Daytona Beach Auto Repair

Ask any Daytona Beach man or woman if they've taken their vehicle in for preventive maintenance preventive maintenance lately, and the answer may well be “no.” Surveys indicate that over 80% of vehicles on the road today are in need of some kind of repair or maintenance. Now, ask that same person why he hasn't taken his car in for care. The answer will probably be that he forgot or that he just didn't think about it. Most Daytona Beach residents seem to have a hard time remembering about scheduled maintenance for their vehicles. Funny, because most of us in Daytona Beach have no trouble remembering to wash our clothes, mow our lawns or brush our teeth. It isn't that we can't remember to take our vehicles for service; it's a matter of making it a priority. When it comes to our vehicles, Daytona Beach drivers like myself, need to be a little more maintenance-minded. The fact is, we can choose to do it, or we might find ourselves being compelled to do it. For example, whe ... read more

So you take your vehicle in for maintenance and the pro at Honest-1 Auto Care tells you that you ought to change your oil more often. What? You followed the maintenance schedule – but you take a second look at that “severe service” schedule and see some of the following: Most of your trips around Daytona Beach are less than four miles. Most of your trips are less than ten miles when outside FL temperatures are below freezing. You don't do a lot of FL freeway driving, so you drive at low speeds most of the time. You drive in an area with a lot of pollution, dust, dirt, mud or slush. You frequently tow a trailer, haul heavy loads around Daytona Beach or use a car-top carrier. The weather in your area can get very hot or very cold. Surprising, isn't it? Severe driving isn't quite what you'd envisioned. Ask yourself: "Which auto service schedule should I follow?" For some of us, it's obvious. But for most of us, it's not an either/or question. One way to decide how often to mainta ... read more

When they hear the word suspension, many drivers in Daytona Beach may think back to those energetic days of grade school. Well, your car's suspension is actually a good thing because it keeps your car up off the road and helps provide a comfy ride around Daytona Beach. Its job is to keep your wheels firmly planted over bumps and through curves. Your suspension system has many parts. If you look under your car, it's basically everything that connects your wheels to the vehicle's frame. These are heavy duty parts that do a lot of work. They need to be inspected for damage and excessive wear at least once a year. A good time for this is when you get your annual alignment service at Honest-1 Auto Care. Here are some warning signs of suspension problems: the car pulls to one side it wanders the steering is erratic you see uneven tire wear you experience a poor ride or handling you see oil leaking from shocks Basically, you just don't feel in control when you ... read more

A lot of Daytona Beach drivers have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their car owners' manual. It can be somewhat confusing, so we decided to consult an expert. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of automotive products and fluids. She's been in the automotive business for over 30 years and is a speaker, a trainer, and a writer. Cricket says there's so much confusion on this topic because, "Most owners' manuals actually have two maintenance schedules. Sometimes these are called 'regular service' and 'severe service'. Sometimes they're simply called Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. A severe service schedule recommends that things like an oil change, air filter replacement, and transmission service be done more often: either in fewer miles or in less time." Foreign and domestic vehicle manufacturers create a specific schedule for e ... read more

Let's talk about something critical for all Daytona Beach drivers: your brakes. Your vehicle weighs several thousand pounds and it takes a lot of muscle to bring it and your passengers to a safe stop – so everything needs to be in good working order. Here's an explanation on how your disk brakes work: The wheel hub keeps your wheel attached to your vehicle. The brake disc – or rotor – is attached to the hub and rotates with the wheel as you drive around Daytona Beach. Your brake pads clamp onto the rotor to slow the wheel. The brake caliper straddles the rotor and squeezes the rotor to slow it down. The calipers contain brake pads which press on the rotor when you put your foot on the brake. The brake piston causes the calipers to squeeze and release as you use your vehicle brakes. Your brake pads start to wear the first time yo ... read more

When it comes to preventive maintenance on our vehicles, most of us Daytona Beach drivers remember to get our oil changed. But services that occur at longer intervals — like transmission service — sometimes get overlooked. Yet transmission service is part of car care. A poorly maintained transmission will fail and lead to repairs. The transmission transfers power from the engine to the drive wheels. When it's clean and well - lubricated, it gives maximum fuel efficiency. But when it gets dirty or worn down, your transmission will suffer. Your transmission relies on transmission fluid to keep everything running well. This is why the transmission fluid must be changed periodically. Your owner's manual will give you a recommended time schedule for this service. Or, you can ask your friendly and knowledgeable Honest-1 Auto Care service advisor. Generally, the interval is around 35,000 miles (55,000 km) or every two years. But the interval fo ... read more

Most Daytona Beach folks occasionally have days when they've got a bunch of errands to run. Yesterday was my day off and I needed to fill the gas tank, pick up some groceries at my Daytona Beach market, swing by the ATM and get the kids from school. I could have made four trips . . . but that would have been totally inefficient. Instead I got unusually organized and planned my stops. I hit the ATM first and got gas next. Then I went to the supermarket and picked up the kids on the way home. I was proud of my wise use of time and money. What does this have to do with your car? Well, back in the day, each of your engine's accessories, like the alternator and air conditioner, were powered by separate belts. A vehicle might have five or six belts. These days, vehicles have a single belt to run all the accessories. It's called the serpentine belt. A pulley attached to the vehicle engine's crank provides the power to turn the serpentine belt. On the engine in the video, the ... read more

Whether we're trying to save money, save gas, or save the environment, most of us Daytona Beach drivers have an interest in decreasing fuel consumption. We've all heard about ways to save money on gas in FL, but does it really add up to much? How much can we boost our through preventive maintenance and more courteous driving? The US government has a website that actually answers that question. Let's look at some of the data and find out if any of these fuel-saving ideas are really worth the effort. We've all heard that a tune-up can improve gas mileage. It turns out that it can save us 4% at the pump. At $3.50 a gallon, that's 14¢ per gallon in savings, and at $4.00 a gallon, that's a 16¢ per gallon savings. Other common repair items can also save you a ... read more

When you drop your vehicle off at Honest-1 Auto Care in Daytona Beach, they don't just poke around under your hood looking for stuff to do. Honest-1 Auto Care professionals have lists and procedures they follow for different types of service. First of all, your Daytona Beach service center will note the mileage on your vehicle. They'll then check to see what inspections and services the recommends for a vehicle of your make, model and mileage. If you are a regular customer, they will also check your vehicle's history. If the 's recommendations go beyond the services you've ordered, they'll let you know. They'll also indicate whether those services are or if you can wait a while to take care of them. The Honest-1 Auto Care pros won't do work that you don't agree to. They will, however, perform inspections while they're servicing your vehicle. They'll check belts, filters and fluids. They'll check your wind ... read more