San Carlos & Valley Springs Auto Repair

Toole’s Garage in San Carlos is the premier auto repair shop in the area, and provides broad range of automotive services, including Tesla tire rotation. Tire rotation, like the oil change – which you don’t have to worry about if you drive a Tesla - is one of these services we don’t think much about, even though they have huge impact on our wallets. Tire rotation evens out tire wear thus extending tire life. Regular tire rotation is especially important for electric vehicles, since their weight, torque, and in the case of Tesla, the sheer fun of driving it, result in accelerated tire wear. Tire rotation improves handling as well, and it can be done while you wait. At our San Carlos auto care facility we recommend following Tesla guidelines to perform tire rotation every 6250 miles. While we rotate the tires, we will also check tire tread, and adjust tire pressure to Tesla specifications. For conventional cars, 6250 miles roughly coincides with oil changes, so a ... read more

Did you know that wiper blades have become a critical component of ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and self-driving capabilities of modern vehicles? Indeed they are - that's because many ADAS systems and self-driving systems use forward looking cameras that rely on a clear windshield to provide onboard computers with the information they need to carry out ADAS and self-driving tasks. If the windshield wipers do not effectively remove water from the windshield, these systems can become confused, and unusable. At Toole's Garage in San Carlos we can provide your vehicle with quality wiper blades that will keep the windshield clear, and allow cameras to see clearly through the windshield. The first rains of the season are behind us, so surely you had an opportunity to notice if the windshield wipers are doing their job. So if you've noticed that your vehicle's wiper blades need to be replaced, call our friendly service advisors at Toole's Garage in San Carlo ... read more

Tune up used to be a ritual for most motorists. These days most cars are self-tuning, in many ways. Onboard sensors monitor various parameters and send the information to the computer which can adjust air intake, can vary the richness of air-fuel mixture, and based on that information, can calculate volume of exhaust, and thus monitor if various subsystems are working correctly. Yet, for all that computing power, there are still plenty of subsystems that need a human to verify that everything is ok. Belts and hoses need a professional to ascertain if they need to be replaced. Tire condition, tread depth, uneven wear, suspension, including shocks/struts, wheel alignment - these are crucial for fall and winter driving, yet they require an experienced professional and alignment equipment to verify that they are in good working order. That's why at Toole's Garage San Carlos we highly recommend Autumn tune-up, a thorough service and inspection, before the rains come.  In addit ... read more

Regular brake service is vital to your safety. Your Hyundai will need multiple brake service visits during its lifetime. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we offer full range of Hyundai maintenance services and repairs, including Hyundai brake service. The most frequent brake service is brake pads replacement. Your vehicle slows down because calipers press the brake pads against rotors, creating friction that slows down the vehicle. Unfortunately, that friction not only slows down the car, but also wears out brake pads, and brake rotors as well. So brake pad replacement, and often rotors replacement will happen regularly throughout the lifetime of your Hyundai. Another regular service will involve brake fluid replacement. Over time brake fluid loses its protective chemical qualities ( due to age and high working temperatures) while at the same time absorbing moisture from the environment. As the water content of the brake fluid increases, it negatively impacts your vehicle&rsquo ... read more

One of the recurring services your Hyundai will need is battery replacement. Most car batteries last about 4-5 years. Over time the battery will weaken until replacement will become a necessity. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we offer wide range of Hyundai services, and battery replacement is one we perform regularly. Before we would replace a battery, though, we will test it to make sure it can still hold a charge. Sometimes what appears to be a dead battery is really some other problem – failing alternator, or a parasitic electrical drain. Before we recommend spending money on parts, we will make sure as to the root cause of the problem. Fortunately car batteries exhibit a range of symptoms before they fail, so if you notice your Hyundai exhibiting any of the signs listed below, bring it to our San Carlos auto care facility for a battery checkup – last thing you want is to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead car battery. Here are the symptoms that indi ... read more

Audi Battery Replacement in San Carlos, CA Toole’s Garage offers Audi owners full range of maintenance services and repairs, including Audi battery replacement. Car battery is a vital part of the electrical system that powers your vehicle. If a battery ever died in your car, you know the inconvenience – at Toole’s Garage we offer battery testing and battery replacement, so you never have to be stuck somewhere without power and ability to get your car going. Car batteries will typically last about 4-5 years. So if your Audi has not had a battery replacement for that period of time, it’s a good idea to bring it to our San Carlos auto care facility to have the battery tested -  we can combined battery testing with an oil change, so you don’t have to make two trips. At a minimum, we recommend that you are familiar with the signs that could indicated that your Audi battery is starting to fail – if you notice any of the symptoms li ... read more

When you drive a high-performance vehicle, you need to be mindful of your braking system. To keep your Audi driving at its best, it needs regular service and brake maintenance. The actual frequency of your shop visits will depend on how much you drive and the typical driving conditions – lots of stop and go traffic, or driving where there are many hills, will shorten the interval between mechanic visits.  At our shop in San Carlos, CA, we offer full Audi brake service and maintenance. Our highly trained staff is well-versed in everything German engineering can produce, and we will make sure your Audi’s brakes are back to their full capacity.  Whether your Audi needs new brake pads, new rotors, brake fluid replacement, or your Audi suffers from a sticking caliper, our nationally ASE certified technicians will get the problem diagnosed and repaired.  At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we love Audi vehicles, and our friendly service advisors will be happy t ... read more

Even though we are having lovely, unseasonably warm days, in the evening you can feel the chill of the Autumn. This is a good time to get your car ready for the cold night, and rains. After the summer fun, it’s time to get your vehicle inspected and prepared for the harsher driving conditions. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we recommend that you have professionals look at various components and system of your vehicle: Lights As the days get shorter, you vehicle’s exterior lights gain in importance. All exterior lights should be checked to make sure they operate properly and provide you with visibility on the road. Do not forget signal lights - they are important for your safety. Windshield Wipers Faulty windshield wipers in the middle of a rainstorm are no fun – and during summer we rarely use them, so it’s doubly important to do a windshield wiper check before the winter rains. Summer heat and sunlight tend to damage ... read more

Winter is coming, and with it rain, sleet, snow at higher elevations, possible black ice. Your vehicle should be at its best when driving under winter conditions. One of the often forgotten services is wheel alignment. At Toole’s Garage in San Carlos we offer wheel alignment services for passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks, for residents of San Carlos and Belmont, CA. Proper wheel alignment improves vehicle control, ride quality, extends tire life, and can even improve mileage – to make it short and sweet – it makes for safer, more comfortable ride, and saves you money. Why would your vehicle need wheel alignment? Bay Area roads are full of potholes, and hitting a pothole can disturb wheel alignment. Hitting a curb, or even the parking stall wall can put wheels out of alignment. Modern computerized wheel alignment machines can detect misalignment so small as not to be visible to the naked eye. At our San Carlos auto repair shop we can offer convenient wheel alignm ... read more