Performance Unlimited Blog

New Year’s Eve celebrations are universally shared good times. Who doesn’t look forward to the food, the countdown, the beverages? Of course, for some, a little too much of a good time will result in a bit of a headache tomorrow – the hangover to start the new year. For others, too much of a good time could turn into an even bigger headache – the kind that lingers for months and years. That headache is called a DUI. But, even a DUI is better than the kind of headache that ends with people hurt or worse after an accident caused by someone under the influence. The latter leads to missed time from work, pain and suffering, atmospheric hospital bills or even funerals. The DUI is also expensive. The lawyer’s fees compete with medical fees for hitting just the right note in terms of the ‘ouch factor.’ Then there are the fines and other fees associated with taking a DUI to court. Finally, there are the increased auto insurance rates. Someone with a DUI feels as though ‘they’re’ coming at ‘e...

Jeannie took little comfort in the beautiful scene created as a full moon cast light across the fields on both sides of the road. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate such things. Even had she known it was the first full Christmas moon since 1977, Jeannie had other things on her mind, such as her son and daughter asleep in their child’s seats in back. The health and safety of her young children were concerns for the very reason that Jeannie was in a position to observe the effects of a full moon on a winter’s night in rural McHenry County; they were driving home from grandma and grandpa’s when, suddenly, the car stopped running and the lights all went out. Jeannie found that she had to fight the steering wheel to pull the car over to the shoulder. Not too concerned, she got out her cell phone and was about to call her father when she realized the phone’s battery was dead and remembered how the children used the phone a good part of that Christmas Eve to play games. Apparently, the...

Daniel Florek of Vindictive Vinyl, left, wrapped this big truck,  and the toy truck on the hood, for Denny Norton of Performance  Unlimited, right. Vindictive Vinyl , of Twin Lakes, Wis, can wrap an entire truck with a graphically designed coat that gives the appearance of an incredible paint job. Size, when something is large, is not a problem for the artisans at Vindictive Vinyl. Turns out the same is true when wrapping something that is small. Earlier this year, Vindictive Vinyl wrapped the Performance Unlimited Silverado pickup truck. Later this year, as a gift from the Michelle Norton to her husband, Denny Norton, they wrapped a small model of a similar truck. “We did the design for Denny’s truck,” said Daniel Florek, president and part owner of Vindictive Vinyl. “He gave us some direction about what he wanted, and provided us with the logos, and we did everything else.” Norton, who owns the Ringwood based Performance Unlimited auto repair shop...

No, it’s not jewelry. It’s also not the latest electronic gadget. But, if you haven’t considered a gift certificate for auto repair , you may have neglected an excellent present to put in someone’s stocking December 25th. Admittedly, a gift certificate from an auto repair shop isn’t the ideal gift for everyone. After all, there are some people who don’t own cars. Some folks have brand new cars but even they might appreciate an auto repair gift certificate. Even new cars require maintenance. That’s one of the nice things about a gift certificate; the recipient can use it as they please, or where it does the most good. Maybe they need a new set of tires or they’d like to use that gift certificate for oil changes. On the other hand, maybe they want to hold onto the gift certificate to help on a ‘rainy day.’ This brings up the question of who would benefit most by a gift certificate for auto repair services. While anyone who owns a vehicle stands to benefit, there are some who mig...

We all know someone who isn’t just hard to shop for when the holidays or birthdays come around the calendar – they’re impossible to shop for. They have virtually everything. But, do they have a remote starter. Even if you’re shopping for someone a little easier to shop for, a remote starter for their car isn’t a bad idea at all. They’re not likely to expect it but they’re sure to appreciate it. Why are they so sure to appreciate a remote starter? There are several reasons, including: It can warm up the engine before they start driving without sitting in the driveway waiting for the car to warm up; it warmed up already while they were getting dressed, fixing that cup of coffee for the road or saying goodbye to the family before heading off to work. It will manage climate control before they get in the car. In the winter, if they’ve set the heat to run when they got out of the car, by the time they get back in, the car will have warmed up. Likewise, in the summer, by setting t...

