San Carlos & Valley Springs Auto Repair

When your vehicle’s onboard computer turns “on” the brake warning light, it’s a potentially serious situation. Unless your vehicle happens to be parked, and releasing the parking brake makes the light go off, you have no way of telling how severe is the problem. It is best to err on the side of caution, and to call your trusted auto repair professionals right away. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we recommend regular brake inspections, to keep the brake system performing as designed. While some vehicles may turn on the brake warning light to indicate burnt out brake light bulb, or the need to replace brake pads, it is usually difficult to ascertain the severity of the brake warning light without professional knowledge, experience and tools. So if you are concerned about your vehicle’s brake system, we recommend having the car towed to our San Carlos auto repair facility. Our technicians, certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Exc ... read more

Even though Ford discontinued the Mercury brand in 2010 and ended production in 2011, there are still hundreds of thousands of Mercury vehicles on the roads and plenty of Mercury fans. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we offer comprehensive Mercury service and repairs, whether you drive a Mercury Grand Marquis luxury sedan, a Mercury Mountaineer SUV, or a classic Mercury Cougar. We have the skills, diagnostic equipment, and trusted parts sources to keep your Mercury in great shape for years to come. As your Mercury ages, regular oil changes and service become crucial. Not only because fresh oil extends engine life, but also because each visit gives us an opportunity to perform a complimentary digital vehicle inspection and spot any developing problems. When we catch the problems early, it allows us to correct them at a much smaller cost then when the problems manifest with outright breakdowns or malfunctions. Often we can alert you to upcoming maintenance / repair needs so you ca ... read more

Prius vehicles continue to be some of the most popular cars on the Bay Area roads. Well-known for their reliability and longevity (300,000 miles for a well maintained Prius is not unusual). However, with that longevity come some repairs – in the case of a typical Prius it may mean inverter replacement. Prius inverters have not been trouble free - Toyota did issue a recall for Prius inverter related problems. Some vehicles suffered thermal damage to the system which may result in inverter failure. In addition, on older Prius vehicles, the inverter can simply fail due to age. Typical symptoms of the inverter problem is your Prius going into neutral, and hybrid system warning and power steering warning coming “on”. This could indicate that inverter replacement may be a necessity. To be sure, and to avoid blindly “throwing parts” at a problem, we recommend taking your Prius to a professional mechanic who specializes in hybrid vehicles. Our San Carlos auto ca ... read more

Toole’s Garage in San Carlos is the premier hybrid vehicle care center. We provide comprehensive hybrid services and repairs, including Prius head gasket replacement. Prius vehicles are well known for their reliability and longevity, but with advanced age may come the need to replace a blown head gasket.   Symptoms of head gasket failure: One of the symptoms is that the onboard computer illuminates the “check engine” light. The good news is that the check engine light can come “on” for a wide range of problems – so it does not have to indicate head gasket replacement.   Rattling noise and shaking is a symptom of misfire – this can accompany a blown head gasket because it allows coolant to seep into a cylinder, which causes misfires. This symptom may go away after 20 seconds or so, but will return when a cold engine is started again. Both of these symptoms indicate serious problems, so even though they may not mean a head gasket ... read more

Water pump replacement is one of the likely repairs your Prius will undergo during its lifetime. Fortunately, Toole’s Garage offers San Carlos Prius water pump replacement, as well as a full gamut of Prius services and repairs. We back our work with a nationwide 36 months / 36,000 miles warranty. Prius vehicles last a long time, and they have multiple water pumps, so there is a very high probability that at some point your Prius will need a water pump replacement. Fortunately, our nationally ASE certified technicians can get the pump replaced and put your Prius back on the road in no time. Toole’s Garage in San Carlos offers full range of automotive service, including everything your Prius may need – from brake repair to hybrid battery replacement. We are a Hybrid Shop and have extensive experience working on hybrid vehicles, including handling high voltage batteries. So if your Prius needs service or repairs, our technicians have the experience and the latest digit ... read more

