Performance Unlimited Blog

In previous articles on this blog site, we’ve discussed the hazards of winter driving here in the Midwest (this certainly applies anywhere that roads are covered with ice or snow). In those articles, we’ve expounded on the importance of good tires, properly filled with air and balanced. We’ve also spoken of the vital importance of good brakes, a firm suspension and solid steering and chassis. The latter also refers to proper alignment. Driving down an icy road is no time to discover your car seriously pulls to the right or, worse yet, to the left. We’ve also discussed, though briefly, the nuances of driving on an icy road with a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. While 4-wheel drive odes a remarkable job of providing traction for winter driving, there are considerations that deserve a more in-depth discussion. First and foremost, the additional traction offered by 4-wheel drive will help you get going but offers little or no benefits when it’s time to stop. Ever notice how man...

With that fresh blanket of snow on the ground, your car is slipping and sliding as you cautiously apply the accelerator. Then, once you get up to a safe rate of speed, you notice a squirrel running into the road. You hit the brake but, hopefully, not too hard. Too much brake, too fast, and you can lose all control; that squirrel can send you spinning into a ditch. “Where the heck is that snowplow,” you ask yourself. But, what you’re really asking for is the traction-improving road salt the snowplow spreads in its wake. Road salt is a lifesaver on slippery highways. Unfortunately, it has the residual effect of harming your car’s finish and undercarriage. Simply put, road salt is a corrosive. Its ability to melt ice and snow is, to a lesser degree, mirrored by its ability to eat through a car’s paint and into the metal parts in the car’s undercarriage. The good news is that car manufacturers have improved the finish of vehicles with corrosion-resistant coatings. The pa...

An old friend used to wash and wax his car every weekend when the weather was reasonably warm. He used a two-step Blue Coral brand of wax that essentially required waxing the car twice – a pre-wax and the actual wax. Today, Blue Coral even offers a combination wash and wax but not then. Most of my friend’s Saturdays were filled with washing and waxing his car – a red 1973 Plymouth Duster. I don’t think he had any idea how much time he was wasting. A 2008 Car Care Council booklet titled, “Car Care Guide: Maintaining Your Vehicle for Safety, Dependability and Value” has a section on “Appearance.” According to the booklet’s description of “Typical Service,” washing once a week is frequent. Waxing “once every 6 months” is also considered frequent. The point is that the wax helps to protect the finish of your car; it extends the life of the body of the car barring any accidents. As the booklet explains, “Keeping your vehicle consistently clean prevents the buildup of ...

Have you ever seen someone who just seems a little carried away when it comes to maintaining their vehicle? Year after year, day after day, you see them doting over their car as if it’s the only thing they worry about, as if it’s their second biggest investment or something. Of course, chances are, it is their second biggest investment. Still, maybe there is a point where someone takes auto maintenance too far. Boss: “Just a reminder, Linda. We have an important meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. with one of our top clients.” Linda: “I’m sorry, boss. I won’t be able to make it. I have that time scheduled for checking all the fluids on my car.” Yes, there probably is such a thing as going too far with auto maintenance. “The problem is most people don’t go far enough,” said Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based auto repair shop Performance Unlimited . Few of us wake in the middle of the night wondering, “Did I miss changing the car’s air filter on schedule?” before r...

The other day, an SUV was westbound on Route 120 approaching the light at Wonder Lake Road. Though the vehicle wasn’t moving very fast, apparently due to a dusting of snow on the road, the vehicle suddenly spin around until it came to a stop facing backwards in the right-turn lane. Fortunately, no one was approaching the turn intending to turn north on Wonder Lake Road. Even more fortunately, the SUV didn’t spin into the approaching lane of traffic as someone was beating the light eastbound on 120. The point is that, when the roads are slick, there’s an entirely different nuance to the art of driving. Safe driving in the winter starts with increased attention to the road. An extra dose or two of caution is a good thing, too. There is, however, more than you should do if you want to come through the season with you and your loved ones intact and your vehicle unscathed. One of the first things to do is to check your tires. Proper inflation (see your owner’s manual) is ...