Wilmington Auto Repair

  Most Wilmington drivers don't even think about their air conditioner. Now here's a tip for Wilmington vehicle owners: Run your air conditioner every so often during Delaware winters. This circulates the lubricant to help keep the seals from drying out. The air conditioner actually removes some of the moisture in the air. So if you have trouble with fogging on your vehicle windshield during Delaware winters or during a rain storm, running the A/C on the defrost setting should help. Now on some Wilmington cars you can't run the A/C at the same time as the defroster. Don't ask me why, but I suspect lawyers were involved.Also, air and water can get into the A/C system. That can reduce the efficiency of the system and also lead to corrosion that causes damage. Wilmington drivers should periodically purge the system and replace the refrigerant to remove the air and water.Delaware dri ... read more

Most Wilmington drivers are all talking right now. Better gas mileage. Fewer emissions. Delaware folks want to save the environment and our pocketbooks.And we Wilmington drivers all know — or should know — that preventive maintenance will help maintain maximum fuel efficiency. But is there something more we can do? After all, some of us Wilmington road warriors can't cut back on our driving, and others would like to do more to economize.Weight is one major enemy of fuel economy. The more you lug around in your vehicle, the more fuel you have to burn to get around Wilmington. And that means buying more gas and producing more emissions.Of course, your vehicle's weight isn't negotiable. And you can't do much about the weight of your passengers. And this isn't an article about diet and exercise.But look around your car. Are you hauling a bunch of unnecessary weight while driving around Wilmington? Do you really need your golf clubs ev ... read more

Today in the PONTE'S AUTOCARE auto care blog, we're going to talk to Wilmington drivers about oil change intervals. It seems that as engine technology advances, oil change intervals become longer for PONTE'S AUTOCARE customers. For example, recently four of the world's largest vehicle manufacturer's shortened the published intervals for several of their engine models. They originally published intervals that extended out to a much as 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers).In real world Wilmington driving, the oil started to sludge up before the recommended change interval. Oil sludge is a thick jelly-like substance: quite literally petroleum jelly – like Vaseline. This goop was clogging vehicle small engine passages so the oil wouldn't flow to some parts of the engine. This resulted in engine damage. We see it too often at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington.The vehicle manufacturers began to offer an extended warranty to cover sludge damage. But there was a catch: the vehi ... read more

Sometimes we hear people in Wilmington say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's vehicles are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Wilmington drivers don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become,  fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid.Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and distances march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some personal stories we've heard ... read more

In our auto video today we'll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that "modern vehicles are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free."Any good myth has some elements of truth. No offense to Wilmington Bigfoot fans, but this maintenance-free myth has more evidence than most. If we look at some isolated areas of auto maintenance, we could conclude that maintenance isn't so important. But other areas would just as easily lead you to believe that maintenance is more important than ever.Here are some examples for our friends in Wilmington. Some vehicles in Wilmington no longer require chassis lubrication. They're made with self-lubricating materials and have sealed joints. There's literally no way to grease those joints. -Chalk one up for the myth.On the other side, some vehicles come with sophisticated variable valve timing. A lot of complicated parts are up ... read more

Let's talk about deciphering the auto service menu board. Wilmington, Delaware, service centers like PONTE'S AUTOCARE have a board that lists the routine services they provide. But some people don't know what these services really are unless they ask. Let's go down a typical list, in alphabetical order, starting with air conditioning service. Feel free at any time to give PONTE'S AUTOCARE a call at 302-478-9786 to learn of the many services we offer, or stop by our Wilmington, Delaware auto center at 2401 Concord Pike, 19803. First remember that all of these services are recommended by vehicle manufacturers. They set how often or at how many miles/kilometers the service should be done.Air conditioning service involves purging the old refrigerant and capturing it for proper disposal. Then fresh refrigerant is installed. The fresh refrigerant will lubricate the system and will also hel ... read more

Warm weather or cold, Wilmington drivers still need to think about their vehicle's air conditioning. Most Wilmington people don't service their air conditioning until after it fails. At PONTE'S AUTOCARE, we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturers preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on. Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the vehicle's air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can't cool the air as well. We see that a lot at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington.The refrigerant also contains oil that lubricates air conditioning components and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all Wilmington vehicle owners know that air conditioning repairs ca ... read more

  Which item is most often stolen from vehicles in Wilmington?Is it: Stereo Wheels Air Bag DVD System Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft in Delaware – approximately 50,000 a year are stolen across the country. New airbags cost about $1,000, but go for $50 to $200 on the black market in Delaware.Stolen airbags are making their way back into cars that have been in an accident. Of course, the danger to the consumer of having a stolen airbag installed is that you can never be sure what may have previously affected them and if they will work right when you need them. Contact us at PONTE'S AUTOCARE for more information about where to get your airbags checked or replaced.Find us at 2401 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware 19803You can reach us by phone at: 302-478-9786 There are reports that 1 in 25 airbag replacements ... read more

Scratching your head? Don't worry, if you don't know what a differential is – you will in a moment. That fact is that if you drive a car anywhere in Wilmington, Delaware, you have a differential. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you have a differential. Some Wilmington vehicles might even have two or three.Not surprisingly, a differential's job is to compensate for differences; specifically, they're the differences in wheel speed when turning. For instance, imagine taking a corner near your Wilmington, Delaware, home. Your inside wheel has a shorter distance to travel than the outside wheel as you turn the corner. That means that your outside wheel has to turn faster to keep pace with the inside wheel.The differential allows the wheels to turn at different speeds while still providing power to your vehicle. Without a differential, Wilmington residents' tires would scrub and hop along the pavement during turns like the early ca ... read more

Flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances can all be the result of driving around Wilmington on underinflated tires. Admittedly, it's hard to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your vehicle manufacturer recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your vehicle tires are considered significantly underinflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.New laws require all vehicles to include a tire pressure monitor system, or TPMS. This technology has been used by race car drivers for years. They are able to head off problems from underinflation by closely monitoring tire pressure on the track. It's up to your vehicle's manufacturer to determine which of many TPMS systems available they'll use to comply with the law.Obviously, all of this doesn't come free for Wilmington drivers. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining t ... read more