Performance Unlimited Blog

Dinner was great as you and your wife gazed into each other’s eyes across a candlelit table while the blowing snow whirled and howled outside creating a spinning backdrop of white on black in the window. Now, as they lock the door behind you, it’s time to go home. At the car, you open and hold the door for her while you wonder how you were ever so fortunate. Then, you slide behind the wheel feeling as though you heart could burst with joy. You turn the key and … nothing happens? That is definitely not the way this story should go. It’s not the way to cap off the perfect romantic evening. But, this coming winter, if your battery isn’t up to snuff, that, or a story much like it, could be waiting for you. Winter tends to test batteries. The oil in the car gets thicker making the starter work harder to turn over a cold engine. And, if the starter works harder, it needs more energy, more amps, to get the job done. That power comes from the battery, or maybe it doesn’t. In spite of the effec...

“Automotive air filters are overrated.” That makes as much sense as the airplane mechanic who says, “Wings are overrated.” Without those wings, that plane isn’t going to get off the ground. Unfortunately, you can drive without an air filter on your car, or with a very dirty air filter on your car. Either situation is not preferable. The air filter filters the air that mixes with gasoline as it enters the engine cylinders. Adding particles of dust or debris reduce the efficiency of the air-fuel mixture when it burns. In that way, a dirty mix of air and fuel is inefficient and reduces the performance of the engine. Additionally, when the fuel burns dirty, as is the case with a dirty mix of air and fuel, it leaves additional residue in the cylinder and the exhaust system, from the exhaust valves on out. That residue can add wear to the cylinder walls and clog the catalytic converter quicker. A catalytic converter is not an inexpensive piece of equipment. Extending its life is one way to r...

Each year, the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce hosts its Annual Dinner Dance. The theme this year, on Saturday, Jan. 24, was “Chicago, All That Jazz.”  The event was a celebration of dining, dancing and live music. However, it was also an opportunity to celebrate some of the 2014 contributors in the Chamber. One such contributor was Denny Norton of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited. Norton was awarded as the “Board Member of the Year.” He served as the 2nd Vice Chairman and is a former president of the Chamber affiliated MC3 business networking group. He continues as a member of the group. The award reads, “This award symbolizes a Board member that has gone above and beyond and has been an inspiration to others on the Board.” Anyone who knows Norton realizes that is an apt description of how he approaches his membership in the chamber, as well as a demonstration of the passion and commitment he brings to his business. As a Chamber member, Norton attended numerous mixers, ribbon...