Daytona Beach Auto Repair

  It seems like everywhere you go in the Daytona Beach area you see custom wheels. Big trucks, little cars, mini-vans - it doesn't matter - are expressing themselves with custom wheels. Some FL auto owners want smaller tires and wheels - some want larger - and some want them enormous. So where do you start if you want new wheels? At Honest-1 Auto Care, we suggest you start with your budget. We know, that sounds so practical. But if the look you're after goes beyond just new tires and wheels and enters into the world of suspension modifications, you need to be prepared for the additional cost.Let's start with something easy - you want to give your ride a unique look and the stock wheel size is just right for you. One of the concerns you will have is that the new wheels have the same offset as your vehicle factory wheels.Your tire and wheel professional at Honest-1 Auto Care in Daytona Beach can help you find the right size wheel or install adapters to make your new wheels ... read more

The coolant system is a vital part of your vehicle. It is also the second most common cause for vehicle failures. Even though coolant system failure is fairly common in Daytona Beach, it is easy to prevent. The most recognizable part of the coolant system is the radiator. It is connected to the engine with hoses and is filled with coolant. The coolant draws heat off the engine and then passes into the radiator. Air passes through cooling fins to reduce the temperature of the coolant and then it's back to the engine again.There are several ways for the cooling system to fail. Most common is with the coolant itself. Coolant is comprised of water and antifreeze. The proper ratio keeps the coolant from either boiling away or freezing. Understandably, either can lead to massive engine damage.Another coolant issue that is often overlooked by Daytona Beach drivers is the age of the coolant itself. Antifreeze has additives that protect the coolant system from corrosion. As the ... read more

The automotive professionals at Honest-1 Auto Care would like to give Daytona Beach drivers an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids. You know, vehicles are becoming more sophisticated every day.  Fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace.The Daytona Beach do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their vehicle with the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many FL ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable Honest-1 Auto Care service advisor to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their vehicle and their driving habits in the Daytona Beach area.Let's start with engine oil. Daytona Beach drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the FL scene in the last several years ... read more

There are a lot of drivers in Daytona Beach who are due for a differential service, but had never heard of a differential before.With front-wheel drive being so common in FL these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Daytona Beach folks don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of your mind. It's not uncommon for people in Daytona Beach to not know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.To better understand what a differential does, think about a track at any FL high school. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That's to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that e ... read more

Virtually all vehicles come with power steering, so many Daytona Beach drivers have never driven a car or truck without it. Power steering assists you when you turn your vehicle steering wheel. Without it, it would be very hard to steer. Now this power assist comes in a couple of forms. In recent years, a lot of vehicles have an electric motor that reduces steering effort and helps improve performance and handling. The other kind of power steering is hydraulic. This is the kind most older FL vehicles — and a lot of newer ones — have. Power steering fluid is pressurized by a pump and is used to assist steering. Of course, vehicles need the right amount of fluid in the system. If it's too low, your steering is affected and you could damage your vehicle pump. Also, power steering fluid can become corrosive over time and damage the pump, hoses and connectors, leading to leaks and repairs. Power stee ... read more

If you haven't shopped in the Daytona Beach area for a new vehicle recently, you're likely to experience some sticker shock. It seems everything is costing more these days. And when you consider the price of auto financing in Daytona Beach, and insurance, the idea of hanging on to your old vehicle for a few more years gets even more attractive.On the plus side, vehicles these days are engineered to last for 150,000 miles (250,000 km) or more. So why don't they? Usually it's because Daytona Beach drivers don't stay on top of preventive maintenance. Good vehicle care at professional automotive service centers like Honest-1 Auto Care in Daytona Beach is the key to getting the most mileage out of your vehicle.Too often, Daytona Beach vehicle owners are inclined to wait until their vehicles develop an obvious problem and take them in for repairs instead of maintenance. Repairs can be expensive, but allowing routine vehicle&nb ... read more

Tires do a lot of work for Daytona Beach drivers. They transfer engine power and braking forces to the road; they handle steering control; and they cushion all those bumps and jolts while driving around Daytona Beach. They also support the entire weight of the vehicle, including you and your passengers. With such important work to do, you want your tires to do their job well. And since replacing tires is fairly pricey, you want them to last as long as possible. There are three keys to long, even tire wear for Daytona Beach driving: Proper tire inflation Proper wheel alignment Regular tire rotation and balancing The front tires on a car take the brunt of the steering forces. As they push through turns, the shoulders of the front tires wear down more quickly than the rear tires. Rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate. That's especially true of front-wheel-drive vehicles whose front tires steer and put the power to the ... read more

Remember snow tires? They were basically just regular tires with big, knobby lugs to get them through deep snow. They were loud and rode hard, and Daytona Beach drivers couldn't wait to get them off the car. Then along came television advertisements for “all-season” radials. FL drivers ran out and bought some and we thought we were done with snow tires forever.Tires have come a long way since then. Modern winter tires sold in the Daytona Beach area are much better designed for the wide range of conditions that come with FL winter weather. They are made with a rubber compound that helps them stay flexible in cold weather. Regular tires become hard and stiff at Daytona Beach temperatures below 45°F (7° C) which reduces their traction. That's a concern in winter, especially with snowy or wet conditions. But it also means that Daytona Beach drivers are better off with winter tires in cold weather even when it's dry.The tread design on winter tires has been improved to ... read more

Uneven tire wear, the car pulling to one side or a steering wheel that is off-center are signs for Daytona Beach drivers that their wheels may be out of alignment.When doing an alignment inspection, the service advisor at Honest-1 Auto Care will inspect your tires for uneven wear as well as suspension and steering parts for signs of wear or damage. He?ll also compare your current alignment with the vehicle manufacturer?s settings.Your vehicle owner?s manual will have a recommendation for when to check alignment. Of course, this recommendation is based on normal driving. If you have been in a crash, hit a curb/pothole, frequently drive off-road around Daytona Beach, or notice any symptoms of misalignment, have your Honest-1 Auto Care service advisor perform an important alignment check.Honest-1 Auto Care2325 S Ridgewood AveDaytona Beach, FL 3211938

All of us in Daytona Beach know we have to get the oil changed in our vehicles periodically. That's just part of good vehicle care. But when Honest-1 Auto Care technicians change your oil, they also usually inspect your air filter. That's why they sometimes let you know that your air filter needs to be changed before releasing your vehicle.Don't just chock this up to trying to sell you something else. Daytona Beach area drivers really do need to change their air filter when it gets dirty. You can check your owner's manual to see how often your air filter should need to be changed, but remember, if you live in an area in FL with poor air quality, or if you drive a lot or drive under harsh conditions in the Daytona Beach area, you may need to change that filter more often than is recommended.Changing an air filter isn't guesswork. If a filter's dirty, it needs to be replaced. Air filters aren't very exp ... read more