Wilmington Auto Repair

Regardless of whatever current gas prices may be, if you could use less gas, wouldn’t you? Well, here are 10 things that are robbing you of better fuel economy that you can change for the better:    •    Not enough air in your tires.  Underinflated tires have a smaller rolling diameter and more resistance to rolling.  Keep them inflated properly, plus ask us about more fuel-efficient tires.    •    Faulty oxygen sensor.  A faulty or dirty oxygen sensor can cause your engine to burn too rich a mixture of air and fuel.  That can also trigger a Check Engine light.  Have us check yours.    •    Oil age and type.  Contaminated or improper viscosities of engine oil can create more resistance in your engine.  Have regular oil changes and consider newer high-mileage oils.    •    Bad wheel alignment.  When your wheels aren’t lined up straight ... read more

You may have never thought about it, but when you turn a corner, the wheels on one side of your vehicle turn at a different speed than the other side.  What is this magic? The answer is something called the differential.   A differential is a gear box placed between the drive wheels and needs lubrication to work.  Over time, that fluid can become contaminated, reducing its effectiveness. You likely won’t be able to detect any signs that it’s happening, though it may get a little noisier over time.  If you continue to drive with contaminated and degraded differential fluid, the gears may wear prematurely. That can also contribute to excess wear on the drive-wheel tires.    Two-wheel drive vehicles have one differential while all-wheel and 4-wheel drive vehicles will have two or three.   Your vehicle’s manufacturer has guidelines on how often you should have the differential fluid changed, and we recommend you follow those.   Chan ... read more

When you’re driving and you hear a squeal or groan when you turn, it may be a sign your power steering pump is on its last legs.  The same is true if you feel your steering is slipping or doesn’t respond to your hands like it used to.   Precise, responsive steering is, of course, important when it comes to safe driving, so this is something you should have one of our technicians look at sooner rather than later.   There are different types of power steering pumps, and they all perform a similar function.  They make it easier for you to turn the steering wheel with little effort as the power steering system multiplies that force so you can precisely aim a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds.   The type of power steering pump your vehicle has depends on the power steering system it uses.  One works by hydraulics, taking energy provided by belts driven by the engine which pressurizes power steering fluid to the wheels.  There are a lot of ... read more

Your vehicle has a few filters you might be somewhat familiar with.  There’s the oil filter that removes impurities from your engine’s oil, and a couple of different kinds of air filters that prevent contaminants from getting into the engine and the cabin. But you may not know that your vehicle also has a fuel filter. The fuel filter keeps contaminants such as particles and other foreign substances from making their way into the engine.  They can result from using lower quality fuel, driving in dirty or stop-and-go conditions, or simply what happens after many weeks and months of travel.  At some point, your fuel filter will start to get clogged up and won’t let the fuel get to your engine easily.  You might notice some signs of that: your engine doesn’t have the power it used to, it may misfire when you accelerate, it may be harder to start, or it may stall while you’re driving.  You may notice your vehicle vibrating a lot when yo ... read more