DELAWARE & PENNSYLVANIA AUTO REPAIR

With gas prices through the roof and another Earth Day come and gone, it’s time to talk about you. Specifically, what you can do to increase your car’s fuel economy. Fuel economy refers to the number of miles a car can drive per gallon of gas. 1. Avoid aggressive acceleration. Road rage costs you, so why sweat it? According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, drivers who obey speed limits and practice gentle braking and acceleration improve their car’s fuel economy up to 40% in traffic and up to 30% going highway speeds. Gradual acceleration is also kinder to your car, preventing faster break-down. 2. Lose the junk in your trunk! Extra weight reduces fuel efficiency in your car. Smaller ... read more

Why are my brakes smoking? The smell of burning can be scary when you're driving, and you start to notice it. Only to then find out that smoke is coming into your car. Many times, your brakes are to blame. If your brakes start to smoke, it is best to stop driving until the problem is fixed. Some of the most common causes and some things to look for if your brakes start to smoke are explained below. Stuck Brake Pads As time goes on, your brakes will get dirty with brake dust and corrosion. This is because they are exposed to the weather. Buildup of dust can make your brake pads stick to your disc. People who have this happen cannot move the brakes or the wheel can't move freely. The friction causes a lot of heat that does not need to be there, which often causes a b ... read more

Why is my Car Pulling to the Side? If your car is pulling to the side, it is a pretty good indication of a Problem with your Car’s Suspension System. This Pulling can be attributed to many things including Uneven Tire Pressure, Uneven Tire Wear, Poor Alignment, or a Sticking Brake Caliper. Driving over a pothole or up on a curb may break your Control Arm, and alter the Alignment of your Vehicle. While it’s generally not hard to realize the ... read more

How can I keep my HVAC System Running Efficiently? Many of us simply can’t imagine driving our cars without temperature control, whether to stay warm in the cooler months or cool in the warmer months. Your HVAC System works hard to keep you and your family comfortable. However, the benefits will not last long if you do not give the system care and keep it properly maintained. First, change the dirty cabin air filter. The cabin air filter is responsible for filtering out the air that enters the cabin of the vehicle through the HVAC System. Just like the filter in the HVAC unit at home, it is critical to keeping the air quality healthy inside your vehicle. Second, it is important to keep your condensers free of leaves and debris. If debris gets in, the system will not cool as well as it should. Bottom line, if you allow your HVAC System to become dirty or clogged, you will need to turn up the Power making it work harder, and in turn making your engine work hard ... read more

Why is there noise coming from the air vent when turning on the fan? 1. Leaves stuck in the blower motor. When the fan is turned on, the leaves will spin around the blower motor making a rustling sound. 2. Bad vent blend door or actuator. The actuator responsibility is to control the vent blend door for a specific function. For example, it is used to move the vent blend door for temperature changes, defrost mode, recirculation, fresh air and so on. When the vent blend door or actuator fails, it can make a flapping or slapping noise. 3. Failed blower motor. When a blower motor is failing, it can make a whistling noise, whining noise, grinding noise, and other odd noises. Usually, the noise will gradually increase as the fan speed increases. At this point the electric motor is failing and will need replacement. 4. Rattling noise. Sometimes, objects can fall into the air duct through the vent entrance and make a rattling noise when the vehicle is in motion or when the ... read more

What causes my Disc Brakes to get Stuck? Having a Broken Disc Assembly means the vehicle won’t move or will create an excessive amount of Heat Damaging multiple components of your Vehicle. You may see Poor Acceleration or braking, the Vehicle Pulls to one side or an increase in fuel consumption. 1. Applies to the Brake Pads and Carrier but doesn’t apply to all Carrier Assemblies. The slots where the Brake Pads sit can become filled with Road Debris or Rust, in the end making the Brake Pads Stick. When Brakes are applied, they can force the Pads against the Rotor which is unable to release in the end. 2. The Caliper Piston may become caught in the Caliper Casting. This is caused by a buildup of Road Debris or Corrosion usually caused by a Failing Boot. Another reason can be caused by applying the Brak ... read more

With Gas Prices on the rise, it is important to use your Fuel most Efficiently. By taking the following suggestions into consideration, you will cut down not only Fuel but also Maintenance Costs. Undergo Servicing on time It is a good idea to consult an ASE Certified Mechanic, such as the team at Paul Campanella’s Auto & Tire Center, before something terrible happens, not after. The Filter and Oil should be changed about every 4,500 Miles. To avoid additional Expe ... read more

For an engine to work it must remain completely sealed. This is where the valve cover comes into play. The valve cover does not need to be replaced frequently, but once the valve cover fails, the valve components are left unprotected, and you will need to replace it. A few signs of a failing valve cover include:Leaking Oil: Though leaking oil can be cause by numerous things, if the oil is located on the valve cover area or coming from that region, you can assume you have a bad valve cover or gasket. It may begin as a small drip eventually becoming larger. It can cover the whole valve cover surface area along with a layer of debris and dirt that has accumulated. Low Oil Levels: Maintaining proper oil levels is critical to your safety. If you keep topping your oil off, but it consistently becomes low quickly, the oil is going somewhere. We recommend having it inspected by an ASE Certified Mechanic such as Paul Campanella’s Auto ... read more

Four Common Car Noises and What they Mean When turning on your car, you hear a loud squeal. When turning the corner, you hear clicks coming from your steering wheel. Let’s dive-into the four most common car noises and what they mean. #1: Squealing noise coming from the engine area after turning on the car. Commonly caused by a worn-out serpentine belt that is slipping on the metal pulleys inside the engine. This belt is important because it helps power devices such as your alternator, starter, water pump, air conditioning compressor and radiator fan. Most of the time the belt can be readjusted, and the problem can be fixed. While other times the belt just needs to be replaced. #2. High-pitched squealing while braking Another common car noise comes from your brake system. High-pitched squealing while applying your brakes can point to worn out brake pads that need to be replaced. The more metallic the sque ... read more

7 things you should never do in an automatic transmission vehicle   Don’t shift from drive to reverse before the car stops moving-- When you do this, you will damage the transmission and components because you are technically using the transmission itself, not the brakes.Consistently doing this will run you the risk of expensive damage. Never put the car in park before stops completely-- If you put the car in park while it is still rolling, either the locking pin or the output shaft may break or become eroded. Don’t put the car in neutral at stop lights-- When in neutral, you don’t have much control over the vehicle. This means, if you must perform emergency action and you may not have time to execute the ma ... read more