Wilmington Auto Repair

The cooling system keeps Delaware vehicle's engines from overheating while they are driving around Wilmington. Its job is to move heat away from the engine. Let's talk about the various components of the system and how they make this happen.The radiator is the part most Wilmington drivers associate with the cooling system. Coolant flows through the radiator which has fine cooling fins that draw the heat out of the coolant and dissipate it into the air. To make sure there's enough airflow over the radiator, a fan pulls air over the cooling fins even when the vehicle is idling.In some vehicles, the fan is powered by the serpentine belt. On others, an electric motor runs the fan. Electric fans turn on and off as needed. You may have heard the fan kick on shortly after you turn your vehicle off. The sensor has determined that the engine needs a little help cooling down to a safe temperature.A hose connects the radiator to the water pump. T ... read more

Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from Wilmington knows this makes sense.Some of us in the Wilmington area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I'm not talkin' what you see in the mirror.Guys: sports equipment and tools. Ladies: well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about 45 pounds of french fries on the floor.All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and there, and everywhere else.Lose the junk and save some money....And you really only need one of those spare tires. PONTE'S AUTOCARE 2401 Concord Pike Wilmington, Delaware 19803 302

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the Delaware news. Wilmington people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better gas mileage and receive a government rebate. A lot of Wilmington motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of Wilmington drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own vehicles on the road in Delaware.The Wilmington drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may sound a bit un ... read more

Everyone in Wilmington, Delaware eventually replaces their tires, whether it's because they're worn out or they're just looking for something different. There are so many great tire choices in Wilmington, it can be difficult to sort them out. Let's group the broad spectrum into several categories that will help in the selection process.One category is often referred to as "summer tires". Summer tires are designed to be driven on the road when temperatures are generally above 45 degrees F (7 degrees C). Their tread design is optimized for traction on dry roads around Delaware and they're also able to effectively displace water on rainy roads.So if you live where its summer all year round, these tires will work well for you. If you like maximum performance in warm weather, but still live where it gets cold and snowy, you'll want to change your summer tires for winter tires as the weather starts to change.There's a range of tires within the winter tire category. If you live where there's ... read more

There's a segment of the Wilmington area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to PONTE'S AUTOCARE for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Wilmington have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are pre ... read more