Wilmington Auto Repair

There are a surprising number of small, inexpensive parts that can lead to expensive engine damage when they fail. It doesn't seem right.Fortunately a lot of those things can be taken care of in routine maintenance. They may not be easy to remember because it is a long list, but your service center at PONTE'S AUTOCARE can help you know what's scheduled to be taken care of.Some of us in Wilmington, Delaware, really don't look forward to going in for an oil change and then getting a list of the other things the manufacturer recommends.But automotive maintenance is all about prevention and addressing small problems before they get big. Let's take the fuel filter for example.You may not know this but the median age for private vehicles on our Wilmington, Delaware, roads is over nine years. When vehicles get older, five years or so, they've accumulated a lot of dirt and rust in their gas tanks. If that dirt gets into the engine it can cause thousa ... read more

Bad air quality while you're driving around Wilmington is nothing to sneeze at. But seriously, more and more vehicles these days come equipped with a cabin air filter. Since they're fairly new on the scene, a lot of folks don't know about them yet.These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment, or cabin, of your car or truck. They do the same job as the furnace filter you have at home. They can filter out particles as small as three microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.So your cabin air filter can clean out dust, pollution, pollen and spores to keep the air in your car nice and clean. And just like your furnace filter, they need to be replaced when they get dirty. Check your owner's manual or ask your service advisor at PONTE'S AUTOCARE, but they typically need to be replaced at around 12,000 to 15,000 miles (19,000-24,000 kilometers).The filter is usually either under the hood or under the dashboard. Some are a little tricky to get to, so you ... read more

Many Wilmington car owners have probably wondered: "What's the harm in putting off replacing an engine air filter? The answer is that not replacing it could cause your Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor to fail. This expensive sensor is situated between your engine air filter and your engine. Dirty air filters are a leading cause of mass air flow sensor failure – and these babies can cost several hundred dollars to replace in Wilmington.Change your vehicle air filter at PONTE'S AUTOCARE when it's dirty. Your vehicle engine will thank you.Give us a call. PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 19803302-478-9786    

Tires are an expensive purchase, so knowing when tires should be replaced is important for Wilmington drivers. Tires will just wear out with normal use. The depth of the tread on your tire determines how well it will stop, start and steer – especially in wet conditions. 4/32th of an inch (3.2 mm) of tire tread is considered a safe amount of tread.Uneven tread wear can be a symptom of other problems, and simply replacing your tires will not prevent the same uneven wear from happening to the new tires. At PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington, we can inspect your tires for excessive or uneven wear. Unusual wear may lead to further inspection of steering, suspension or alignment problems. We can help with necessary repairs and with getting you the right tires for your needs.Give us a call.PONTE'S AUTOCARE2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 1980330

Higher Wilmington fuel prices aren't going away any time soon. That's not good news for our wallets. A lot of Wilmington drivers are trying to find ways to cut down on fuel consumption and hang on to some of their hard-earned money.North Americans drive billions of miles less during months of high fuel prices. That's right, billions. Of course Delaware vehicle owners can't stop driving altogether, so we still need to find other ways to cut fuel bills.Preventive maintenance at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington and good vehicle care can actually pay for themselves by lowering our fuel consumption. Here's a real-life example of how that can work.A family planned a four-day camping trip. Before leaving, they took their SUV into PONTE'S AUTOCARE for an oil change. They flushed the cooling system, serviced all three differentials and cleaned the fuel system. They replaced the PCV valve and breather element. Then they checked the tires to ensure they had en ... read more

When you drop your vehicle off at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington, they don't just poke around under your hood looking for stuff to do. PONTE'S AUTOCARE professionals have lists and procedures they follow for different types of service. First of all, your Wilmington service center will note the mileage on your vehicle. They'll then check to see what inspections and services the vehicle manufacturer recommends for a vehicle of your make, model and mileage. If you are a regular customer, they will also check your vehicle's history.If the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations go beyond the services you've ordered, they'll let you know. They'll also indicate whether those services are urgent or if you can wait a while to take care of them. The PONTE'S AUTOCARE pros won't do work that you don't agree to.They will, however, perform inspections while they're servicing your vehicle. They'll check belts, filters and fluids. They'll check your windshield wipers for wear. Th ... read more

Hello Wilmington drivers! Need a new battery? There is a good chance that you do – 70% of batteries need to be replaced within four years. As your battery discharges and then recharges as you drive around Wilmington, bits of the surface of the battery plates disintegrate. As this process continues over a few years, the alternator has to work harder to supplement the battery charge. Over time, enough of the battery is damaged that it can no longer hold a charge and it needs to be replaced. This also speeds up wear on the alternator.Your PONTE'S AUTOCARE service advisor can help you determine the right vehicle replacement battery for the way you drive around Wilmington, as well as the Delaware climate and durability needs.Contact PONTE'S AUTOCARE for information on battery replacement.Give us a call. PONTE'S AUTOCARE 2401 Concord Pike Wilmington, Delaware 19803 302

The automotive professionals at PONTE'S AUTOCARE would like to give Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 Delaware ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable PONTE'S AUTOCARE 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 Wilmington area.Let's start with engine oil. Wilmington drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the Delaware scene in the last several years. Mod ... read more

Have you ever seen a ballet performance? Have you wondered how all of those dancers manage to travel all over the stage jumping and twirling and never crash into each other? That's the job of a choreographer.Our auto engines are also highly choreographed. Pistons travel up and down inside cylinders. Valves at the tops of the cylinders open to let air and fuel in or exhaust out. These valves have to open and close at precisely the right time or the engine will run poorly if at all. The movement of the valves and pistons must be in harmony with each other. This choreography is the job of the timing belt or timing chain.Timing belts, or chains, rotate the shafts that control the opening and closing of the valves. Timing chains are metal and durable enough that they may never need to be replaced.Most vehicles, however, use a timing belt. Timing belts are tough and flexible, and considering the work they do, they last a long time for Wilmington auto owners . But they do wear out. If th ... read more