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Yearly Archives: 2012

What to Do in Case of an Accident in Wilmington

Screeching tires, crunching metal – it's an accident! If you've ever been in a car accident in Wilmington, 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 Wilmington drivers should do in case of an accident:When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident in Wilmington is considered a crime - even if it's not your fault. And hit and run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your Delaware driver's license or even jail time.Your jurisdiction may require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able. Warn other motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood. Call Wilmington emergency services as soon as possible. Tell the operator if medical or fire help is needed.You should always file a police report. It's tempting to skip this if everythin ... read more

Categories:

Automotive News

Fuel Injector Cleaning at PONTE'S AUTOCARE

In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your vehicle engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute in every single fuel-injected vehicle driving down Wilmington roads.Most fuel injectors for gas engines are known in the Wilmington automotive community as port fuel injectors because they deliver the fuel to a port just outside the cylinder. The fuel pump provides pressure needed to squirt the right amount of fuel into the engine. A few have recently introduced gas direct injection systems on some engines. They are now available at some Delaware dealerships. These systems inject the gas directly into the cylinders under very high pressure – many times the pressure of port injection systems. Although more complicated, d ... read more

Categories:

Fuel System

Wheel Balancing at PONTE'S AUTOCARE

So you love your job, and your family life is great. Congratulations! You have achieved balance. But can you say the same for your wheels? Wilmington drivers can tell if their tires are out of balance by vibrations at higher speeds on Delaware roads. If one of the front tires is out, you feel the vibration in the steering wheel. If it's a back tire, you'll feel the vibration in your seat.Tires and wheels are pretty heavy. When a tire is mounted on a wheel at PONTE'S AUTOCARE, it is usually not perfectly balanced. So the technician will spin the tire on a machine to determine where it's too heavy. He will then place weights on the wheels in strategic locations to balance it out. When a tire is out of balance, it actually bounces down the road instead of rolling smoothly. Since the average size tire rotates at about 850 revolutions per minute at 60 mph/97 kph, it is actually slamming into the pavement 14 times a second. That's where you get your vibration.Most people in Wilmington are s ... read more

Categories:

Tires and Wheels

TPMS: Tire Pressure Monitoring for Your Wilmington Vehicle

Wilmington drivers may know that all 2008 model year and newer cars, mini-vans and light trucks in Delaware come with a tire pressure monitoring system. Many slightly older vehicles around the Wilmington area have these systems as well. A tire pressure monitoring system – called TPMS – consists of sensors on each wheel that measure tire pressure.If tire pressure drops 25 percent below the vehicle manufacture’s recommended pressure, the sensor sends a signal to a monitoring unit that causes a warning to light up on the dashboard. When drivers see the warning light, they know it's time to put some air in the tires.There are many benefits to people in Wilmington who drive with properly inflated tires. First is cost savings. Running at the correct air pressure improves fuel economy. Driving on underinflated tires is like driving through sand – it drags down your fuel economy. Drivers in Wilmington will also see longer, more even tread wea ... read more

What Is a Differential and Do You Have One?

With front-wheel drive being so common these days in Wilmington, Delaware, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Wilmington drivers 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 Wilmington customers' minds. It's not uncommon for drivers to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service. Call PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington at 302-478-9786 for information about differential service, or stop by our Wilmington, Delaware, auto center at 2401 Concord Pike, 19803. To better understand what a differential does, think about our local Wilmington high school track. 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 lane ... read more

Categories:

Drive Train

Have You Checked Your Headlights?

Like everything in the Delaware automotive market, there have been great strides in headlight technology in recent years. Delaware drivers can be safer at night because of it. Good headlights improve visibility on Wilmington 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 Wilmington resident population ages, everything that helps older eyes is welcome.Most new vehicles sold in Delaware 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 HID, headlamps. You have probably seen them on some Wilmington roads; they're very bright and have a bluish tint.From behind the wheel, there is no do ... read more

Categories:

Parts

Economics of Maintenance for Wilmington Auto Owners

Buying a new car in Wilmington is always a big financial decision. The allure of that new car smell is powerful, to be sure. But what if your current car is still in good shape? How do you decide?People in Wilmington who've been used to driving a new car every three to five years may be having second thoughts in this economy. For many, the question is, how does the certainty of a new car payment stack up against uncertain repairs for a car that may be out of warranty?For purposes of our discussion, let's assume you live right here in Wilmington and have a five year old vehicle. It's now paid off. If you keep it, you fear that there'll be some repairs over the next five years, but you really don't know what to expect. For help we turned to maintenance and repair information for cars and trucks. With this data, they project likely service and repair costs for a particular make and model. They're able to use manufacturer's mai ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Following Recommended Intervals for Your vehicle

If you're reading this article in Wilmington, Delaware, then you probably care about your vehicle and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your professional service advisor at PONTE'S AUTOCARE tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you had planned. And you worry that if you say "no," you might be harming your vehicle or risking your family's safety. At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. Service recommendations are in your owner's manual. But it is not like you want to keep your vehicle auto maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading.Vehicles are complicated machines and it takes some effort for Wilmington residents to keep them running well. That is why they have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your vehicle performing eff ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Give Your Engine Clean Fuel with a New Fuel Filter from PONTE'S AUTOCARE

Your vehicle requires plenty of clean fuel to run. If your fuel contains contaminants, your fuel injectors will eventually become clogged up. When this happens, your vehicle engine may not get the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure to run at peak performance. This hurts performance as you drive around the Wilmington area. It can also lead to the buildup of harmful deposits on valves and in the combustion chamber.That's why all vehicles, including vehicles, come equipped with a fuel filter. The job of the filter is to clean out little pieces of dirt and contamination. The filter captures the contaminants and keeps them out of the fuel stream. Of course, like all filters, it will eventually get clogged up and need to be replaced at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington.If your fuel filter is clogged, the vehicle engine can't get all the fuel it needs, and it may sputter at high speeds or quick acceleration. Many fuel filters have a ... read more

Categories:

Fuel System

Transmission Care in Wilmington, Delaware

Do you have any plans around Wilmington, Delaware, for the weekend? Maybe you and some friends are taking the boat up to the lake. Maybe you'll be having a lot of fun water skiing and doing a little fishing.You got the boat all ready. It's all gassed up. You packed lots of snacks and the cooler's stocked – ready to go.How about your tow vehicle? It has plenty of gas and you've even vacuumed it out, but is your auto maintenance up to date?Stop and think. You'll have some heavy traffic on your way out of town. Hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and you may have hot weather. And all the time you're going to be towing around a lot of extra weight.That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Your transmission's going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. What's a fun little blast to the lake for yo ... read more

Categories:

Transmission
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