Castro Valley Auto Repair

Adams Autoworx in Castro Valley offers comprehensive automotive maintenance, factory recommended services, diagnostics and repairs. As we write this blog post, various surveys reveal that more and more vehicle owners are keeping their vehicles longer. As vehicles age, more and more parts can fail, and so everybody should be cognizant of the need to inspect engine mounts. As your vehicle ages, engine mounts can break. Usually it starts with just one, but then the remaining mounts are forced to work harder, and deal with greater range of motion because the engine is no longer fully secured to the body of the vehicle. As a result, more engine mounts can fail. Engine mounts not only keep the engine attached to the body of the car, they are also tasked with minimizing vibrations. When an engine mount fails, you may feel increased vibration and increased noise. As more engine mounts fail, these symptoms will become even more pronounced including unusual noises such as rattling or clunking ... read more

Ford ended Mercury production in 2011, but there are still plenty of Mercury vehicles on the roads. At Adams Autoworx in Castro Valley we continue to support Mercury owners, whether you own a Mercury Grand Marquis, or the Mercury Sable, or the last Mercury model – Milan. Our nationally ASE certified technicians will diagnose, and repair any problem your Mercury might present. As your Mercury ages, regular oil changes and regular service grow in importance. Oil change not only prolongs engine life, but also gives us an opportunity to find developing problems – we perform a free digital vehicle inspection with every service or repair. You will receive an electronic copy of the result – so you are always up-to-date on the overall condition of your Mercury. Whether you drive a Mercury Montego or a Mercury Mountaineer SUV, our technicians will provide your vehicle with everything it needs to serve  you faithfully for many years. Any repairs we perform on your vehicl ... read more

When your Acura is ready for a bit of TLC, onboard computer will display a service code. The “A” in the code means that your vehicle needs and oil change and oil filter change. The numbers that follow letter A indicate additional maintenance items. For example “1” stands for “rotate tires”, so if your Acura display A1 code, it means oil change and tire rotation. “A5” code means oil change and coolant flush and replacement. Below is a list of the codes you might see at some point: 1 – check tire pressure, and rotate tires 2 – replace dust and pollen filters, and check the drive belt 3 – replace transfer fluid and transmission fluid, where applicable. 4 –  replace spark plugs, replace timing belt ( if applicable ), inspect valve clearance and water pump ( if we are replacing the timing belt, we recommend water pump replacement as well since the majority of the labor cost is already covered because of the t ... read more

We are big fans of Subaru vehicles, but they occasionally come with an issue or two. The 2011 Subaru Forester has two engine oil issues that owners need to be aware of:   first and foremost, the engine can consume too much engine oil while operating, the other issue is oil leaks. Excessive oil consumption is a known problem for a number of vehicles, and unfortunately, 2011 Forester is one of them. It can be 1 - 2 quarts between oil changes, but sometimes as many as 3-4 quarts. If you own a 2011 Subaru Forester, we highly recommend checking engine oil levels every 1000 miles and topping it off if necessary. This will keep your vehicle from depleting the engine oil. Oil leaks are always a concern, and unfortunately older Subaru vehicles are oil leak prone. An oil leak can be particularly dangerous if your Subaru also has a tendency to excessive oil consumption. If the two are combined, and the owner does not monitor engine oil level, the vehicle may run out of engine oil &nda ... read more

Mini Cooper is manufactured by BMW and just as some BMW models have oil leak issues, so do some Minis. At Adams Autoworx in Castro Valley we are Mini Cooper fans, and can get your Mini repaired and ready to serve you well. We have extensive Mini Cooper repair experience, and our nationally ASE certified technicians are equipped with the latest digital diagnostic tools that allow them to get to the root cause of any problem your Mini may exhibit. When you suspect that your Mini is leaking engine oil – because of the oil spots in the driveway, strange smells coming from the engine when it’s hot, or if you notice oil level dropping significantly between oil changes, or worse, if you need to top off engine oil between oil changes – give us a call and have your Mini checked out by a professional mechanic. We can confirm if your Mini indeed has an oil leak, and find its location so we can give you an accurate estimate of the repair costs.     There are some ... read more