The dishes are hardly cleared from the table before thoughts start turning to tomorrow – Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. There are deals to be had but the competition is tough. The early bird will get the worm, so to speak. Planning for Black Friday starts early with some research. Where are the best deals? Where are deals on the gifts you’re looking for? This will likely bring you to the internet. Type in ‘Best Black Friday Deals’ and you’ll find a cornucopia of Black Friday opportunities. You can also visit the websites of your favorite stores. Next, you’ll want to prioritize your shopping list. Prioritizing your Black Friday shopping list should focus on two points: 1) what purchase is the most important to you and 2) what deals are likely to create the greatest competition? Once you’ve prioritized, it’s time to determine when the stores open. You need a plan of attack. You need to know what time to be where. If you’re familiar with the stores where you’ll ...

They’re one of the top bands in Northern Illinois and Saturday, Nov. 21, they’re rocking out for a great cause. The event, Shop With A Cop, starts at 6 p.m. The music of Hans and the Hormones starts about 8 p.m. But, there’s plenty to do before the band takes the stage. Hans and the Hormones are renowned for their musical ability playing rock music from the ‘60s to the present. Word that they’ll play at the Shop With A Cop event has made the McHenry VFW, 3002 Route 120, McHenry, into the hottest ticket in town Saturday night. Of course, there are other reasons the event ranks high as the place to be that evening, not the least of which is that it benefits a great cause. The Shop With A Cop Party is hosted by MC3, a McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce business networking group. MC3 supports McHenry County Police Charities, which will send police officers, in their squad cars, to pick up children of disadvantaged families and take them holiday shopping. Each child receives $150 for...

They walk among us mostly unseen, often unappreciated, while their commitments and sacrifices can’t be overstated. They are the veterans – those who have done more than just enjoy the benefits of a free society; they are the ones who have stood and paid the price for liberty. Today, November 11, is Veterans Day. It’s appropriate any day that we reflect on what we owe our veterans but more so today. Of course, this date wasn’t randomly chosen, though there certainly are other dates in American history that could serve as Veterans Day, such as: Oct. 19: on this date in 1781, British Gen. Charles Cornwallis surrendered to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. Though the American Revolution continued until Jan. 14, 1784, most historians acknowledge that the British defeat at Yorktown ensured an American victory. Sept. 14: On this date in 1814, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet, was aboard a British truce ship in the Patapsco River watching British wars...

What do your car’s headlamps and wiper blades have in common? They both help you to see better. This is all the more important as winter approaches. Just this past Saturday, we turned the clocks back for Daylight Savings Time. The premise is that, during the winter, moving the clocks back in the fall helps to maximize our use of daylight hours. That’s because there are fewer hours of daylight in the winter. The Winter Solstice, for McHenry, is Dec. 21. That’s the shortest day of the year, in terms of daylight. The days have grown shorter since the Summer Solstice last June. After the Winter Solstice, the years will start to grow longer, about one minute of additional sunlight each day, until the next McHenry Summer Solstice, June 20, 2016. When it’s dark out, you want your headlamps to work and work well. Driving with limited vision is form of vehicular Russian roulette. Hopefully, you won’t run into anything. Hopefully, you won’t run into anybody. In either case, if you do run...

The previous three weekends, those seeking a ghoulishly good time could find a few scares at Peterson Park in McHenry where the Wonder Lake Ski Team was holding its annual Haunted Hayride fundraiser. “This is our largest fundraiser supporting the Wonder Lake Ski Team,” said team member and skier Dana kurchina-Tilling, who also owns KT Cleaning and snow removal. “Without the hayride, we wouldn’t be out on the water.” Though the numbers weren’t in as to how much they raised, Kurchina-Tilling said that approximately 3,500 people enjoyed the event, which operated Oct. 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24. Jason Rishling, another skier and member of the team, said that there were 17 or 18 scenes in the Haunted Hayride. These included a cannibal scene, a campers scene, a clowns scene and a bio-hazard scene. “I was in the bio-hazard scene,” said Rishling. “Everything was gory. We had body bags hanging and we had someone in one of the bags. They would shake when people went by and scare them.” ...

Every year, about this time, this blog focusses on the importance of winterizing your car. Winterizing your car is so important for folks here in McHenry County we’ll almost certainly hit the topic again before the snow flies and temperatures really drop – unless, of course, Old Man Winter throws an early curve ball or two. Winterizing your car is what you might call automotive-reliability insurance. No one wants there vehicle to breakdown in the middle of summer. It’s potentially a significant inconvenience. But, when your car breaks down in the winter, potentially, it’s far more than an inconvenience; it’s a potential catastrophe. In the worst circumstances, it can be life threatening. It’s also not just about you, the driver. It’s also about the people who ride in your car. Imagine if you find yourself stuck on the side of a road somewhere as a -40-degree wind chill howls outside the car. This is not a good scenario. But, if you have a six-month old in the carseat in back, it’s...

