San Mateo auto repair

A car tune-up is basically a form of preventive maintenance done on a car to make sure that it continues to run well. Generally, it is recommended that tune-ups are done every three thousand miles or about three months. Even though the cars of today can go for many miles and last much longer, all cars still perform preventative maintenance. Typically, a tune-up involves checking the engine, adding new oil, checking the fluid levels, and any other maintenance it may need. Does your car need a tune-up? The simple answer to this question is: Yes. Your car needs a tune-up, especially if it has been in your possession for quite some time now and if it hasn't been serviced yet. A timely check of the car's condition is important. The first thing on your car maintenance schedule should be the oil change. Every vehicle operates differently, meaning that your mileage will vary depending on how the vehicle is driven and maintained. In order to get an accurate estimate of how often the v ... read more

A catalytic converter reduces harmful emissions from a vehicle's exhaust to less toxic substances. It is a crucial component of a car's exhaust system and is located between the engine and the muffler. Like most other components, a catalytic converter will get damaged, broken, clogged, and malfunctioned. Usually, a faulty catalytic converter will alert you with these 5 signs before it completely fails. The Check Engine Light Illuminates Your vehicle's internal computer uses the check light engine to signify internal car problems. When the computer detects that the catalytic converter is not catalyzing the gases as it should, it will set off the engine light to notify the driver of an impending problem. Please note that other internal car problems can also cause the engine light to illuminate. That is why it is important that you leave your vehicle's diagnosis and repair to professional technicians. Degraded Engine Performance Here is one of the most common indicator ... read more

It's best if you don't see any warning lights go off in your vehicle, but that's just not the way life works. You are going to have issues arise and when it happens, it's good to know what's going on and what to do about it so you don't panic. When you are driving along and your battery light goes on, you may not know if you can keep driving safely or not. Know your vehicle and how it warns you of certain things to be a confident driver. If your battery light comes on when you first turn the car on, that is normal. It should turn right back off when the car starts up. The battery light is a misunderstood warning light and it is often trying to tell you something, but maybe not what you think. Often, when the battery light is on, the battery is fine, but the alternator is not charging right. The light coming on does not mean the battery is bad automatically. When you see that light come on, can you still drive your vehicle? Yes, you can. But you probably should ... read more

Why Tire Rotation is So Important Tire rotation means regularly changing each of the four vehicle tires'; this is completed following the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations or every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. It is imperative to rotate new tires every 5,000 miles, this is because deep, fresh tread is more prone to uneven wear. Regularly rotating your tires presents an excellent opportunity to have each tire inspected for damage, air pressure issues, tread depth checks, and balancing. There are several reasons why rotating your tires is an essential part of your standard tire care methodology. These reasons include: The tire wear is spread evenly through regular tire rotation across all four tires, maximizing tread life. This is because each tire position on your vehicle requires a different torque/friction for each tire, leading to more or less wear on the tire. Even tread wear prevents the tread depth on your tires from becoming inconsistent, helping keep t ... read more

Your car's alternator is one of its most vital parts, keeping the battery charged while driving by converting mechanical energy from the pulley into electricity. There are hundreds of electrical wires buried inside your car that rely on the alternator for power. With such a responsibility, alternators are made to be durable and usually last for up to 10 years without much maintenance. That being said, there are a lot of components inside the alternator which can break down or wear out. The Components of an Alternator Stator and Rotor: With one static and one rotating (we'll let you guess which is which), these components work together to convert energy into electricity. Diodes: The diodes take the alternating current generated by the stator and rotor and turn it into a direct current. This ensures it travels in one direction, to charge the battery. Voltage Regulator: This maintains the voltage so it doesn ... read more