DELAWARE & PENNSYLVANIA AUTO REPAIR

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

You’ve just left Wilmington, and you’re on 95 south. The highway is crawling. You see a Bus pass you on the slow lane while driving in the heavy traffic. You must catch up with the truck, so you consider the fast lane because it’s moving faster. You finally see a gap in the cars, and you merge in. Excellent now you’ll catch up with that darn bus. Wrong! Your new lane becomes slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter, and the bus is nowhere in sight. AArrrgg! Losing time like this is irritating. We hope to give you some options on how to approach this problem while driving in heavy traffic. When the speeds slow down, and traffic begins to jam up, which lane should you choose if you want to beat the jam? Many factors impact lane speed when driving in heavy traffic. Here’s a list: Is it a car that needs simple tire service or ... read more

Cars naturally become noisier as they age; however, that doesn’t mean certain sounds are nothing to be concerned with. Here are five car sounds that should raise the red flag, because they signal a more serious problem could be getting ready to happen. #1. Screeching, grinding metal that sounds like the blade of a snowplow on pavementThis noise is likely due to brake pads that have worn completely through, causing them to press directly against the rotors. Worn brake pads could make it difficult to stop your car, and might even lead to rotor damage. #2.Whining or groaning when turning the steering wheel Whining or groaning when turning usually indicates that your power-steering pump is failing. This is serious because it could leave you unable to steer your vehicle. If you notice this noise, stop driving immediately and have your power-steering pump checked. #3.Tapping that sounds like a was ... read more

The initial aggravation of being pulled over and issued a ticket can be pretty intense. Whether you are frustrated with yourself, or frustrated with the police officer who gave you your ticket, emotions can rise pretty high. As a little time passes, you may find yourself staring at the traffic ticket that seemed so unjust initially, and wondering, should you fight a traffic ticket? This is a difficult question to answer, but lets begin with your motivation. If you are just fighting the ticket because you’re angry, it’s probably not worth fighting, eventually the emotions you feel about this particular traffic violation will abate. If you are fighting the ticket because it is expensive and you don’t want to pay the fine, take a moment to consider what your time is worth. What do you make hourly at your job? How many hours will you spend researching the ticket, preparing for court, and add to this time at least half of a work day that you will miss on the d ... read more

While most of the population believes that they know holiday travel (lines of antlered mini-vans travelling significantly slower than Santa’s reindeer), they do not truly know the statistics behind the chaos. Here are some Christmas travel facts sure to turn any traffic-induced rant into an informational lecture. 1. 91% of travelers choose personal transportation More than any other time of the year, during the holiday season, travelers choose to travel by their own personal car. At 91%, the second most popular form of transportation is air travel, which accounts for only 5% of holiday travel. 2. People travel further for Christmas Christmas travel ranks up more miles, on average, than travel during any other time of the year. While the average travel distance for any other day of the year tends to be 261 miles, Christmas tends to bring travelers 15 miles further from home at roughly 275 miles per traveler ... read more

Heavy items weigh your car down. The additional weight forces the car to use more gas to travel to the destination. Removing the weight improves gas mileage. Taking away 100 pounds of heavy items in your car improves it by 2%. Keep Your Tires Filled Properly inflated tires last longer. Inflating tires to the proper pressure increases gas mileage by 3.3%. This tip is very important in the middle of winter when air temp drops. Tire pressure drops one to two pounds for every 10 degrees the temperature falls. This will add in fuel costs if unchecked. A Dirty Air Filter Stops Air Flow This is of the best tips that will increase gas mileage. Dirty air filters blow into the engine, The dirt and particles reduce the engine’s gas mileage. Changing it improves car performance and acceleration. Change Your Driving Habits This is one of the best all time tips that will inc ... read more

Many questions were submitted to Popular Mechanics recently about using nitrogen filled tires. The questions ranged from possible increased fuel mileage to improving the life of the tires. Read on to find out more! A Nitrogen Filled Tire Provides Pure Gas And No WaterRegular old compressed air contains around 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and lingering bits of water vapor and noble gasses at any given time. To fill a tire with pure nitrogen, a machine must filter out the rest first. This 100% gas fill results in no water vapor or other bits, just pure dry nitrogen. How Is That Relevant? It’s relevant to the other question of if nitrogen has any effect on the life of a tire. And the answer is, yes. By filling a tire with pure nitrogen, you prevent any form of moisture such as water vapo ... read more

It’s a rite of passage for teenagers and a milestone that often causes great anxiety in parents: learning to drive. While getting a driver’s license is something teenagers look forward to for many years, they sometimes don’t realize that driving a car is a big responsibility. In fact, car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers across the country. So, what teen driver safety tips should be discussed? Start by explaining these important topics before he or she gets behind the wheel: Teaching Teen Driver Safety Starts By Not Ignoring The Obvious Never drink and drive. Don’t assume that this goes without saying. Talk to your teenager about the dangers of drinking and driving– again and again. While you may prefer your teenager avoids drinking altogether, be realistic and explain how to handle the situation if they do drink. Let them know that he should always call someone else for ... read more

The monotony of long road trips can easily cause drowsiness. It’s the hum of the road that can put you to sleep. For safety reasons it’s imperative to stay awake at the wheel. If you start to doze, try using some of these techniques to stay awake during long road trips. #1 Best Method: Caffeine Drinking caffeine will help you stay awake while driving in a few ways. The first benefit is that caffeine is a short-term diuretic. This means it will make you want to go to the bathroom. Feeling uncomfortable is a benefit when trying to stay awake while driving and it will force you to make stops to go to the bathroom. Staying alive is worth the few minutes needed for the stops. Another unrealized benefit is the action of picking up the cup repeatedly. Did you know that caffeine will restrict blood flow to the stomach? This means it helps stop that full feeling after eating a meal. Dr ... read more

You spend a lot of time in your car, which is why you need to keep it clean, well organized, and in top running condition at all times. Doing so can be time consuming; however, these car tips and tricks can be used by anyone to make the job much easier. Use hand sanitizer to de-ice your locks Place floor mats underneath your windshield wipers during cold weather and you’ll never have to scrape ice and snow. Add sticky pads to your dashboard to keep cell phones in place. A plastic cereal container makes the ideal trash bin for your car. Plastic bags from the grocery story are perfect. Keep a box of crayons in your glove box. In an emergency, you can burn one crayon for around 30 minutes to produce heat and light. Toothpaste can be used to make your headlight plastic trans ... read more