Performance Unlimited Blog

You’re driving down the road listening to the radio and thinking about what you need to buy at the store when, suddenly, you hear a thump, thump, thump sound and the steering wheel starts jerking in your hands. For a split second, you think to yourself, “What the heck is that?” Then it dawns on you, “For crying out loud, I have a flat tire.” Of course, this scenario assumes you haven’t had a complete blowout and aren’t fighting to maintain control of the vehicle. In either case, you need to grab the wheel firmly and, first of all, ensure that you have control of the car. At the same time, assuming it’s safe to do so, you’ll want to let off the gas. Don’t slam on the brakes unless, once again, you absolutely have to. But take control of the car while remaining calm. At the first reasonable opportunity, you want to start pulling off of the road into a safe and level area. It’s possible you’ve had your flat where there is nowhere to pull over. In that, case, you’ll have to thumpety thump...

To properly maintain your vehicle, it helps to arm yourself with some basic knowledge about your car’s proper operation and maintenance so that you’ll recognize a potential problem. You’ll also want to employ your senses to gather clues about the problem so you can pass them on to your mechanic. Seeing a puddle under the engine is a pretty good indicator that something is leaking. Feeling a shimmy in the steering wheel suggests a problem with the steering and/or suspension. A knocking sound when you accelerate will help to identify a possible problem with your engine. Even your sense of smell can help, particularly if you have an idea what different odors mean. The Federal Trade Commission, in an online article titled, “ Taking the Scare Out of Auto Repair ,” offers the following information under the heading, “Smells Like Trouble:” The smell of burned toast - a light, sharp odor - often signals an electrical short and burning insulation. To be safe, try not to drive the veh...

No one would go to a doctor they didn’t trust when their health was on the line, just as they wouldn’t knowingly take their financial portfolio to a financial advisor with a felony background for embezzlement.   The same logic holds true when bringing their car to an auto-repair shop. A less than reputable auto-repair shop can leave you with costly and unnecessary auto-repair expenses. Trusting the wrong sort with your car can also leave you stranded on the side of the road somewhere when an improperly installed or defective part breaks down. At Performance Unlimited , our recommendation is that you shop around. Ask others you know where they go for service and how they’ve been treated. Did their repair shop fix the problem and at the promised price? Once you’ve identified a shop with a good reputation, ask if they have proper certification, such as an Automotive Service Excellence seal . Are their certifications current? Finally, ask them if they’re familiar working with your typ...