Daytona Beach Auto Repair

At Honest-1 Auto Care we hear from a lot of people who are excited about the new diesel engines that will soon be available in passenger cars and SUV's. But our FL friends are often curious about the preventive maintenance requirements. People may not know that diesel engines have long been used extensively in Europe and Asia. In fact, in some markets, there're nearly as many diesel powered passenger cars as there are gasoline.Here's who's announced or is expected to announce new diesels for North America: BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Subaru. Of course, the US auto makers will be expanding their diesel offerings as well. Diesels will become a very big deal here in FL.You may ask, why has it taken so long getting to FL and North America? There are a bunch of reasons like fuel tax policies and such, but the biggest hurtle was that FL diesel fuel had a high sulfur content – too high for the latest generation of highly refined diesel engines. R ... read more

These days many people in the Daytona Beach area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you've got to start with what you've got. It'd be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you've had the vehicle for a while or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that's where you start.Go through the maintenance schedule for your vehicle and see what's been done and when. Have your Daytona Beach service advisor at Honest-1 Auto Care do an inspection and come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done. Review the list and prioritize the work, talk about budget and make a plan to get caught up.Making a plan is so important. Suppose you go in for an oil change and learn you need your cooling system serviced, a transmission service and are coming up on a timing belt replacement in th ... read more

Something you're going to be hearing a lot about around Daytona Beach, FL, is diesel engines. We're not talking about semi-trucks and buses; we're talking about diesel engine cars, pick-ups and SUVs.Most people in FL are surprised to learn that around half the cars on the road in Europe have diesel engines. Nearly all import brands offer a range of diesel engines abroad – even the ultra-luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW. For the most part, these diesel engines haven't been available in Daytona Beach, FL. But that's about to change.In the past, North American diesel fuel has had a much higher sulfur content than European fuel. Recent environmental laws have required changes in diesel formulation and emissions standards here in Daytona Beach, FL, so we are now ready to start seeing more diesel options offered over the next few years.Why are so many Daytona Beach drivers interested in diesel engines? Well first off, diesel fuel is more energy dense. There's more p ... read more

Is your vehicle sometimes hard to start early in the morning? When you turn the key, does it hesitate or stutter? If so, the problem could be the result of a dirty fuel system. Your vehicle's fuel system starts with the air filter and ends in the top of your engine. Over time, different parts of the system get dirty, which robs you of performance and hurts your fuel economy. Most Daytona Beach vehicles have fuel injectors, rather than a carburetor. Fuel injection systems have fewer problems and require less adjustment. But they still need to be properly maintained. This is why your owner's manual has a schedule for cleaning your fuel injectors and other parts of your fuel system.Some Daytona Beach residents are interested in buying fuel system cleaners that they can pour into their gas tank. You can do that - and there are lots of great products available that can help maintain an already clean fuel system - but these products cannot do a major cleaning. For that, you need to ... read more

Getting adequate fuel to your engine is very important for performance, fuel economy and safety. In order to accomplish this, your fuel system needs to be clean.Today's production cars have fuel injectors, rather than a carburetor. The injectors need to be cleaned from time to time in order to deliver the fuel with the correct pressure, spray pattern and volume.Daytona Beach drivers can buy fuel system cleaners that you pour into your gas tank to help maintain an already clean fuel system; however, they can't do a major cleaning. For that, you need to see Honest-1 Auto Care in Daytona Beach. We have the tools and chemicals to do the job right. Our friendly and knowledgeable team at Honest-1 Auto Care can remove particles, gum and varnish from your fuel system and get those injectors running cleanly and efficiently. You'll find Honest-1 Auto Care at 2325 S Ridgewood Ave in Daytona Beach, FL 32119. Or just give us a call at 386.898.0774 to schedule an appointment. You'll enjoy more power ... read more

There are so many tire choices in the Daytona Beach area that selecting the right one can be a bit overwhelming for drivers. And even though it's kind of fun to have new tires on your vehicle, they're a significant investment for most Daytona Beach area folks so you want do it right.Tip: talk with your friendly and knowledgeable Honest-1 Auto Care tire professional. He'll help you sort through the choices.Here are some of the issues you'll talk about: One is size – you know, all those numbers on the side of the tire. The right size is . All new vehicles are required to have stability control which, along with other important safety systems, is calibrated to work with specific tire sizes. Your Daytona Beach tire professional can help stay within manufacturer's specifications or program a different tire size into your vehicle's computer.And you'll want to discuss how and where you drive to determine the type of tire you need: summer, winter,  ... read more

The biggest issue for Daytona Beach area drivers is always safety. When your vehicle wheels are out of alignment, the vehicle will pull to one side, which could lead to an accident. When you're vehicle is out of alignment, you should have it taken care of right away at Honest-1 Auto Care in Daytona Beach. When undergoing an alignment service at Honest-1 Auto Care, your vehicle is put on an alignment rack where the tires, steering and suspension parts are checked for damage. Then the alignment is charted and checked against the factory settings.Precision adjustments are made to bring the wheels back into alignment. This gets all four wheels going in exactly the same direction.Daytona Beach drivers should be aware of the signs of alignment problems. These include the car pulling to one side. Also, the steering wheel may not be centered when you're going straight. If you see the edges of one or more t ... read more

The median age for cars in the Daytona Beach, FL area was over nine years. And two-thirds had over 75,000 miles. At Honest-1 Auto Care we hear reports that those numbers continue to rise. If you have a high-mileage vehicle in the Daytona Beach area, bring it into Honest-1 Auto Care for high-mileage maintenance.2325 S Ridgewood AveDaytona Beach, FL 32119386.898.0774 Many people in FL are keeping their vehicles longer. The economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern vehicles are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn't have to be a painful experience.Local car owners in Daytona Beach with over 100,000 miles on their vehicles often ask which service intervals they should follow. Let's start with the special needs of the older vehicle...The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake systems will have gum and varnish built up ... read more

It's important for Daytona Beach drivers to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold FL weather. Most Daytona Beach area drivers think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold vehicle engine. However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Daytona Beach trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Daytona Beach drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge lik ... read more

Every Daytona Beach car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Daytona Beach don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that FL people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Honest-1 Auto Care can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Daytona Beach. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Daytona Beach home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Daytona Beach roads. Your vehicle actually needs ... read more