North Richland Hills Auto Repair

Tire Tread Depth for HURST, TX DriversDriving on bald tires is like playing roulette. Though you may be fine today, eventually your luck is going to run out. The Feds don't have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider 2/32 of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider 1/32 to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at Honest - 1 Auto Care - Hurst, TX; (just call 817-369-3921) to find out what your requirements are in the HURST, TX, area. Since 1968, U.S. law has required that a raised bar be molded across all tires. When tires are worn enough that this bar becomes visible, there's just 2/32 inch/1.6 mm of tread left. But does that older standard give HURST vehicles enough safety? Consider this ... read more

Nighttime Visibility There are a number of factors that contribute to the high nighttime accident rate in the HURST area, things like drowsy driving and a higher rate of impaired driving. Without a doubt, visibility is a major contributor. Let's focus on visibility… It's said that 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on what we see. Nighttime driving has the effect of reducing 20/20 vision to the equivalent of 20/50 vision. What you could clearly see at 50 feet in daylight can't be seen until you are just 20 feet away at night. Too make sure your headlights are giving you the greatest visibility, visit us at Honest - 1 Auto Care - Hurst, TX, located at 908 GRAPEVINE HWY, HURST, TX 76054. Please give us a call to make an appointment: 817-369-3921. Accident avoidance is dependent on reaction time. Reaction ti ... read more

Trip Inspection HURST area drivers love their vehicles. And one of the most enjoyable things about them is taking a road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it's great! But there's nothing like vehicle trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt. Now HURST drivers can't always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. The first step is to look at your trip plan from your vehicle's perspective. What kind of roads will you be traveling – winding TX byways? Purple mountain majesties or fruited plains? What weather conditions are you likely to encounter? How far will you travel each day? How much weight will you be hauling – passengers and luggage? Pulling a trailer, roof top carrier or ATVs? Will it be dusty? Pre ... read more

Have You Checked Your Headlights? Like everything in the TX automotive market, there have been great strides in headlight technology in recent years. TX drivers can be safer at night because of it. Good headlights improve visibility on HURST roads, enabling you to see farther. They also improve your peripheral vision, helping you to see the sides more clearly. The more you can see, the more quickly you can react to road conditions. This is because nearly half of traffic fatalities take place at night. And as HURST resident population ages, everything that helps older eyes is welcome. Most new vehicles sold in TX come with halogen headlamps. A decade ago, halogens were exotic and expensive. Now that they are standard equipment, the price has come way down. Many luxury cars are equipped with high intensity discharge, or ... read more

Defensive Driving There was a man in the HURST area who learned that most car accidents occur within a mile of home – so he moved. (Just kidding!) When we think of defensive driving, we often focus on our local TX highway situations. The fact of the matter is we need to be just as careful close to home, because that's where we do most of our driving. We can't let our familiar surroundings keep us from driving defensively. Defensive driving begins with the proper attitude. Have in mind that you won't let anyone take your safety away from you. You'll be aware of your surroundings, road conditions, other vehicles and hazards. And the first person to be concerned with is you: start with your own environment. Don't leave without securing all occupants including children and pets. Watch for loose items that can become projectiles during ... read more

  What type of technology do you use? Do you prefer an 8-track tape or an iPod? When it comes to winter tires, much of HURST driver's perception dates back to when 8-track was the best way to listen to the Bee Gees. Twenty years ago in TX, winter tires differed from highway tires only in their tread design. TX drivers called them snow tires back then, and they had big, knobby lugs that were designed to give good traction in deep snow. They had the same rubber compound as regular tires and they weren't very good on ice, packed snow or wet TX roads. They were not even very good on dry roads. They really helped in deep or loose snow, but they did a poor job the rest of the time. They were loud and rode hard. People couldn't wait to get them off in the spring. Then all-season tires started to appear in HURST tire shops. All-season tires are really a compromise between summer and winter performance. They have acceptable hot weather ride and tread life and can get TX driv ... read more

If you've ever been in a vehicle accident around HURST, TX, even a minor one, you know how upsetting it can be. It's hard to think straight and know what to do. Let's review what you should do in case of an accident in HURST, TX: When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident is considered a crime in TX, even if it's not your fault. And hit-and-run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your driver's license or even jail time in our local HURST lockup. Most places, including TX, require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able. Warn other HURST motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood. Call 911 as soon as possible. Tell the operator if m ... read more

  Knowing how their engine works can help HURST drivers make informed decisions about auto care and prevent repairs to their vehicles. This is especially true when it comes to timing belts. An engine's power is generated in the cylinders. Inside the cylinder is a piston that moves up and down while the engine is running. Power is generated in a cycle that includes four strokes of the piston. First, the piston drops and a valve at the top of the cylinder opens to let in fuel and air. The piston then rises, which compresses the fuel and air. At this point, the spark plug fires, igniting the fuel and pushing the piston down. This downstroke transfers energy to the engine, which provides the power it needs to run. The piston rises again, and a valve opens to release the exhaust. All of this movement is orchestrated by a timing belt. The timing belt ... read more

Your car might have an alignment problem if: it drifts or pulls to one side, your steering wheel is off center, you have uneven tire wear or your car doesn't feel like it handles right. When all of a vehicle's wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Running into potholes around HURST and smacking a curb or other object are great ways to knock your car out of alignment. Then, one or more of your wheels starts pulling in a slightly different direction and the problems begin. There are several things involved in an alignment check at Honest - 1 Auto Care - Hurst, TX. First, there's an inspection of the steering and suspension systems - their components should be checked to see if anything's bent or broken. Then the tire condition needs to be inspected. From there, the vehicle is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. If all four wheels are adjustable, they are lined up perfectly parallel with the ve ... 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 HURST drivers couldn't wait to get them off the car. Then along came television advertisements for “all-season” radials. TX 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 HURST area are much better designed for the wide range of conditions that come with TX winter weather. They are made with a rubber compound that helps them stay flexible in cold weather. Regular tires become hard and stiff at HURST 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 HURST 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 move snow, slush ... read more