Brake Repair in Castro Valley, CA at Mallard Auto Care

Welcome to Mallard Auto Care , Castro Valley' s professional auto repair shop. We are your one-stop auto service and repair center in Castro Valley. Brake service and brake repair will be a recurring necessity if you live in Castro Valley – Bay Area traffic combined with Castro Valley hills can take heavy toll on your car’s brakes. Mallard Auto Care is your Castro Valley brake repair specialist.

Our ASE certified technicians can handle any aspect of brake service or repair - disc brake repair or drum brake repair; from the brake pedal to hydraulic brake fluid, brake calipers (which house brake pads) brake master cylinder to power brake booster, to electronic anti-lock brake sensors - we can provide high quality brake service and repairs. In most cases, your car will be repaired and returned to you the same day.

When your vehicle exhibits any of these symptoms, brake service is necessary:

  • brake dashboard light is red
  • grinding or constant squealing during braking
    • squealing noise from wheels while driving
    • pulling to the right or left when stopping
    • vibration in the steering wheel or seat when stopping (especially on hills)
  • brake pedal is spongy or slow to respond
  • brake dashboard light glows amber, signaling problems with the anti-lock brake system (ABS)

When you bring your vehicle to Mallard Auto Care , we will inspect your car's brake system and diagnose brake problems you experienced. We will then present you with an electronic copy of our findings. We will follow up with a phone call to explain what needs to be done, to answer any questions you may have and to help you to prioritize repairs. Your vehicle may need new brake pads, or pad and rotor replacement, brake hose replacement, or brake fluid flush (these are some of the common service items), but no matter what it needs, you can always expect:

  • Clear explanation of needed repairs
  • ASE certified technicians
  • 36 months / 36,000 miles warranty
  • Original Equipment parts

If your vehicle’s brakes make unusual noises, or your vehicle indicates in other ways that its brakes need some "TLC", bring it to Mallard Auto Care , and we will have your car repaired and back on the road usually the same day. Schedule an appointment online, or give us a call.

Fast, Reliable Brake Service in Castro Valley

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Driving without air conditioning on a hot summer day is horrible. There are different reasons your Subaru’s AC might stop working, one of which is when it needs a refill. A simple ac recharge may be all you need to get the AC blowing cool air again. Your Subaru’s air conditioning system uses a highly specialized refrigerant gas to keep the vehicle cool. Depending on the age of your Subaru, it may be R-134a or for newer cars, the R-1234YF refrigerant. At Mallard Auto Care in Castro Valley we have equipment to handle either type of the refrigerant – whatever your Subaru needs, we have it ready. In theory, your Subaru should never run out of the refrigerant, but like any system, the AC system can develop leaks. This can cause the refrigerant to drop very low. When this happens, the system has to be recharged with refrigerant for it to function properly again. How to know your Subaru’s AC needs a recharge Here are common signs that your Subaru’s AC system may need a refill: • Blows warm air When the AC system is low on refrigerant, it blows warm air from the supply vents. Since the cooling effect depends on the amount of refrigerant available, low level of the refrigerant will cause the system to blow warmer air.  • AC compressor clutch doesn’t engage When you switch on your vehicle’s AC, the compressor clutch ought to engage for the system to work properly. If the refrigerant level is too low, the AC compressor clutch may not engage. • Visible leaks Leaks are a reason for low refrigerant levels, but you can tell that your AC needs a refill before it gets critically low by looking out for any sign of liquid around the compressor, lines, or inside the cabin. In this instance, the leak has to be fixed before the AC is refilled. If you suspect low refrigerant levels in your Subaru, it is best to let a professional mechanic inspect the system for leaks, and have them repaired before ac refill. At Mallard Auto Care we are experts at a/c system diagnostics and repairs – so if your Subaru is not keeping you cool, give us a call or make an appointment online.
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With the first rains of the season behind us, you will have surely noticed whether your windshield wipers need replacement. If they do, call Mallard Auto Care 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 wiper blades that will do the job.