Frigid days, such as today, are good days to leave the car in the garage and stay home

Days, such as today, are the kinds of days enjoyed by polar bears and penguins. They don’t seem to mind when the thermometer suddenly dips into the nether regions of zero. For the rest of us here in Northern Illinois, this is the kind of day where simply staying inside is not a bad idea at all. It’s not merely a matter of comfort, either. Temperatures this low are down-right dangerous.

McHenry School District 15 officials came to that conclusion last night as they sent out e-mails to parents letting them know that the schools would be closed on Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. Temperatures last night were expected to hit 19-below zero. Today, the mercury is expected to rise as high as 12-below with a wind chill of 52 below.

“Things freeze quickly at temperatures that low,” said Denny Norton, owner of Performance Unlimited auto repair shop in Ringwood. “It’s very hard on a car.”

For those who do have to go out today, hopefully, they’ve maintained their vehicle and won’t have any trouble. Cars that weren’t maintained properly, and winterized in particular, are likely to have trouble when the thermometer hits these kinds of dangerous lows. Hopefully, they filled their gas tanks recently as a near-empty tank can allow moisture into fuel lines. When the temperature falls like this, the moisture can freeze in the fuel lines thereby starving the engine for fuel.

For those who do go out today, there are some precautions they can take, such as:

Dress appropriately, not just for the drive but on the chance your car breaks down or gets stuck and you have to hike in the elements. That means layers, coats, hats, gloves, boots, a scarf and, once again, layers.
Check your tires. Many vehicles have aluminum alloy wheel rims. When the temperature falls, there’s a risk that the seal between the tire and the rim can fail. You could find yourself with a flat tire even though there is no leak in the rubber.
Make sure you have wiper fluid and good wipers. Road salt and moisture that sprays on your windshield can, eventually, block your view. At the very least, it will seriously impede your vision. You’ll need good wipers and wiper fluid to keep your windshield clean so you can safely negotiate the slippery roads here in Northern Illinois.
Bring an emergency pack along for the ride. This should include a blanket, a bottle of water, flashers in case you break down or you’re in an accident. You might even include some munchies.
Make sure you have a charged cell phone and a charger. And let people know where you’re going, what time you plan to leave and what route you’ll take. If you break down and no one knows you were on the road, they won’t know to expect you. You could find yourself on the side of the road for an extended period facing bitterly cold temperatures. If they know the route you were taking, they’ll know exactly where to look for you.

Of course, the best idea is still to stay indoors. Can your plans wait a day? It’s supposed to warm up considerably later in the week. Why not snuggle up in a comforter by the fire with a good book and a cup of cocoa. Sure beats braving frigid cold weather like this.

If you do find yourself stuck out in the cold with a car that’s not up to the task, you can call Performance Unlimited for help at 815-728-0343. You can learn more about Performance Unlimited by visiting www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

Get out to McHenry Music Festival for a good time and music near to home

Some folks here in McHenry will load up the car and head out to Red Rock Amphitheater near Denver to see a show. Some will go to the MSG Sphere near Las Vegas. Some will go to the Bonaroo Festival Concert to see a show. That’s quite a bit of driving and you’d better make sure your vehicle is up to the trip. What happens, however, if something goes wrong – if your vehicle breaks down while driving there or back? What happens if the show is canceled, as happened this year with the Bonaroo Festival? We’re talking about some serious inconvenience, aren’t we? Wherever you go, whether your driving to Colorado, Nevada, Tennessee or anywhere else in this continent, you want to perform your due diligence and make sure the vehicle is up for the trip before you go. And it doesn’t really matter if you’re driving somewhere to see some live music or for any other purpose. A breakdown can be costly and may put you at the mercy of weather conditions or nefarious characters that come across you while y...

Performance Unlimited Blog

Search This Blog