Honda popularity never seems to diminish, as Honda continues to make highly reliable and fuel efficient vehicles. But even the best made vehicle needs regular service and occasional repairs. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we offer comprehensive Honda maintenance services and repairs. Our nationally ASE certified technicians have decades of experience working with Honda vehicles, and we equip them with the latest digital diagnostic tools so they can talk to Honda onboard computers. Our family owned San Carlos auto care facility offers complete range of Honda care, from oil changes, to brake pads replacement, check engine light diagnostics and repairs, transmission fluid replacement, shocks and struts and other suspension repairs, Honda electrical system repairs, transmission problems, and engine tune-up and repair, including Honda head gasket replacement. For your convenience we offer local Uber/Lyft, so you can get back home or to the office, while our highly skilled technicia ... read more

Living in the Bay Area we all have heard about catalytic converter thefts, as the Bay Area favorite, Toyota Prius, is the prime target of the thieves. Now Carfax, a company where repair shops report auto repair data, estimated that in 2022 over 153,000 vehicles were targeted. Insurance companies reported only 52,000 claims for stolen catalytic converters – so why the discrepancy? We thought about it and looking at the data at Toole’s Garage in San Carlos, we come to the conclusion that Carfax is right. We see a lot of vehicles with stolen catalytic converters that are older vehicles, without comprehensive insurance, so the owners pay out-of-pocket for the repairs – hence there is no report to the insurance company, but Carfax gets to count such cars in their statistics. If you take into account that catalytic converters are often on back-order, meaning one has to wait for the manufacturer to deliver new ones, it makes sense that the number of catalytic converter the ... read more

Ignition coils provide the high voltage electricity necessary for your Toyota’s spark plugs to generate the sparks that ignite the fuel and air mixture that powers the engine of your vehicle. When ignition coils start to fail, it will cause a range of problems, including stalling, misfires, loss of power, and of course the onboard computer will turn on the check engine light. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we offer ignition coil diagnostics as well as ignition coil replacement, if it should turn out that one or more coils are failing. It is not advisable to drive with failing ignition coils, since loss of power or stalling on a freeway or in the middle of a busy intersection can lead to danger for yourself and others. If you notice any of the symptoms of failing ignition coils, make an appointment with your local mechanic, to have your Toyota professionally diagnosed. Our San Carlos auto care shop offers comprehensive automotive maintenance and repair services. Our natio ... read more

Your Audi comes with a variety of systems that play unique roles in the overall performance of the vehicle. One of such vital system is the evaporative control system (simply known as EVAP) and its purpose is to contain gasoline fumes, so they are not released into the environment. It’s your Audi’s way of controlling pollution. Driving with a leaking evaporative system puts you and your passengers in danger of inhaling harmful fumes. It will likely cause the check engine light to come “on”, with the most common codes being: P0442 - Evaporative Emission System (EVAP) Small Leak Detected P0455 - Evaporative Emission System (EVAP) Large Leak Detected P0446 - Evaporative Emission System (EVAP) Vent System Performance If your vehicle has hard time starting after you fill the gas tank, it could also indicate potential EVAP problem. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we can diagnose any EVAP issues your Audi may experience. Typically we will first read the faul ... read more

Rough surfaces, potholes and bumps could wreck havoc on your Honda but the suspension system is why that doesn’t happen. It is responsible for delivering a comfortable driving experience by smoothing out the effects of the bumps and potholes. It also helps to keep your tires in contact with the ground, giving you controlled ride and preventing rollover accidents. Since it’s hard at work every day, over time various suspension components may wear down or even break. Toole’s Garage in San Carlos offers full range of suspension testing and repairs. Signs your Honda needs suspension repair Suspension deterioration usually happens gradually, over extended period of time, and we do not notice these gradual changes. Only when it’s repaired do we realize how much better the car handles, and how much smoother it rides. Here are some signs to watch out for: Oily shocks If the shocks are leaking oil, shock replacement is a necessity ... read more