Posted on 8/18/2015
Your fuel pump sends fuel from your fuel tank to your engine. Sometimes fuel pumps fail – usually with little or no warning – and they need to be replaced. The majority of fuel pumps are inside the fuel tank, so getting to them can be a big deal. In some vehicles the fuel tank must be removed to access the pump. Depending on the design of the vehicle and the condition of the fuel tank, it may need to be replaced along with the pump. As you can imagine, that is pretty labor intensive. It’s also dangerous because that flammable fuel must be properly handled; so don’t try it at home. There are some best practices your service technician follows that you should know about. First, it’s recommended that the entire fuel pump assembly, including the electrical relay, be replaced. When one component has failed, another one is probably close to failure. With all of the labor involved, replacing the entire ... read more
Posted on 8/18/2015
Let's talk shocks and struts.
Shock absorbers and struts last a long time and wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles in the Daytona Beach area. They're easy to take for granted, but your shocks and struts do a very important job so you need to pay attention to them. They keep your tires on the road; and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle your car through turns, over bumps and even stop in time.
When your shocks and struts are worn, your tires bounce excessively over bumps in our Daytona Beach roads. Your vehicle will wallow through corners; your front-end will dive when you stop; and your rear-end will squat when you accelerate. All this hurts your ability to control your vehicle. And your ride just isn't as comfortable.
Worn shocks or struts&n ... read more
Posted on 8/18/2015
Let's talk about your suspension – you know, the system that connects your wheels to your vehicle, controls your handling and delivers a good ride as you cruise around Daytona Beach FL. Your suspension is critical for proper steering, stopping and stability.
Hey, it's a rough world out there in FL – every time you hit a pothole, a bump or an object in the road, your suspension system has to absorb the impact and maintain control.
As you can imagine, your suspension has a lot of joints and pivot points that allow your wheels to move up and down over bumps and to turn as you steer. These parts include ball joints, tie rod ends, the pitman, idler arms and the control arm bushing. They simply wear out over time.
When a joint or other part is worn the suspension parts don't fit together as ... read more
Posted on 8/18/2015
All new cars and light trucks in Daytona Beach FL since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or 'TPMS'. The TPMS system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dash.
So what's the big deal? Well, under-inflated tires can be a real safety concern for everyone in FL. First of all, they don't handle properly and that can lead to an accident. Second, under-inflated tires can overheat and cause the tire to come apart, which can also lead to an accident.
Government regulations requiring TPMS systems aim to reduce accidents in FL and save lives: A very worthy goal. There are also positive environmental effects because under-inflated tires are fuel wasters – you lose 1 percent of your fuel economy for every 3 pounds of pressure ... read more
Posted on 8/18/2015
Let's talk water pumps for autos in Daytona Beach, FL. The engine is cooled by coolant/antifreeze mixed with water. This mixture circulates around the engine, absorbing some of the heat. The coolant then flows through the radiator where air cools it down for the return trip back through the engine. Your vehicles's water pump is what drives this process.
Cooling system problems are the number-one mechanical failure in Daytona Beach. So the water pump plays a pretty important role. You can't get very far in FL without a water pump.
After all those miles and years of pumping coolant, water pumps just wear out. You might notice a whining or grinding sound coming from the water pump. Or maybe see coolant leaking from the pump itself.
The precise location of the water pump varies depending on the vehicle. Some have the water pump attached to the outside of the engine where you can see i ... read more
Posted on 8/18/2015
Your wheel bearings may be something to which you've never given a thought while driving around Daytona Beach FL. Wheel bearings are what enable your wheels to spin freely. Since they bear the entire weight of the vehicle, they have to be tough. Wheel bearings can last well over 100,000 miles. They do wear out though and must eventually be replaced.
You might hear a groaning sound from your wheels. The sound might disappear at some speeds and reappear at others. Your Daytona Beach FL service technician at Honest 1 Auto Care - Daytona Beach can quickly tell if your bearings are bad by raising the vehicle and wiggling the wheel. When you grasp the top and bottom of the tire, it shouldn't move along the vertical axis. Many vehicles these days have wheel bearing assemblies that cannot be serviced at Honest 1 Auto Care - Daytona Beach. When the bearings go bad, we simply replace the ... read more