Wilmington Auto Repair

If you've ever heard a squealing sound under your vehicle hood, chances are it was your serpentine belt. More importantly, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that's used by your vehicle's electrical systems and also charges the battery. Without the alternator, the battery will go dead after a short distance.The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering (some are electric) and power brakes (some use vacuum boost).And, on most vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep it within optimal operating temperatures. On some Wilmington vehicles, the water pump is powered by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt.When they understand what it does, Wilmington drivers realize that if it breaks, it affects a lot of systems. That's why vehicle manufacturers outline recommended replacement guidelines in the owner’s manuals. If t ... read more

Hey Wilmington - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in Delaware affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Wilmington or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at PONTE'S AUTOCARE can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it, a clogged air f ... read more

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Wilmington car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Wilmington, Delaware, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Wilmington drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Wilmington residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Wilmington drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at PONTE'S AUTOCARE.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid th ... read more