Wilmington Auto Repair

When properly aligned, all of your wheels are pointed in the same direction. Your vehicle will track true and handle the way it is designed. Wilmington drivers often associate our wheels being “knocked” out of alignment with an event like a major crash, hitting a pothole, curb or some other object. While these can certainly take your wheels out of alignment, the bumps and bounces of everyday Wilmington driving take their toll on wheel alignment as well. Your car can lose alignment over time with just normal driving. When your wheels are out of alignment, the team of automotive professionals at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington can return your wheels to the factory settings. Most owners’ manuals suggest an inspection every year or two.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

In your engine, valves over each combustion chamber open to allow fresh air in, close during the combustion event, and then other valves open to let out the exhaust. All of this happens over and over thousands of times a minute when you are driving around Wilmington. The timing belt’s important job is to make sure that all of this happens as it should – at precisely the right time. If the timing is off, your engine won’t run efficiently or maybe not at all – so a good timing belt is important. If it should break, you could end up at PONTE'S AUTOCARE with expensive engine damage.Ask your friendly and professional PONTE'S AUTOCARE service advisor when your timing belt is scheduled for replacement.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

One thing all Wilmington drivers can do to extend the life of their battery is to keep it clean. A greasy, dirty battery holds in damaging heat. Same goes for removing corrosion from the terminals. PONTE'S AUTOCARE can help maintain your battery.Allowing your battery to be deeply depleted – like from using your headlights when the engine is off – is very harmful to your battery. Most automotive batteries can only take that about 10 times before they are ruined.Also, making sure you have a full charge every month or so extends battery life. Either an extended drive at freeway speeds around the Wilmington are or using a battery charger will preserve your battery’s ability to hold a full charge.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

Uneven tire wear, the car pulling to one side or a steering wheel that is off-center are signs for Wilmington drivers that their wheels may be out of alignment.When doing an alignment inspection, the service advisor at PONTE'S AUTOCARE 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 Wilmington, or notice any symptoms of misalignment, have your PONTE'S AUTOCARE service advisor perform an important alignment check.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

The simple fact is that 70% of car batteries fail within 4 years. They just need to be replaced at PONTE'S AUTOCARE when they are no longer able to hold a full charge.Batteries are a big ticket item for most Wilmington drivers and it’s tempting to put off buying a new one as long as possible. But a battery that cannot hold a full charge requires the alternator to work extra hard, causing it to wear out prematurely.Your PONTE'S AUTOCARE service advisor can test your battery to see if it should be replaced. Testing is a good idea for Delaware drivers because a battery might still be good, but become dead because of a bad alternator or even a worn serpentine belt and tensioner. PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 19803302-478-9786  

Repair or Replace? That’s a question Wilmington drivers ask when they have tire damage. Some punctures cannot be repaired because of their size or location. Punctures larger than a quarter of an inch (6.4 mm) are considered too large to be safely repaired. Punctures in the sidewall or near the shoulders may not be able to be repaired. And sometimes there is internal damage revealed on inspection that indicates the tire should not be repaired. Run flat tires should not be repaired. Repairing high performance tires may make them unsuitable for motorsports. Your friendly and professional PONTE'S AUTOCARE service advisor can inspect your damaged tire and tell you if it can be safely repaired or if it should be replaced - and then help you get back on the roads around Wilmington.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your car when you drive around Wilmington.An old timing belt can lose a “tooth” in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt slips – or a broken timing belt – can be disastrous on some engines. In “interference” engines, open valves can get in the way of the piston when the timing belt breaks or slips. When that happens one or more valves can be bent requiring expensive engine repairs.It is important for Wilmington drivers to replace their timing belts as recommended in their owner’s manual to avoid unnecessary breakdowns. Ask the team of professionals at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington if it’s time for your timing belt to be replaced. PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

When Wilmington drivers need to replace tires, they need to know how many they should get and on which axle they should be placed. Replacing a damaged tire may leave you with three others with significant wear, which could affect your traction control, stability control and anti-lock brake systems.If you can’t afford to replace all four tires at once, you should at least replace two on the same axle. New tires should always be put on the rear axle for stability in slippery conditions. Your friendly and professional PONTE'S AUTOCARE tire professional can help you know when your worn tires should be replaced, if you can have a damaged tire repaired as well as selecting the right tires for your needs.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

When properly aligned, all of your wheels are pointed in the same direction. Your vehicle will track true and handle the way it is designed. Wilmington drivers often associate our wheels being “knocked” out of alignment with an event like an accident, hitting a pothole, curb or some other object. While these can certainly take your wheels out of alignment, the bumps and bounces of everyday Wilmington driving take their toll on wheel alignment as well. In addition, your vehicle can lose alignment over time with just normal driving. When your wheels are out of alignment, PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington can return your wheels to the vehicle manufacturer’s factory settings. Most owner's manuals suggest an alignment check every year or two.  Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 19803302-478-9786  

The brake rotor, or disc, is attached to your wheel. The brake pads rub on the rotor to slow your car when you are driving in Wilmington.Rotors can warp, crack or become misaligned. They can also be damaged by worn out brake pads that scratch grooves into the surface. These conditions result in less contact surface for the brake pads, leaving you with reduced braking power.Over time and miles, rotors can also wear down below safe specifications. It is important for Wilmington drivers to know that simply replacing brake pads on a wheel with a bad rotor will not solve the problem. Depending on their condition, rotors may be resurfaced or replaced.Brake noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal are signs of potential brake problems that should be addressed right away. If you have any brake concerns, please have your friendly and professional PONTE'S AUTOCARE tech perform a thorough inspection.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330