If you’ve ever seen the looks on the faces of the children who are served by Shop With A Cop each year, you’d understand why this is one of our favorite activities here are Performance Unlimited. Shop With A Cop is a Police Charities benefit that provides children from financially challenged families with an opportunity to enjoy a little holiday cheer each December. The McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce business networking group we belong to – MC3 – has the honor of supporting Shop With A Cop each year for the last nine years. In fact, our group has raised approximately $76,000 so that police officers can escort children, one on one, for some holiday shopping. The money we raise goes towards a new winter coat, hat, gloves and boots for each child, along with $150 in spending money. Of course, when I say “the money we raise,” I’m referring to the contributions of businesses and individuals in the McHenry area. It is through their generosity that this program is such an annual succe...

There are mechanisms of your car that worthy of your attention. You want to know the car will start, even in the dead of winter. You want the engine to run and operate efficiently and reliably. You want the brakes to stop the car, especially in a panic situation. But, your shocks, struts and suspension – what’s the big deal? As long as you can drive, who cares if the shocks, struts and suspension are a little spongy? As long as you get where you’re going – that’s what matters. Even if your car’s shocks, struts and suspension are a bit stiff, what’s the worst that can happen – you’ll spill a hot cup of coffee from a fast-food restaurant and hire a lawyer. The shocks, struts and suspension are what you’ve identified as ‘convenience’ parts, right? Wrong. The shocks, struts and suspension actually play several crucial roles in your car. They’re far from superfluous. What’s so important about the shocks, struts and suspension? First of all, they soften the ride. Yes, this will h...

Remember that new car smell? Or, maybe your car wasn’t new when you first bought it. Either way, hopefully, it’s treating you well. Of course, if you’re treating your car well, there’s a good chance it will do the same for you. Are you having the oil changed regularly? Proper and timely maintenance is essential to getting the most out of your car. Of course, there is that ‘intangible’ – unexpected problems that were born on the drafting board or in the manufacturing process. You might say that some problems are built right into the car. They may remain hidden for a while but, usually, at some point, they come to light. When they do, the result is what we call a recall. It’s essential that you take care of your car if you want it to take care of you. If you maintain it properly, you can get a couple hundred thousand miles out of a car without any serious problems. Yes, you’ll have to do some repairs during that time. After all, tires and brakes will wear down until you need to repl...

One of the great things about a car is that you can go places. You can go to the store. You can go a professional baseball game, which is not a bad idea this year, if you’re a Cubs fan. You can go out to dinner and a show. You can even go to Indiana, if you can think of a good reason to go to Indiana … Hmmm? This time of year, a great place to go is to the apple orchard. At an apple orchard, you can pick your own apples. A lot of apple orchards in and around McHenry County have other things you can pick, too. For instance, you can pick red raspberries through Nov. 15 at Grace Farm Studios (2719 Franklinville Road, Woodstock). But, if your heart is set on apples, not only is this a great time of year to pick apples, but there are a lot of varieties of apples to pick. Here are some of the varieties of apples you may want to pick: Honeycrisp Ruby Jonathon Cortland Sweet Sixteen Crimson Crisp Golden Delicious Red Delicious More  When you pick your own apples, you g...

You’re driving down the road thinking about how nice it will be to drop your son off at your folks so you and your husband can finally have that overdue romantic weekend getaway you’ve planned for … how long has it been? Suddenly, you notice a piece of lumber in the road that probably fell off a truck. Unfortunately, you don’t have time to avoid it so you go right over it, gritting your teeth and hoping it doesn’t damage the car somehow. You feel the jolt as the right-front tire passes over the wood. You feel it again when the rear tire takes its turn. You think, “That wasn’t so bad,” and you’re about to go back to those happy thoughts when you hear this loud rumble. For a moment, you think that, whatever it is, it will go away but it doesn’t. It slowly dawns on you, “That’s my car making that noise.” There is a good chance that, what happened is that, as you went over the piece of lumber, one of the tires kicked it up into the air – only it couldn’t go too high because the bottom ...

