San Carlos Auto Repair

Summer is just around the corner, which means it is the perfect time to start planning your summer vacation. We can’t wait to embark on our summer adventures, especially if that means a road trip with your family. We are fortunate to live in such a lovely area, as we are surrounded by many beautiful places all within a day’s drive. Here are the top 7 road trip ideas for summertime in San Carlos: Nicasio, one of the tiniest towns in Marin County, is complete with some of the most delectable cheese and wine tasting in the region. Point Reyes, including Point Reyes National Seashore and make sure to hike and picnic along Abbotts Lagoon. North Bay Movie Tour in Petaluma is an excellent way to spend the day. George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars,” filmed the classic, “American G ... read more

At A+ Japanese Auto Repair, we recognize how busy your day can get. From racing across town to drop your son off at his baseball game to being stuck in rush-hour traffic for your morning meeting, you have a jam-packed schedule. Sometimes, a trip to an auto repair shop can make your busy day even busier. With us, we strive to ensure your experience with us is stress-free and seamless, so you can continue to check items off your to-do list. Here are five ways we make auto repair convenient for you:  Complimentary loaner vehicles: while our technicians are servicing your vehicle, you can utilize one of our ten loaner cars to get where you need to be. Yes, you can make it to your son’s baseball game or your morning meeting.  Complimentary courtesy shuttle: our team can take wherever you need to go in the local area. Just because your car is in the shop doesn’t mean your day needs to come to a complete halt.  After Hours Drop-off and Pickup: you can quickly drop ... read more

What does the brake warning light mean? A brake warning light on the dash means that you either have an issue with the brake system or your emergency parking brake is on. What can cause the brake warning light to come on? In normal operation, the brake warning light will come on when you start the car, then the light will turn off immediately after you release the emergency parking brake. If the brake warning light comes on the dash for any other reason, that means your vehicle has an issue with your brake system. The brake warning light should come on under the following conditions: The brake warning light will come on upon start up of your vehicle to indicate that the brake warning light bulb is working properly. The brake warning light will stay on if the parking brake is applied. The brake warning light will come on if there is a problem within the braking system. The brake light will also come on in conjunction with the ba ... read more

Unlike a check engine light, a maintenance required light is based strictly on a car’s mileage and when the light was previously reset. A qualified service technician can diagnose the car’s maintenance needs and provide the necessary services, such as changing the engine oil and oil filter or providing a general vehicle inspection. Since the maintenance required light has no way to determine the condition or level of the engine oil, it’s important to bring your car into a trusted auto shop to make the needed service changes. What Does a Flashing Maintenance Required Light Mean?  Every time you start the car, the maintenance required light will turn on for about six seconds to test the bulb, and then go out. A flashing maintenance required light comes on after 4,500 miles. This is an alert for you to make an appointment for car service because yo ... read more

What does the battery light mean on my dash ? If the battery light comes on your dash which you are driving, that means there is a problem with the car's charging system. About 90% of the time, the alternator is under or over charging the battery. You probably have less than 15 minutes before the car will stop running. Can you drive with the battery light on? You can drive the car with the battery light on but you will only have on average 15 minutes. After roughly 15 minutes, your car will run out of electrical power and the car will stall.  What can you do when the battery light comes on while driving? Since the vehicle is only running on the power that is remaining in your car's battery, you will want to turn off all electrical components that allow you to still safely operate the car. Depending on the battery condition and the electrical loads on your system, you probably have about 10-20 minutes of driving until your vehicle ... read more

Typically, you can drive your car with the check engine light on as long as it's running smoothly. Even though an illuminated check engine light isn't a great sign, we want to help you understand if you can still drive your car, for how long, and what will happen if you keep driving with the check engine light on. Why the Check Engine Light Turns On  Your car or truck has many warning lights on its dash, and they all mean something different. Your check engine light should be easily identifiable as either an engine symbol, the words “service engine soon,” or the words “check engine.” The primary job of a check engine light is to let the driver know that one of the car's sensors is malfunctioning or that the car isn't running properly. The engine light can be solid or flashing. As a side note, the check engine light should always light up when you start your car, but it should turn off within six seconds of ignition. Is Your Check Engine ... read more

How far can I drive with my gas light on before running out of gas? When your gas light comes on, you have an average of 30-50 miles before you run out of gas. The type of vehicle, how hard you are accelerating, the speed, and load of the vehicle will all have an impact on how far you can drive with your gas light on. How much gas is left when the gas light comes on? Typically, cars have between 2-4 gallons of fuel remaining in the gas tank when the gas light illuminates on the dash. It is recommended to get to a gas station immediately especially if you are on a road trip, gas stations can be far away. How many miles can you get on empty? Most cars will drive another 30-50 miles after the gas light comes on. Hard acceleration, fast speed, and a heavy loaded vehicle will all decrease the distance until you run out of fuel. Also any heavy electrical loads like the head lights and air conditions can decrease fuel mileage as well. How do I conserve gas when the gas light comes on ... read more