DELAWARE & PENNSYLVANIA AUTO REPAIR

Before Traveling Again As COVID-19 Starts To Dwindle, Be Sure to Check These Car Maintenance Tips Most Americans have been more or less stuck in place for the last year. However, as the COVID-19 vaccines gradually roll out and parts of the country begin to reopen, many are thinking about the possibility of summer road trips. But in order to go on a long road trip, a reliably working car is necessary. And since many have deferred car maintenance over the last year – perhaps because they haven’t been commuting during the pandemic, or because lost income makes it unaffordable – it is even more important to make sure the car is in working order before hitting the road. Car maintenance is always vital, but now more than ever car owners need to get everything up to par. Getting stranded in the middle of nowhere during a road trip is not a fun experience, so follow these tips on pre-trip car maintenance. Post-Pandemic General Car Maintenance A modern car is full of a mult ... read more

Tips to Prevent Vehicle Damage in a Car Wash & What to do if Damage Happens Americans love their cars. We love buying them, owning them, and driving them. Some people even love caring for them. When a vehicle is clean, people experience real emotional benefits. Seeing a well-maintained car shining in the sun is a satisfying feeling that anyone can appreciate. However, walking up to a dirty or dusty vehicle can be disheartening. No wonder keeping cars and trucks clean is a national obsession. Keeping your ride clean and looking good also makes financial sense. Cleaner, shinier cars and trucks consistently fetch higher resale prices when it's time to sell. In fact, with all other things being equal, a vehicle with faded paint and an unkempt appearance bring 10-20 percent less than the same car that's been well maintained. That percentage can translate into thousands of dollars. For most people in America, the purchase of cars, trucks, or SUVs will be one of the m ... read more

Owning a car or truck is quite a financial commitment. Your vehicle needs regular infusions of gas and oil to work, as well as maintenance on a long list of systems and parts in order to run properly. Tires need to be kept at the right pressure. The battery needs to stay charged. Wipers need to be replaced. Headlights burn out. Tail lights need replacing. The list goes on and on. However, there are ways to reduce maintenance and repair costs over the life of your vehicle. We've all heard stories of a driver who finds themselves stranded, hundreds of miles from home, facing a pricey repair. And in each of these stories, the driver "never saw it coming." But in fact, there are many things you can do to anticipate issues and keep your car or truck running longer. When you carefully care for your vehicle, you can go for years, even decades, without a major repair. In this article, we discuss some of the most expensive repairs you'll face. We'll also offer preventati ... read more

The Ultimate Road Trip Guide To Ensure Safety & Fun Road trips are for those spontaneous, adventurous people who can just get up and go, with or without a plan. Long drives and road trips can get you to some neat places that airplanes can’t take you. Do you have friends, family, or other must-see’s you would like to visit along the way? The beauty of driving, aside from driving with your feet propped up and hanging out of the open window, is that you can set your own schedule, take the time to make as many pit stops as you’d like and see as many things as you want. Unless you’re stopping for a layover, planes won’t give you the option to do that. The fact that driving is often cheaper than flying anyways probably doesn’t hurt either. The main concern with driving long distances is obviously sitting in the car for an extended period and managing to stay away for numerous hours. If you’re taking a lengthy trip, not only does the sound ... read more

There’s No Standard For Hourly Automotive Repair Pricing in the Industry Typically (but no always), auto centers will calculate their automotive repair pricing by the hour using a labor guide or by the job performed. The labor guide lays out a simple equation for billing based on the job performed (Time Worked x Type of Job = Hourly Rate). For example, let’s say you need to have your thermostat repaired. The labor guide calls for thermostat work to be billed at $100/hour and it takes the technician just over 40 minutes to repair, or roughly .7 hours, giving you a total labor cost of $70. Using Repair Complexity as The Pricing Method vs. A Labor Guide In contrast, the practice of charging by the job takes a few more factors into account. Auto centers come to their prices by factoring in the difficulty of the job, their exp ... read more

Dealing with automotive issues is frustrating enough and, trying to find the right automotive repair center only adds to that frustration.  We believe that our office staff and team of certified technicians continually raise the standard for excellence and extraordinary service in the auto repair industry in the state of Delaware and its' surrounding areas.  However, we've compiled a list of additional reputibal auto repair centers in Northern Delaware as possible secondary alternatives. Campanella's Top Seven Secondary Alternative Choices for Auto Repair Centers in Northern Delaware (listed in alphabetical order) 1. Brandywine Auto Repair - 1209 Kirkwood Highway Newark, DE 19711 Brandywine Auto Repair is a small, family operated business with a strong sense of service and responsibility. They also offer a customer rewards program with incentives like free oil change services ... read more

The Free Basic Inspection Our auto repair estimate includes a free basic inspection that consists of visual evaluations on wear items such as suspension, brakes, belts, and hoses as well as checking fluid conditions. There’s More to Diagnostic Testing than Plugging Your Car into a Computer Diagnostics is the second half of our inspection. Unfortunately, mainstream automotive chains have tainted this term by making customers think plugging your car into a computer reveals the problem without fail. In reality, diagnostic testing only provides a list of potential problems. That’s why we do this part a little differently at Paul Campanella’s Auto and Tire Center. We call it Testing and Inspections. Included are diagnostics scans and an in-depth examination to rule out all possibilities which allow us to identify the exact issue. By following this auto repair esti ... read more

Cars make all kinds of noises. Some are completely normal, while others can be a key indicator of a bigger problem. At Paul Campanella’s Auto & Tire Center and Pike Creek Automotive, our ASE Certified Mechanics can help you quickly diagnose the strange sounds you have noticed coming from your vehicle! Our auto repair experts in Wilmington, DE have put together a list of some of the most common sounds customers visit us for. Familiarize yourself with these noises and what they could mean so you know when to bring your car, truck, SUV, minivan or hybrid in for service. 6 Car Noises to Keep an Ear Out For: 1. You hear a high-pitched squeal when accelerating: If you notice a loud squeal when accelerating, especially if your car is just warming up, it could be that you have a loose or worn fan belt. Usually if ... read more

In Wilmington, DE, wiper blades should ideally be replaced before winter really kicks in. Otherwise, the old ones are likely to break down due to heavy sun, and the corrosive solvents in your windshield wiper fluid. Of course when they do break down, a driver’s ability to detect road hazards will be significantly reduced, thereby increasing his or her accident risk. We’d suggest selecting a pair of blades designed for heavy winter. Wilmington Delware is predicted to have a bad winter for 2015 so get ready. When selecting a new pair of winter windshield wiper blades consider features like silicon rubber blades or blades that are infused with graphite. Rain-x makes a blade designed for winter called the “Latitude“. It’s claim to fame is their graphite coated rubber and no expos ... read more

Tire Repair And Maintenance is Crucial Tires are the only part of your vehicle that comes in direct contact with the road; needless to say, they are essential when it comes to safety! The engine and braking system work directly through your vehicle’s tires, making them one of the most imperative safety features. Driving on a set of worn tires puts you at serve risk of a blowout, which could result in an accident. Hydroplaning also happens as a result of bald tires. There’s no tread to redirect the water. This is crucial especially in those wet winter days in Wilmington, De. Proper Tire Service is a must. Tire Repair – Don’t Ignore The Signs If you can’t tell by the way your car is driving, it may help to just take a look. Obviously If your tires look like racing slicks, it’s time to service them. If you’re not sure its time for service consider ... read more