Try to imagine driving your car without shocks or struts. One thing you would probably never do is drink a cup of hot coffee while driving again. Without those shocks and struts, every time you hit a bump or a dip in the road the car would start bucking like a ship tossing in rough seas. You’d wear as much coffee as you’d drink. Of course, that scenario assumes you’d still have coil or leaf springs built into the suspension. The point is that the shocks and struts complement the work of the springs. The springs are designed to absorb the rough spots on the road. The shocks and struts help but they also keep the springs under control. This is why, when the shocks and struts start to wear out you’ll notice that, when a bump starts the suspension swaying, the sway – the rocking of the car – continues longer and longer. When the shocks or struts are completely worn out, you’ll also find that those coil and leaf springs will not keep the suspension from ‘bottoming out.’ What does it m...

Perhaps you plan to stay home for the Labor Day weekend. Then again, you might join the millions of other Americans who make the holiday one of the busiest weekends for traffic each year. Some drive to the lake for fun on and by the water. Other’s take a final vacation before the school year kicks into gear. And others go to visit friends and family that decided to stay home for the holiday. Whatever your destination, if you’re hitting the road Labor Day weekend, you want to make sure your car will get you to your destination safely and without mechanical mishaps. You also want to arrive back home afterwards without difficulties. The key is to make sure the car is ready to go before you go. Look at it this way – while preparing the car for the trip, you can also prepare the car for the winter ahead. Preparing the car for a trip Labor Day weekend, or preparing the car for winter, involve the same basic mechanical checks, including: The Fluids: This includes everything from the...

As summers go, this is a fairly mild variety here in McHenry County. Yes, we’ve seen plenty of days in the 80s, and topped the 90s once or twice. But, by and large, this hasn’t been an excessively hot summer. And McHenry County has had some hot summers in the past. All the same, if someone working outside, 80s and 90s are a bit toasty. If you’re car’s air conditioning isn’t working properly, you may also have a different perspective on how to rate the summer heat scale for this McHenry County summer. When you park to go into a store, the inside of the car turns into an oven when it’s 80 degrees outside. And if it’s in the 90s … OH BOY!! When you come back to the car, the first thing you want to do is turn the air conditioning on. At first, the air conditioning will blow hot air out of the vent. You might even want to wait standing with the door open until the hot air passes. But, soon, the air will turn cool and you can slide into the car and into the flow of that cool and soothi...

Kevin Post, an auto repair technician  with Ringwood based Performance  Unlimited, cleans a part in their new SmartWasher parts cleaning  system. For as long as auto repair technicians can remember they’ve had to hold automotive parts under a stream of somewhat toxic parts cleaner. That’s all different now; today, there’s a parts cleaner and fluid that is safe for auto repair technicians and the environment. The product is called SmartWasher and is know in the industry as a “bioremediating parts washer.” The company describes “bioremediating” as a natural process that “eliminate(s) liquid hazardous waste streams.” The SmartWasher actually uses a powerful water-based degreaser. It’s a solution they call “OzzyJuice®.” “OzzieJuice®” is a degreasing solution that is pH neutral, is not caustic and doesn’t cause skin irritations. It doesn’t even have a flash point where the old solvents were flammable at some point. “The system turns harmful contaminants int...

It’s one thing to maintain one car, SUV or van; try maintaining a fleet of vehicles. Of course, if you are responsible for maintaining a fleet of vehicles for your business or the company you work for, you know all about that. Maybe you have a staff to maintain the fleet. They do all the oil changes, tune ups and, to some degree, they handle repairs. The cost of a staff to maintain a fleet of vehicles is nothing to sneeze about. You start with hourly wages then add payroll taxes, insurance and other costs. If someone gets hurt, that’s you’re problem, too. Thankfully, there is an alternative. Even if you can’t afford your own fleet maintenance staff, this alternative is very attractive. Some auto repair shops are setup to handle fleets of cars, SUVs and vans on behalf of companies. They understand the importance of keeping the vehicles running – when a fleet car is out of commission it represents a cost without return. When a fleet car is out of commission, they seek to get it back ...

Here in the McHenry area, we’re pretty darn fortunate. The shelves are full at the grocery stores, our neighborhoods are reasonably safe and people are generally friendly. One reason we enjoy such blessings is that there are Americans who go above and beyond to ensure our safety. These are people in the military who put their lives on the line in war-torn areas of the world. Some paid the ultimate price. All paid some and some more than others. Among our soldiers, sailors, fliers and marines who went off to war on our behalf, some came home without arms or legs. Our enemies hid IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in the ground. These have taken a heavy toll on American GIs. In response, NAPA and Performance Unlimited have partnered with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to support wounded soldiers and their families. Through Aug. 31, 2015, if you purchase a NAPA AUTO PARTS battery, alternator or starter at Performance Unlimited, or other participating auto parts store, you’ll re...

