Performance Unlimited Blog

The New Year is upon us this weekend here in McHenry County. How do you plan to celebrate? New Year’s parties will abound Saturday night – New Year’s Eve. Good food, good friends, a few good drinks: it all sounds great. And it should be, unless something happens to spoil it. So, how do you plan to get to the New Year’s Eve party you’re attending? If you’re not driving to a party in McHenry County, who is? In other words, do you have a designated driver? Or, are you the designated driver? The police are out in force on New Year’s Eve. If you’re unlucky, if you don’t take appropriate precautions, you could find yourself facing a DUI charge. For your first offense, for a DUI in Illinois, you could face 1-year in jail, up to $2,500 in fines and penalties, and you’ll have your license suspended for a minimum of one year. You’ll also need an Interlock Ignition Device in your car when you begin driving again. What constitutes drunk driving in Illinois? If you’re 21 and over, a .08% bloo...

When you’re playing Santa Claus, it pays to put yourself in his shoes. But, with only five days until Christmas, time is running out. If you haven’t figured out what to buy them by now, the odds are good that you’ll wind up buying them a last-minute gift that really doesn’t make anyone appreciably merrier; it’s something they wouldn’t buy for themselves and it’s not something you’d really like to get them. And, it’s certainly not something that Santa would buy. As you search your mind, and the Internet, for Christmas gift ideas, you may want to consider a gift card. The department stores have recognized the value of gift cards as holiday shopping solutions. Even grocery stores are offering racks of gift cards near the checkout counters. For someone who is up against the wall trying to find a gift for someone who’s hard to shop for, these racks of gift cards are life-lines for tardy holiday shoppers. Most of the gift cards are for department stores, electronic stores and restauran...

In front of your car, truck or SUV engine you’ll find a radiator. Behind the radiator is a fan. The radiator is connected to the engine by hoses – one a supply hose (the lower hose) and the other a return hose (the upper hose). Less visible to the naked eye is a pump, which is part of the engine, that moves the liquid in the radiator and engine in a regular cycle. There’s also a thermostat that can close off the return hose so that the liquid, known as coolant/antifreeze, can reach its peak operating temperature. The coolant/antifreeze carries away heat from the engine. The fan behind the radiator pulls air through the radiator fins and across the coil of tubes that hold the coolant/antifreeze. As the air passes through the radiator it carries away heat and cools the liquid. In the process, it ensures that the engine doesn’t overheat, which could cause critical damage to parts of the engine. The engine calls on the coolant to carry heat out to the radiator for cooling all year long...

Last week, we discussed the importance of a good car battery when facing the frigid riggers of a Midwest winter. A good car battery will help to ensure that your car, truck or SUV will start even on the coldest days and nights of the winter ahead – the winter that blew in with a fury Sunday night dumping several inches of snow in McHenry. But, a good battery requires a good charging and starting system to keep it ready to start your car. Essentially, the charging system in your car, truck or SUV includes the following parts: The car battery The alternator The ignition switch The voltage regulator The starter solenoid The starter The belt and pullies to turn the alternator pulley All of these parts need to operate properly, and work in unison, to ensure that your car, truck or SUV will start and run. A weak link in this chain of related parts will bring the system crashing down around you, which means that the battery will charge and the car will have enough voltage to k...

It's winter, it's nighttime and it's cold out. But, though this Interstate battery is a few years old, it was recently checked and it should start this car throughout the coming winter. An article by Interstate , a manufacturer of one of the best-selling automotive batteries in the country, states that a car, truck or SUV battery loses 33 percent of its power when the temperature outside falls below freezing “and over 50 percent of its power when the temperature falls below zero.” Here in Richmond, IL, the temperature does both on an annual basis. The temperature doesn’t just fall below freezing and zero once or twice. For the prior, we’re liable to have extended periods where the temperature in Richmond is below freezing. Some years, the temperature falls below zero with significant frequency. For instance, in 1985, a meteorological event known as a Mobile Polar High created a cold-weather condition where records were set for the coldest days. We don’t have to go b...

It’s all a matter of the laws of physics; when liquids are cooled, they tend to thicken. In some cases, they thicken until they become solids. This is the case with water and other fluids. In the case of oils, they will not freeze but they can thicken substantially. These are important considerations when another McHenry winter is approaching and you want your car to continue running in spite of the cold and elements. We all know that water freezes at 32-degrees Fahrenheit or below. If the temperature never reached this level or lower you wouldn’t need antifreeze for your car. Rather, the fluid in your radiator, that then flows through your engine, would only need to serve as a coolant ensuring that the engine didn’t overheat. According to Wikipedia, the minimum point where antifreeze will freeze is 36-degrees-below zero. But this depends on the quality of the antifreeze. Typically, antifreeze is rated to freeze at 34-degrees-below zero. But, if it’s old and weak, it can freeze at ...

