Two days, two serpentine belts and two quality repair shops

Business took me down from Woodstock to areas south of Chicago last week. For those down that way, if you’re not familiar with Woodstock, we’re just beyond the Sacred Elephant Graveyard. In other words, we’re a bit off the beaten track.

While casually cruising southbound on Highway 355 in my father’s Lincoln I suddenly smelled something akin to burning rubber as I saw a sign for the Route 34 exit. Then, the battery light came on just as I noticed an marked stiffness in the steering wheel.

I know these symptoms of automotive malaise well. In fact, it was only 24 hours earlier that, like déjà vu, I experienced the same symptoms in my own car (hence the need to borrow my father’s car for the day).

What are the odds of throwing a serpentine belt on two cars in consecutive days? It has to be some kind of a record.

Contemplating the irony of the events was secondary to my immediate problem as I turned off of 355 onto westbound 34. The prominent issue plaguing my mind was what to do now.

When someone looses a serpentine belt, the battery light comes on because the belt is no longer turning the alternator. That means the alternator is no longer creating a flow of electricity necessary to keep the car running. The car can run for a while off stored energy in the battery but that is a quickly diminishing commodity. In other words, just as someone knows they’d better find a gas station soon when the needle comes to rest on empty, I knew that I needed to find a repair shop before that red battery light on the dash began to fade.

And there it was – Lisle Automotive & Tire beckoning with hope for a solution from my dilemma. Grabbing the steering wheel firmly, I muscled the car into the parking lot and shutoff the engine.

Finding a repair shop is one thing. Finding one that can work on a car ‘now’ is another. I had driven on a diminishing batter to Denny Norton’s Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, after hours the day before. I knew, however, that my car was in good hands. But, Lisle Automotive & Tire? I had never even heard of this repair shop and, until I burned up the serpentine belt in my dad’s car, there was no reason I would have.

It occurred to me that I might have to find a room in Lisle and get back on the road the next day. And, whether I had to wait or not, what kind of a job would they do? I’m sure we’ve all heard the same auto-repair horror stories.

It’s my philosophy that finding a good mechanic is as important as finding a good doctor. When your car breaks, you need someone you can trust – someone who will get you back safely and expeditiously onto the road with a minimum of expense and hassle. That’s why I bring my car to Denny. I know, from experience, that I can trust Denny and his staff to take good care of me and my car.

At Lisle Automotive & Tire, however, at best it was the luck of the draw.

We’ve established that I have about the worst possible luck in serpentine belts. I discovered last week that, apparently, I have the best possible luck in finding auto mechanics. Don Thomey, of Lisle Automotive & Tire, 1508 Ogden Ave., Lisle, had me on the road in about an hour. And I had far less pain in the wallet than I expected.

You’ll notice I’ve included the address to his shop. I don’t provide addresses and recommendations for companies I don’t trust. I can’t tell you how glad I am to have a place like Performance Unlimited to maintain my car. But, now I know that, if I’m traveling to southern reaches of Chicagoland, I can always call on Lisle Automotive & Tire with a similar level of confidence.

To learn more about Lisle Automotive & Tire, visit: www.lisleautomotiveandtire.com. To learn more about Performance Unlimited, visit: www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

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