McHenry Fiesta Days runs from Friday, July 10, through Sunday, July 19, at Petersen Park (4300 Petersen Park Road) in McHenry. That’s more than a week’s worth of bands, food, beer, amusement rides, live music and even hot-air balloon rides. It includes the McHenry River Run 10K and 5K races. It also includes a Bags Tournament ... ( read more ).

When you bring your vehicle to an auto repair shop, you want to know that the auto repair technicians are qualified. Have they had sufficient training – the latest training? Do they have experience? Years ago, there was a television commercial where a dopey looking guy in dirty coveralls says something to the effect of “Gee boss, I never did fix an automatic transmission before.” When you bring your vehicle to an auto repair shop, you want to know that the auto repair technician isn’t even a distant cousin of the fellow making the statement in the previous paragraph. More than that, however, you want to know that the auto repair shop isn’t of the fly-by-night variety. A quality auto repair shop will have systems in place to ensure that your vehicle is properly repaired and/or maintained. In the process, they’ll make sure that you are treated with courtesy and compassion. When your vehicle requires repairs and/or maintenance, it’s usually an inconvenience. Sometimes, it’s also...

Makayla Huff, in Performance Unlimited car No. 22 was one of 28 competitors last Saturday in the McHenry Kiwanis Soap Box Derby. John Street in McHenry was transformed last Saturday from a residential roadway, on the southern edge of the downtown shopping district, to a speedway where racers finished the final tweaking of their racecars in preparation for the 13th consecutive McHenry Kiwanis Soap Box Derby. Just east of 4th Street is a high point on Johns Street. Here were placed two ramps to give the racers a boost as they started racing downhill past Green Street. One car is placed on each ramp and the starting blocks are interconnected so that, when the lever is thrown, both cars start off simultaneously. The derby was a double-elimination race that included 28 racers and required 63 heats in identically prepared stock Soap Box Derby cars. The winner was Allison Hunt, age 10, but only by seven-hundredths of a second. Narrowly falling to second place was eight-year-old Eugene...

It’s a good idea to keep your hands on the steering wheel when driving. An auto repair technician, however, may violate that reasonable premise. An auto repair technician may take a car for a test ride. Finding a straight, flat road, they’ll wait until there isn’t any traffic to contend with and, then, they’ll take their hands off the steering wheel. When letting go of the steering wheel, the auto repair technician will carefully observe the vehicle’s reaction. What they’re looking for is pull; they want to see if the car wants to pull one way or the other. Pull, or drift, is a strong indication that a vehicle requires a front-end alignment. With the wheels properly aligned, the car should track down a straight, flat road. Proper front-end alignment takes into account the slope of the road. Roads are crowned in the center and low on the edges so the water can roll down into the gutters when it rains. Taking a car for a test drive can give an auto repair technician other clues abo...

Summer has at last arrived. Good thing your air conditioning is working. One day soon, you’ll come out to the car on a 90-plus day and find that it’s a virtual oven in there. As soon as you slide into the driver’s seat, beads of sweat will appear on your brow. It’ll almost burn to touch the steering wheel. But, no problem; you’ll turn on the AC and, within minutes, nice cool air will pour out of the vents. You may find yourself driving down the road thinking how nice the cold air feels in your face. And it is nice. You’ll drive along thinking how nice it is and telling yourself how soon you’ll feel nice and comfortable. You may say that to yourself again, and even again. At some point, you’re liable to have a discouraging thought spoil the moment: “Is it taking longer for the AC to cool the car?” No, there’s a good chance that isn’t your imagination. Automotive air conditioning doesn’t often stop working all at once. It’s not a matter of it works or it doesn’t; rather, it’s a matt...

A recent post from the Northwest Herald recommends that car owners demand that their auto repair shops have ASE-certified technicians. That’s good advice. ASE is the shortened acronym for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Since 1972, this non-profit organization has worked ensure that auto service technicians have the skills and training to properly repair your car. But, there is more to the consideration when you decide where to bring your vehicle for service. The answer to that question includes consideration of the tools of the trade that they use in your auto repair shop. Their auto technicians may have the latest in automotive service training but is their automotive service equipment at the cutting edge of technology? Performance Unlimited is an example an auto repair services provider that is committed to providing its ASE auto service technicians with the tools and equipment necessary to do their job right. To that end, owner Denny Norton recen...