertise in the automotive service industry. ASE stands for Automotive Service Excellence, and individuals must pass rigorous tests to earn each of the si ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Cracking the Code: Toyota's Codes

Cracking the Code: Toyota's Codes

Photo by Joshua Naidoo on Unsplash   Cracking the Code: Toyota's Codes Have you received diagnostic readers as gifts recently?    These tiny devices attach to your vehicle’s diagnostic system, allowing you to get the service codes behind warning lights on your dashboard. While they don’t have the range and depth of the sophisticated diagnostics we use at A+ Japanese Auto Repair, they can give a clue about what’s going wrong in your vehicle and where to proceed.    Understanding the problem is the beginning of finding an answer   It’s not enough to have the code. You will also need to understand what parts the code corresponds to and how the different codes in play wo ... read more

Categories:

Toyota Service

The Importance of Winterizing Your Vehicle

The Importance of Winterizing Your Vehicle

Winter is coming! With winter almost here, many of us will bring out the warmer jackets and scarves as we prepare for those chilly temperatures. Many of us don’t realize that it is important to prepare our vehicles for winter too. The process is called winterizing your vehicle.  We recognize that there is so much to do during the winter months, especially during the holiday season. At A+ Japanese Auto Repair, we want you to be able to rely on your vehicle during these busy times. To make sure you can depend on your vehicle during winter, bring your vehicle to A+ Japanese Auto Repair. To make sure your vehicle is ready for winter, our technicians will examine these components, along with others:  Oil change: An oil change is a quintessential example of preventative maintenance, but you would be surprised to learn how many people forget about this service. When the weather drops, the cold will cause your oil to thicken. When your oil is too thick, it can’t lubricat ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

What to Do if Your Vehicle Overheats

What to Do if Your Vehicle Overheats

You are driving down the road with your family. Each of you is hugely excited for the day at the beach, enjoying the warm summer, when your engine starts to smoke. You immediately pull over amid the confused and concerned comments of your passengers. Do you know what to do next, specifically do you know how to handle an overheating vehicle?    If you ever find yourself dealing with an overheated vehicle, we want you to be prepared. Most likely, heat isn’t able to escape the engine, which can be caused by a cooling system leak, damaged radiator fan, broken water pump, or even a clogged coolant hose.  A few things to note before checking your vehicle's cooling system. Navigate your vehicle to a safe place before getting out of the vehicle. Freeways and city streets can be very dangerous. If you find yourself stuck in the middle of a freeway, it has been advised not to get out of the vehicle. Call for help and wait for assistance.  B ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

5 Things Every Car Owners Needs to Know About Tires

5 Things Every Car Owners Needs to Know About Tires

Your tires are the only thing that maintains contact with the road. As you can imagine, they are essential to your safety on the road as you drive through San Carlos. Some tires require specific makes and models, and each tire has a different price and purpose. No tire is equal. The team at A+ Japanese Auto Repair is here to help you understand your tires.    Here are five things that every car owners need to know about tires:    Price: Usually, with tires, you get what you pay for. There are many suppliers out there that offer excellent tires at an affordable price. If the price of a tire seems too good to be true, don’t hesitate to ask our team. We can also point you in the right direction if you have any questions about tires.  Different Cars: When you purchase your car, it will come with a specified set of tires designed for your vehicle’s brakes, smooth handling, or steering response. If you decide to replace your tires with new ones, you wil ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

10 Most Preventable Auto Repairs

At A+ Japanese Auto Repair, we can’t emphasize the importance of preventative maintenance enough. If you bring your car into our facility for preventative maintenance, you can save money in the long-run by preventing potentially expensive and dangerous repairs. Here are 10 of the most preventable auto repairs:  Transmission Replacement: Routine maintenance, including an inspection of your transmission fluid, can prevent you from being dealing with a transmission replacement.  Cracked Head Gasket: Your head gasket keeps your coolant from mixing with your engine oil. If it cracks, coolant would flood your engine and damage other parts of your vehicle.  Catalytic Converter Replacement: With the right maintenance, this part of your engine can last as long as your car does.  Turbocharger Replacement: This car part increases the efficiency of your engine.  Timing Belt Replacement: your timing belt makes sure your engine’s valves open and close at the ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Halloween Safety Tips

