May 15, 2012

Brake Service At Ponte’s Auto Care In Wilmington

Filed under: Power Brakes — pontesau652 @ 9:44 pm

Brake Service At Ponte's Auto Care In Wilmington

Most Wilmington drivers know that braking means slowing or stopping a vehicle. The mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake system and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A car or truck rolls brand new off the showroom floor at a local Wilmington dealer. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and the power assist are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the family car tires are brand new, with full tread. Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance.
 
Now, as your drive from Wilmington to Deepwater and back, the miles start to add up. Most Wilmington car owners tend to focus on the brake pads. In the Wilmington automotive service community, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the family car. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of spec that they lose stopping effectiveness.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while stopping the family car. Over many miles, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail. That’s why a regular brake inspection is important. At Ponte’s Auto Care, we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Ponte’s Auto Care. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the family car fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system deteriorate the performance of the brake fluid. Brake fluid replacement at Ponte’s Auto Care includes flushing the brake system to clean out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the family car to the road. The stopping force is ultimately dependent on the traction provided by the tires. The better they grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop as you drive around Wilmington.

For questions about brakes, brake pads, battery service, safety inspection, or tires, talk to Ponte’s Auto Care  manager Jim Ponte.

Give us a call

Ponte’s Auto Care
302.478.9786
2401 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803

At Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington DE (19803) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 302.478.9786. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 10, 2012

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Ponte’s Auto Care In Wilmington

Filed under: Tires — pontesau652 @ 4:14 pm

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Ponte's Auto Care In Wilmington

A lot of people in the Deepwater area want custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes they just don’t fit right: The tires rub in turns or over bumps. Consulting a tire professional at Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington can ensure you get the right fit for your family car. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

Now, not every wheel can go on every vehicle. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your family car, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some Wilmington people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Wilmington people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The family car computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong sensor information. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your family car vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. At Ponte’s Auto Care, we can give you information about control computer reprogramming.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Wilmington. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Wilmington tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs – and the best way to do all this is to have your helpful Ponte’s Auto Care tire specialist see your family car in person so mistakes are not made.

At Ponte’s Auto Care, we also offer battery service and safety inspection.

Give us a call

Ponte’s Auto Care
302.478.9786
2401 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803

At Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington DE (19803) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 302.478.9786. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 3, 2012

Battery Replacement In Wilmington

Filed under: Battery — pontesau652 @ 4:16 pm

Battery Replacement In Wilmington

Car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Wilmington family car owners should know when looking for a new car battery: one is cold cranking amps and the other is reserve capacity.

Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold family car engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live around Wilmington, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the family car engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.

So the colder it gets in Wilmington, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

If you live where it’s cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. You should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as the manufacturer recommends, but may want to upgrade at Ponte’s Auto Care if you live where it gets real cold.

An important note: Batteries may also list the Cranking Amps – CA – number. It is the Cold Cranking Amps – or CCA – that is the important number here. CCA is the number to use in your comparisons.

Now with all this talk of cold temperatures in Wilmington, it’s important to note that heat is the real enemy of long battery life. In other words, the damage that’s done over the hot summer months in Wilmington shows up with the increased demands on the family car battery when the weather turns cold.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off. So the power drawn by the family car security system, the remote start system, even the power the family car computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Wilmington. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the family car engine.

So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer and upgrade if you need more. Talk with your helpful Ponte’s Auto Care service advisor about options. If you need more from your battery, a larger capacity battery may be called for.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most Wilmington motorists, so the warranty gives peace of mind. Be sure to ask about the car battery warranty at Ponte’s Auto Care so you know what you’re getting. At Ponte’s Auto Care, we have been providing quality auto service in Wilmington for 10 years.

Give us a call

Ponte’s Auto Care
2401 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803

At Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington DE (19803) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 302.478.9786. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 24, 2012

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Ponte’s Auto Care In Wilmington

Filed under: Air Conditioning — pontesau652 @ 4:30 pm

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Ponte's Auto Care In Wilmington

Most Wilmington area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your family car air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly in Deepwater.

Air conditioning service at Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Ponte’s Auto Care service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the family car system is retested. Your Ponte’s Auto Care technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Ponte’s Auto Care varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your family car owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your helpful Ponte’s Auto Care service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Give us a call

Ponte’s Auto Care
2401 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803

At Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington DE (19803) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 302.478.9786. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 20, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Ponte’s Auto Care Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — pontesau652 @ 9:12 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Ponte's Auto Care Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Wilmington drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in DE.

First, if your family car check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Wilmington highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your Wilmington service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Ponte’s Auto Care on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your family car engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in Wilmington.

In order to make these adjustments, the family car computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The family car computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your family car looked at at Ponte’s Auto Care. Your helpful service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Ponte’s Auto Care technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Ponte’s Auto Care, we also offer battery service and safety inspection.

Give us a call

Ponte’s Auto Care
302.478.9786
2401 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803

At Ponte’s Auto Care in Wilmington DE (19803) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 302.478.9786. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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