Wilmington Auto Repair

Wilmington drivers may know that all 2008 model year and newer cars, mini-vans and light trucks in Delaware come with a tire pressure monitoring system. Many slightly older vehicles around the Wilmington area have these systems as well. A tire pressure monitoring system – called TPMS – consists of sensors on each wheel that measure tire pressure.If tire pressure drops 25 percent below the vehicle manufacture’s recommended pressure, the sensor sends a signal to a monitoring unit that causes a warning to light up on the dashboard. When drivers see the warning light, they know it's time to put some air in the tires.There are many benefits to people in Wilmington who drive with properly inflated tires. First is cost savings. Running at the correct air pressure improves fuel economy. Driving on underinflated tires is like driving through sand – it drags down your fuel economy. Drivers in Wilmington will also see longer, more even tread wea ... read more

With front-wheel drive being so common these days in Wilmington, Delaware, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Wilmington drivers don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of Wilmington customers' minds. It's not uncommon for drivers to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service. Call PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington at 302-478-9786 for information about differential service, or stop by our Wilmington, Delaware, auto center at 2401 Concord Pike, 19803. To better understand what a differential does, think about our local Wilmington high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lane ... read more

Like everything in the Delaware automotive market, there have been great strides in headlight technology in recent years. Delaware drivers can be safer at night because of it. Good headlights improve visibility on Wilmington roads, enabling you to see farther. They also improve your peripheral vision, helping you to see the sides more clearly. The more you can see, the more quickly you can react to road conditions. This is because nearly half of traffic fatalities take place at night. And as Wilmington resident population ages, everything that helps older eyes is welcome.Most new vehicles sold in Delaware come with halogen headlamps. A decade ago, halogens were exotic and expensive. Now that they are standard equipment, the price has come way down. Many luxury cars are equipped with high intensity discharge, or HID, headlamps. You have probably seen them on some Wilmington roads; they're very bright and have a bluish tint.From behind the wheel, there is no do ... read more

Buying a new car in Wilmington is always a big financial decision. The allure of that new car smell is powerful, to be sure. But what if your current car is still in good shape? How do you decide?People in Wilmington who've been used to driving a new car every three to five years may be having second thoughts in this economy. For many, the question is, how does the certainty of a new car payment stack up against uncertain repairs for a car that may be out of warranty?For purposes of our discussion, let's assume you live right here in Wilmington and have a five year old vehicle. It's now paid off. If you keep it, you fear that there'll be some repairs over the next five years, but you really don't know what to expect. For help we turned to maintenance and repair information for cars and trucks. With this data, they project likely service and repair costs for a particular make and model. They're able to use manufacturer's mai ... read more