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Showing posts from September, 2013

Ringwood auto repair shop offers free checkups to prepare for winter

What kind of winter will we have here in Northern Illinois and McHenry County? Some are predicting a harsh winter this year – bitter cold and lots of snow. Hopefully, they’re wrong. But, what if they’re right? Are you prepared? Is your vehicle prepared? Preparation starts with having the right clothes and making arrangements for snow removal – either a good shovel and strong back, a snow blower or a contract for snow removal. Preparation, in terms of your automobile, is at least as important and probably more. Some auto repair shops are aware of these concerns and are doing what they can to help car owners get ready for the winter ahead. Recently, Denny Norton, owner of Performance Unlimited, an auto repair shop in Ringwood, announced a Free Fall Charging System Check. He knows how important it is, on a bitterly cold day or night, to know that they car will start. But, there’s more to winterizing a car than just checking the charging system. Car owners are also wise to check the ...

The cold will test your car’s electronics but you don’t have to wait for the cold

It’s comforting to know your car is ready for winter, assuming it is. Sure, we have a little while yet before we have to seriously worry about sub-zero temperatures and falling snow. But, if your car isn’t ready to start when that time comes, on a frigid day only a few months away, you don’t have to stand in a walk-in freezer wearing shorts and an Hawaiian shirt to know it will be cold. When the car won’t start there are several likely offenders – the car battery, alternator and/or starter. All three are critical elements when it comes to starting your car. Maybe they’re doing fine starting your car now. Of course, it’s in the 80s out there, the oil is nice and thin and the engine is easy to start but, when the temperature is North-Pole cold, that oil will thicken some. If there is a weak link in your charging/starting system, the cold will help you find it. And that’s one way to find it. You can wait until you have to be somewhere on a mid-January morning and discover, “Well, I gu...