Seeing a telltale sign of something dripping on the garage floor or in the driveway is not a happy occasion. Fortunately, most of the time it's merely water condensation from your vehicle's air conditioning system. So if the fluid you see is colorless, odorless and not oily, it may not be a problem. However, there are some brake fluids that are clear as well, so to be 100% sure, have your vehicle checked out at Adams Autoworx in Castro Valley and we can tell you with 100% accuracy the nature of the fluid – better safe than sorry. What Else Could be Leaking? Typical vehicle has a surprising number of fluids, here are some that might be dripping on the floor of your garage:     Coolant leaks: Depending on the vehicle make, the engine coolant color will vary, but any of these colors can indicate engine coolant: green, orange, yellow, turquoise, pink, blue or purple     Transmission fluid leaks will results in following colors on the floor o ... read more

At Adams Autoworx in Castro Valley we are pleased to offer full range of automotive services including Bridgestone tires. One of the bestselling tire brands in California, Bridgestone offers wide selection of quality tires for every possible use – from off-road fun in the desert, to winter tires for those Sierra Nevada ski trips. Founded in 1931 in Japan, over ninety years Bridgestone has grown to become one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. With production facilities in 24 countries, including United States, Bridgestone is a truly global company. At our Castro Valley auto care facility we offer wide selection of Bridgestone tires. Whether you drive a light truck, SUV or a passenger car, we have Bridgestone tires that will fit your needs. Our friendly service advisors can match the tires to the type of driving you do – simply let them know if you are buying tires for a commute car, SUV that is used to ferry kids to afterschool practice, or a vehicle that tak ... read more

Adams Autoworx offers not only full range of mechanical repair services, but we also provide a wide range of tires, including Continental tires. One of the top three best-selling brands in California, Continental tires offer a wide range of choices, whether you need tires for a passenger car, light truck tires, or tires for your SUV. Conti tires offer comfortable and quiet ride, and are designed for superior wet braking performance. At Adams Autoworx we can provide you with passenger car tires like Continental TrueContact Tour or SureContact RX, light truck/SUV tires like TerrainContact AT CrossContact LX or 4x4Sport Contact. We also offer performance tires including Continental ExtremeContact Sport and ContiSportContact 5P tires. So when you need new tires, call our Castro Valley auto care shop. Our friendly service advisors will assist you in selecting the best tires for your vehicle and the kind of driving you do. We not only offe ... read more

With the first rains of the season behind us, you will have surely noticed whether your windshield wipers need replacement. If they do, call Adams Autoworx in Castro Valley and we will be happy to provide you vehicle with new wiper blades. Windshield wipers used to be an afterthought, but modern vehicles require windshield wipers to be in pristine condition. The reason for this new-found attention to the windshield wipers is the ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and self-driving capabilities built into many cars. Many vehicles use cameras that see through the windshield to provide information to the computers that are responsible for ADAS or self-driving capability. If the wiper blades do not properly remove water from the windshield, these capabilities might be compromised, or downright unusable. So check again that the wiper blades properly remove water from the windshield, and if they do not, call our Castro Valley auto repair facility and we will get you a new set of wip ... read more

Michelin tires have been around since 1889. Yes, over one hundred and thirty years ago Michelin came into being - and already in 1895 it offered air-filled tires. Today it’s the second largest tire manufacturer in the world. Michelin produces a wide variety of tires – performance touring tires, high performance tires, minivan tires, SUV tires, light truck tires, and of course a variety of winter tires. Whatever your vehicle needs, we can find Michelin tires that will match your vehicle and your driving style. Our Castro Valley tire facility can even provide your Tesla with Michelin Tesla tires. Tire selection can be a complicated task – Michelin alone has dozens of tires to choose from. So at Adams Autoworx we offer expert tire assistance – our friendly service advisors can find tires that best match your intended use (commuting, touring, off-road, winter), your vehicle, and your driving style. So whether your vehicle needs a single Michelin tire, or an entir ... read more