Croghan AutoCare ltd

02/13/2026

For my Wilmington area clientele, when you need great cell phone and home internet go see Coast at the Wilmington store!

11/26/2025

I'm often asked "what is the best car to buy". That question really needs to take into account the needs of the person buying the car, the finances available and other criteria. However, I have said on many occasions that from a long term ownership perspective and from a mechanical repair point of view, I really like the Toyota and Honda products. Yes, they each have had their issues, but Toyota and Honda (Hyundai/Kia somewhat as well) have built pretty good vehicles and seem to put forth an effort to stand behind their products with recalls and extended warranties. This picture shows well over 800,000 miles between these 4 Toyotas. Each of these vehicle is past 200,000 miles and each is still very reliable and worth investing in. Of the 5 daily drivers that myself and my two mechanics drive, 3 are Hondas and 2 are Toyotas (not including pickups). Just food for thought.

04/23/2025

Car batteries have changed. The old rule was "if it cranks, it's good" no longer applies. The battery on the right was a 5 year old Motorcraft AGM battery from a 5 year old F150. It cranked the engine just fine, when the engine was cold. But after the engine was operating temperature, the engine cranked more slowly, especially during the auto start/stop operation. A new Motorcraft AGM battery fixed the truck right up and made the owner happy. Remember too, if you change the battery at home, especially in a start/stop equipped vehicle, you might need a scan tool to reset the battery life monitor. Also, don't put an AGM in an older lead acid battery equipped car (waste of money) and don't put a lead acid battery in an AGM equipped car (overcharges the battery and shortens the life). Figuring all this out on every single battery we sell is just part of the job!

Croghan AutoCare Ltd. has been providing quality diesel and gas car and light truck repair in Wilmin

02/07/2025

January's cold weather was tough on batteries. NAPA has us covered with a $20 cool prepaid Visa Card. These are for batteries installed here at Croghan AutoCare through the end of February.

We also upgraded our battery testing equipment to be able to better evaluate the late model cars and trucks with multiple computer systems and smart charging system.

02/06/2025

Lot's of folks see the TPMS light come on during colder weather. When the outside temperatures dip, the tire pressure goes a little lower in the tire. When the pressure is about 10% lower than the COLD TIRE PRESSURE rating on the white colored label in the driver's door jamb of your car or truck, the the TPMS system will alert you with a instrument cluster warning light. Most times, just adding air to the tires and bringing the pressure back to the rated pressure (32 psi in the sticker shown) will turn off the light after a short drive. Don't forget the spare! In some vehicles, it is monitored as well and can be set to a different pressure (60 psi in the example shown). Check your owners manual for instructions on how to reset the TPMS light if it doesn't extinguish on it's own.

01/06/2025

Croghan AutoCare will be prioritizing safety today, Monday January the 6th, and will be closed due to the snowy weather.

11/11/2024

Remembering and appreciating our US Military Veterans today. I recently visited Charleston, SC and was reminded of our history in the Revolutionary and the Civil War, plus toured the USS Laffey DD-724 and the USS Yorktown CV-10. 200 hundred years of military history right there. It's incredible to read of the lives, the tragedies, the stories, and the victories of our military men and women over so many years. So remember our veterans today and say thank you. May God Bless our veterans each and everyday.

11/01/2024

We have been developing a procedure for clearing up those aging and faded headlamps. The silver car is a 2010 and the black one is a 2003. This really helps with lighting the way during the darker winter months. If the service is combined with other services, we can keep the cost under a $100 per car which is about half of the cost of just one decent aftermarket headlamp assembly costs. Give us a call to schedule this work.

11/01/2024

Just a little humor as a reminder to set those clocks forward one hour this Saturday night. We get back the hour we lost in the spring! Yeah, an hour of extra sleep!

10/10/2024

A recent newsletter was emailed from an apartment complex management to it's residents:

Dear Residents,

We understand that not many of you frequently use the electric vehicle charging station on the property, but we wanted to keep everyone informed. Unfortunately, the service provider that manages the chargers will be going out of business unexpectedly, and we are currently seeking an alternative. Starting tomorrow, the chargers will no longer be operational. We are working to find a replacement as quickly as possible and will keep you updated on our progress.

I am not bashing electric vehicles by posting this. But I am cautioning against purchasing any new technology in the automotive world without doing some research first. The automotive industry is full of government regulations for safety, fuel economy, emissions and the move to electric vehicles. Some of this is for our good, but most of this is very expensive.

So make sure you do some investigating before spending your hard earned money on the latest trends in technology. If your buying an electric only car, make sure you understand all of the associated costs with charging the car at home and on the road. The plug in hybrids seem to be a smart way to go. They will run on gasoline when electric is not affordable (on the road) or convenient (really long trips), but will recharge at home for the daily commute and cost less than gasoline.

10/01/2024

Several interesting things today.

The Long Shoreman strike that is starting today could have an impact on a large variety of everyday goods, including car repair. I suspect the largest impact will be on the European models since their parts tend to come from Europe and to our East Coast.

Recalls are becoming more and more frequent across all the model years. Unfortunately the recalls and the notifications come out long before the fix or the parts needed for the fix are available. https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/vinLookup is the federal government website for looking up recalls by VIN. Please do have recalls addressed as soon as practical. They are important.

As with many things, tires have gotten expensive. Unfortunately, less expensive tires don't have the ride quality or the longevity that the better brands do. Basically, you get what you pay for with tires.

And finally, as this tough economic condition stretches on, if your car has been well maintained and the preventative maintenance performed, your in a better position to ride this out and then replace the car during better times. Give us a call at 937-486-4013 to discuss preventative maintenance opportunities for your domestic or Asian built vehicle today.