DELAWARE & PENNSYLVANIA AUTO REPAIR

4 Easy Ways You Can Take Charge of Your Vehicle’s Health Now is the best time to get caught up on auto repair. Think about it—summer is approaching fast! You want to spend your summer on vacation, not in the repair shop! It’s time to prioritize where you want to spend your time and money. If you haven’t already booked summer plans, you’re probably starting to. Are you taking your car on vacation? If the answer is yes, making sure your vehicle is ready for the road is step one to a seamless vacation experience. Here are four ways you can take charge of your vehicle’s health—not just during this season, but year-round! 1. Be Proactive with Preventative Maintenance   Stay on top of your oil changes, tire rotations, fluid services, and other regular maintenance your vehicle needs to perform at its best. Our service team will work with you to create a maintenance schedule based on the needs of your specific vehicle. We a ... read more

6 Ways You Can Avoid Auto Repair Shop Anxiety Does bringing your vehicle to an auto repair shop make you nervous? Maybe you've had bad experiences with auto repair service in the past, like a faulty repair or a complete rip-off. Most people have at least one poor service experience that made them never want to return to that shop.  If you're bring business to an auto repair shop, you should never feel belittled or anxious. Poor customer service is the most telling sign of a company's priorities and intentions. The good news is, there's more than a few steps you can take to ensure you and your vehicle receive the best service possible. 1. Stay on top of your vehicle’s maintenance. If there’s one thing that will save you time and stress, it’s knowing your vehicle and its maintenance schedule. No, you don’t need to be a mechanic (we have plenty of those!) but it’s basic knowledge like knowing how often you ... read more

Who's your mechanic? If you are unable to answer that question, you're in the right place. Establishing an auto repair shop home saves you more than money down the line—it saves stress and time!  Think of mechanics as primary care providers, but for your car. You contact your PCP when your body feels strange, so why wouldn't you have the same resource for your car? Here are 5 reasons why establishing an auto repair shop home benefits you and your vehicle: 1. You save money With gas prices as high as they are, you want to spend as little as possible on your vehicle, right?  When you have a mechanic you trust, you remove the risk of getting scammed or overcharged at a shop you're visiting for the first time. At Paul Campanella's Auto & Tire Center, you're guaranteed quality service that matches the price tag. You get what you pay for when it comes to auto repair, so w ... read more

Auto repair is expensive because owning a car is a significant investment. When you factor in fuel, insurance, maintenance, unexpected repairs, and the cost of the car itself, you’re left with a lot of dollar signs! A vehicle’s parts make up a large portion of your final maintenance or repair bill. The cost of parts and materials fluctuate, and, in today’s economy, costs have risen across the board. A specific set of tools and knowledge is also required to service a vehicle, similar to medical care. Every shop has a set labor fee per hour, a fee that changes based on depth, timeline, and type of service. Getting a basic check-up costs less than knee replacement surgery, just like an oil change is less expensive than a wheel alignment. What do you get at Campanella’s that you cannot get anywhere else? When it comes to auto repair, you get what you pay for. At Campanella’s we factor in parts and labor cost to provide you with a final quot ... read more

The cost of brake repair depends on several factors: vehicle make and model, parts cost, labor fee, and necessary repairs. While the average cost for a full brake repair ranges from $400 to $700, these factors do not guarantee a fixed price. Your vehicle’s make and model plays a major role in determining the price of its various parts. Ceramic brakes, for example, cost more than semi-metallic brakes—but also tend to last longer. High-end vehicles that use higher quality material usually have more expensive parts. The cost of parts is determined by the manufacturer and varies depending on the vehicle make and model. At Paul Campanella’s Auto & Tire Center, we use trusted third-party suppliers to order parts. If the third-party does not have the right part, we will order from the OEM, or original equipment manufacturer. Because they are more expensive, we only resort to OEM if none of our suppliers have the part your vehicle needs. The cost of a brake job also depen ... read more

How does rust form on your car’s exhaust? The exhaust system is closer the ground and thus more vulnerable to moisture and debris from the road, like salt. Gasses and moisture inside your exhaust system also contribute to rust over time. If you live near the coast where salt collects in the air or in an area that uses road salt in the winter, frequent washing of the undercarriage will remove salt and dirt buildup that causes rust and corrosion. Ask your technician to inspect your exhaust system when you get your oil changed to monitor health. When it comes to safety and vehicle health, replacing one rusted component is more time-consuming and expensive long-term. Rust is like cancer; once it has spread to one area of the vehicle, it won’t slow down. If your technician finds a rusty pipe on the exhaust system, but the rest of the system hasn’t been affected, you may be tempted to request welding in a new pipe or welding it back together. Rust is a sign of age and corro ... read more

Is your car ready for summer? If you're not sure, make an appointment at your local car doctor before your next trip. Especially after the winter months, it's important to check the all systems in your vehicle are running normally. The last place you want to be on a road trip is on the side of the road. Use this guide to ensure critical components in your car are ready to beat the heat. 1. Ready your rubber. Rubber is a huge component of every standard vehicle on the road today. It’s not only used for tires—the belts and hoses under the hood and windshield wiper blades are made of rubber, too! Intense summer heat can wreak further havoc on cracked rubber. If you or your technician eye any concerning damage, its best (and cheaper!) to replace a cracked serpentine belt now rather than on the side of the road. Tires are held together by glue, and glue and sun do not mix. Whenever you see ripped treads and loose rubber on the highway, that’s th ... read more

Finding a mechanic you trust your vehicle with may seem like a daunting task, but it’s easier than you think. Most people have at least one poor experience with an auto repair shop, and that experience can shape how they view interactions with other shops they go to. After you find a shop that does the kind of work you’re looking for, you may wonder how much you can trust them with your vehicle and money. So, what does credibility look like in an auto repair shop? 1. Look for an ASE Blue Seal of Approval. The fastest way to check a service center’s credibility is an ASE badge. This is the most widely acknowledged and accepted certification for professional technicians. Shops that employ technicians who are trained in some or all eight test categories receive this seal from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE is a non-profit established in 1972 to advance vehicle service quality and ensure that automotive professionals a ... 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

Most people shake and shudder like a bad clutch at the thought of needing transmission repair in Wilmington, DE. The good news is, not all transmission repair jobs are expensive undertakings. Let’s take a look at the most common types of transmission troubles and how to tell the difference between the big and the small. Low Fluid Levels and Leaks Transmission leaks will eventually cause your transmission to run low on fluid. This is, by far, the most common need for transmission service. Leaks can be caused by several things and a certified transmission mechanic should be consulted in order to determine the exact cause. How expensive the repair will be is usually dependent on where the leak ... read more