Albany Auto Repair

Just a few days ago we wrote about Prius repairs, and it was a short blog post. Prius services are a subject that’s a bit more involved. Naturally the most frequent service will be Prius oil change. Toyota Prius vehicles are well-known for excessive oil consumption, so we not only recommend regular oil changes every 5,000 miles, but also  checking engine oil level every 1,000 miles or so. Another service will be brake pads replacement. Fortunately, on Prius vehicles that is an infrequent affair. While a typical non-hybrid vehicle will need new brake pads every 25,000 – 50,000 miles, it is not uncommon for Prius vehicles to go over 100,000 miles on the same set of brake pads. Thanks to regenerative braking, your Prius’ brake pads are used a lot less frequently than on a non-hybrid, gasoline powered vehicle.   A service that should be performed on a Prius every two years is brake fluid change. Brake fluid deteriorates over time, absorbs moisture from the air ... read more

Adams Autoworx Albany offers complete Prius services and repairs, including Prius head gasket replacement. Prius vehicles are known for their reliability, but as your Prius ages, it may need head gasket replacement. At Adams Autoworx we will verify that your Prius really needs head gasket replacement before we proceed with such major repair. Our technicians are nationally ASE certified and can diagnose any problem your vehicle may exhibit. Gen 3 Prius vehicles are particularly prone to head gasket problems, and at our Albany auto care facility we have both the experience as well as the tools to diagnose head gasket problems. Signs of potential head gasket failure: When the Prius engine has a misfire, the check engine light comes “on”. This does not necessarily mean that the head gasket needs replacement, but in most cases it does require a professional to diagnose the cause of the check engine light. When the head gasket fails, it allows coolant to seep into a cylinder ... read more

Prius vehicles have been with us forever, or so it seems. They are known for their reliability, and generally speaking, worry free operation. However, your Prius may need to have the inverter replaced at some point in time. In the past, Toyota issued a recall for inverter related problems, and hopefully your Prius has been to a dealership to have the work completed. Even so, there might have been thermal damage to the system that later results in inverter failure, or the inverter may fail simply because of age and use. So if at some point your Prius goes into neutral, and you notice hybrid system warning and power steering warning come “on”, there is a possibility that inverter replacement is in the cards. Naturally you will need a competent mechanic to diagnose the exact root cause of the warnings, so we recommend that  you bring your Prius to our Albany auto repair facility – our technicians, certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellen ... read more