  We all love the magic of Halloween, from trick-or-treating to classroom parties and even the occasional trip to a haunted house. Even though Halloween can be fun and festive, it can take a turn for the worst. Take a look at this scary statistic: children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year.  Here are some Halloween safety tips to make sure your Halloween night stays safe and spooky for all the right reasons:  A responsible adult should accompany young children on any trick-or-treating routes.  Make sure you only travel in well-lit, familiar areas.  When crossing the street, put those electronic devices down, keep your eyes and head up, and walk calmly across the street.  Avoid masks, if possible, as they can obstruct vision.  Consider fastening reflective tape to costumes and bags, or even give your children glow sticks for maximum visibility.  All costumes, wigs, and a ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

What can I check when the check engine light comes on?

What can I check when the check engine light comes on?

What do I check when the check engine light comes on?  If the check engine light comes on, start by checking the tightness of your gas cap. We have seen several times that the check engine light is illuminated by either a loose gas cap or a gas cap that wasn't fully seated after a fill up. A few other things that you can inspect yourself when the check engine light comes on: 1. Open the hood and look for any loose electrical connectors. 2. Under the hood, check for the main air intake hose (from the air filter box to the engine) for proper connections, any cracking on the hose, and any loose or disconnected vacuum lines. 3. Look under the vehicle and check for any leaking fluids or hanging components. We have seen where road debris can cause damage, which in turn will illuminate the check engine light. 4. Check your vehicle gauges to make sure the temperature gauge isn't too hot - ("too hot" is any time the needle goes past the middle point between ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Back to School Season: Safest Japanese Cars for Your Teen Driver

It can be quite scary -- watching your teen driver take a big step and drive themselves to school. You can imagine them, blasting the radio and stepping on the gas pedal, but with a reliable and safe vehicle, you can breathe a little easier. These cars are equipped with safety features, from automatic braking to blind spot monitors. Safety is the top priority when it comes to auto repair and picking out the safest car for your teen driver. Here are the safest Japanese cars on the market:  Toyota Corolla: All of the latest and greatest safety features can be found in a Toyota Corolla. This car is also an economical option, both price and fuel wise.  Honda Fit: The Honda Fit is small, but mighty, as it is quite a roomy Japanese vehicle. As a bonus, it is quite safe and gets great gas mileage.  Toyota Prius V: This car is a little bigger than your typical Prius, but all the safety features and economical advantages remain the same. What more can you ask for?  Subar ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Best Hiking Trails In Northern California

Best Hiking Trails In Northern California

This summer, explore what Northern California has to offer. Our beautiful state has so many different hiking locations! At A+ Japanese Auto Repair, we want to make sure your car is ready to get you where you want this summer. Check out these hiking trails that you’ll be sure to love! Explore, Castle Lake Trail, located in Mount Shasta. This 11-mile hiking trail offers a spectacular view of lakes and peaks, giving you some of the most unique views that you'll ever see in Northern California.  Experience Cinder Cone Nature Trail, located 4 hours northeast from San Francisco in Old Station, California. See Lassen’s volcanic landscape from this cinder cone. You will be able to see the landscape that was transformed by volcanic activity.  Purisima Creek Trail, located in Half Moon Bay, that overlooks the slopes of the Santa Cruz mountains. From there, you will be able to see the beautiful redwood trees and creeks. Experience Santa Cruz’s beauty from this l ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance
12
A+ Japanese Auto Repair, Inc. is committed to ensuring effective communication and digital accessibility to all users. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and apply the relevant accessibility standards to achieve these goals. We welcome your feedback. Please call A+ Japanese Auto Repair, Inc. (650) 595-2277 if you have any issues in accessing any area of our website.