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Category Archives: Maintenance

Maintenance for High Mileage Vehicles in Wilmington, Delaware

The median age for cars in the Wilmington, Delaware area was over nine years. And two-thirds had over 75,000 miles. At PONTE'S AUTOCARE we hear reports that those numbers continue to rise. If you have a high-mileage vehicle in the Wilmington area, bring it into PONTE'S AUTOCARE for high-mileage maintenance.2401 Concord PikeWilmington, Delaware 19803302-478-9786 Many people in Delaware are keeping their vehicles longer. The economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern vehicles are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn't have to be a painful experience.Local car owners in Wilmington with over 100,000 miles on their vehicles often ask which service intervals they should follow. Let's start with the special needs of the older vehicle...The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake systems will have gum and varnish built up ... read more

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Maintenance

The Importance of Wilmington Drivers Following Service Intervals

Today in our PONTE'S AUTOCARE blog, we're going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn't the only aspect of your life in Wilmington with recommended intervals: Let's start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering the lawn and paying the bills?Now, what would happen if you didn't follow these intervals? Well, you'd get more cavities. You may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you'd have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn and have your utilities shut off.Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don't, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life in Wilmington takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money.So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our vehicles?Probably a couple o ... read more

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Maintenance

PONTE'S AUTOCARE Helps You Decipher the Menu Board: Part 2

Delaware service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Wilmington drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.PONTE'S AUTOCARE fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.PONTE'S AUTOCARE headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.PONTE'S AUTOCARE inspections: Wilmington drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a Delaware summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting ... read more

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Maintenance

Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Wilmington

Every Wilmington car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Wilmington don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that Delaware people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at PONTE'S AUTOCARE can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Wilmington. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Wilmington home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Wilmington roads. Your vehicle actually needs about ... read more

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Maintenance

PONTE'S AUTOCARE: Why Replace Your Engine Air Filter?

PONTE'S AUTOCARE: Why Replace Your Engine Air Filter?

Just as our bodies need clean air to function properly, your vehicle engine needs clean air to operate efficiently. Let's go egghead for a minute. For every gallon of gas we burn driving on Wilmington streets, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide comes out the tailpipe. Question: how can a gallon of gas that weighs a little over six pounds produce 20 pounds of carbon dioxide?The answer is that the carbon comes from the gasoline, but the oxygen comes from the air. You see, it takes about 12,000 gallons of air to burn a gallon of gas in your engine. Clearly, your vehicle needs a lot of air to keep going in Wilmington. A lot of clean air is best. You've seen the pictures of people in Japan wearing face masks. They want some kind of filter to keep unwanted pollution and germs out of their lungs. Well, your vehicle also works better when its internals are clean. When your vehicle air filter i ... read more

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Maintenance

The Maintenance Free Myth

Sometimes we hear people in Wilmington say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's vehicles are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Wilmington drivers don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become,  fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid.Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and distances march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some personal stories we've heard ... read more

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Maintenance

Are Modern Vehicles Maintenance Free?

In our auto video today we'll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that "modern vehicles are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free."Any good myth has some elements of truth. No offense to Wilmington Bigfoot fans, but this maintenance-free myth has more evidence than most. If we look at some isolated areas of auto maintenance, we could conclude that maintenance isn't so important. But other areas would just as easily lead you to believe that maintenance is more important than ever.Here are some examples for our friends in Wilmington. Some vehicles in Wilmington no longer require chassis lubrication. They're made with self-lubricating materials and have sealed joints. There's literally no way to grease those joints. -Chalk one up for the myth.On the other side, some vehicles come with sophisticated variable valve timing. A lot of complicated parts are up ... read more

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Maintenance

PONTE'S AUTOCARE Maintenance Tips: The Belt Goes On

PONTE'S AUTOCARE Maintenance Tips: The Belt Goes On

All Wilmington service advisors know that without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles. The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. And on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep it within normal operating temperatures. (On some vehicles, the water pump is powered by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt.) So you can see the serpentine belt does a lot of work. And it if breaks, it affects a lot of systems. That's why your vehicle manufacturer and your service advisor at PONTE'S AUTOCARE have recommended that it be changed every so often so that it doesn't fail.Your friendly and knowledgeable PONTE'S AUTOCARE service advisor can perform a visual inspection of the belt to see if it has any cracks that signal the belt could fail soon and will measure the ... read more

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Maintenance

Which Item Is Most Stolen from Vehicles in Wilmington?

  Which item is most often stolen from vehicles in Wilmington?Is it: Stereo Wheels Air Bag DVD System Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft in Delaware – approximately 50,000 a year are stolen across the country. New airbags cost about $1,000, but go for $50 to $200 on the black market in Delaware.Stolen airbags are making their way back into cars that have been in an accident. Of course, the danger to the consumer of having a stolen airbag installed is that you can never be sure what may have previously affected them and if they will work right when you need them. Contact us at PONTE'S AUTOCARE for more information about where to get your airbags checked or replaced.Find us at 2401 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware 19803You can reach us by phone at: 302-478-9786 There are reports that 1 in 25 airbag replacements ... read more

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Maintenance

Serpentine Belt Service at PONTE'S AUTOCARE in Wilmington

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

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Maintenance
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