Haven’t winterized your car, truck or SUV yet? Here comes some serious incentive, if we believe the weather reports. A blizzard is bearing down on the Midwest with accumulations to 18 inches in some states. Now, most weather reports suggest that, here in the McHenry County area, the storm will either stay mostly to the North or will have blown itself out before it gets here. That’s good news, especially if you haven’t winterized your car, truck or SUV yet. The unusually warm autumn we’ve experienced may have lulled some people into a false sense of hope that winter would take a pass this year. More likely, it simply occupied minds with more pleasant thoughts and worries about preparing the car, truck or SUV for the cold months ahead were neglected. If the approaching storm is more of a lamb than a tiger, it can still serve as a needed reminder to have your car, truck or SUV winterized. Failing to do so can leave you stranded on a dark, frigid road a month or two from now. You could...

There’s a reason tires aren’t hard, smooth donuts that slip easily; tires are rubber with tread designs so that they can grab the road and help us get going when we accelerate and so they can help us stop when we hit the brake pedal. Over the years, through trial and error, tire makers have designed tire tread patterns that are particularly good for grabbing the road. In some cases, they design tread patterns for auto racing where going fast is more important than stopping. They also make tire tread patterns for use with off-road trucks and SUVs, and they make tread patterns that are better for grabbing the road in the snow and over ice. Tires are rubber for a reason The problem with tires is that, in order to grab the road, they’re made of rubber, a substance that is softer than the road, whether the road is made of asphalt or concrete. Off-road trucks and SUVs may drive through mud and rivers but generally they also go over rocks and gravel that is harder than rubber. As tire...

The holidays are coming and one thing is sure – more than a few people will have to loosen their belts a little after enjoying those wonderful holiday meals. There’s Thanksgiving with the traditional turkey dinner, including all the fixings and topped off with pumpkin or apple pie. Then Christmas rolls in with anything from a crown roast, to a ham or even another turkey. Once again the sides are appeasing to taste buds but hard on waste lines, including a wide assortment of festively decorated cookies. But, for some people living among us here in McHenry, there is little variance expected from any other meal during the year. Some folks will eat what they can afford to eat, as meager as that may be. It is with these neighbors of ours that the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce has launched its First Annual Thanksgiving Harvest Food and Funds Drive. The program kicks off Nov. 1 with proceeds supporting FISH, the McHenry Food Pantry. Kay Bates, the president of the Chamber, said, “Ou...

Want to help, too? ( click here ) Less than a month from now, on Saturday, Nov. 19, folks who know me know where they’ll find me; at the 10th Annual Shop With Cop party at the McHenry VFW, 3002 Hwy 120 east of the Fox River. The flyer for the event is above this. You can learn the basic information about the charity from the flyer but I’d like to tell you a little more since this is one of my favorite parties and causes. Here at Performance Unlimited, as members of MC3 McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce marketing connection group, we’ve had the privilege of hosting this event since the group first became involved in 2006. The funds we help to raise go to McHenry Police Charities and benefit area children from families that are struggling with their own economic challenges. How does it work? Not long after the Shop With A Cop party, an area police officer will arrive in his or her squad car at the home of one of the children nominated by a social service agency as deserving of...

Joe has a nice two-and-a-half-car garage attached to his house in Wonder Lake. But, with projects and ‘stuff’ he hasn’t found a place for yet, instead of using the garage for his pickup truck, he has a set of sawhorses and materials on the floor where the pickup truck would go. His wife parks her car in the garage. That’s because she ‘insisted.’ “If you don’t want to clear room in the garage for your pickup truck, that’s up to you,” she told Joe. “But, my car WILL go in the garage.” Joe would like to keep his pickup truck in his Wonder Lake garage, too. But, how important is it? Actually, it’s probably more important than Joe may think. There are distinct advantages to keeping a pickup truck, or a car, in the garage. Here are a few of them: Rain, Snow and Ice, oh my: The most obvious reason to keep your pickup truck or car in the garage is that, while in the garage, the vehicle is out of the elements. The rain, the snow, the ice – the elements take their toll on a vehicle’s fin...

Oct. 12, 2016: what’s the significance of that date? For not a few Johnsburg residents, that is the first day of the coming winter season that they had to scrape frost off their car windows and windshields. This isn’t necessarily a happy thought but it is inevitable. Winter is coming and, unless you can move to another hemisphere, which isn’t a bad idea, you’ll have to deal with the effects of winter. There’s the snow, the cold and the ice. But, first, there’s the frost on your windshield. In the wee hours of Thursday, Oct. 12, 2016, the temperature outside was reported to drop down to 34 degrees. And, as result, there was frost on car windows when Johnsburg drivers went out to their cars in the morning. Of course, that wasn’t the case if their cars, SUVs or pickup trucks were parked in a garage. But, for those who were not parked in the garage, there was frost on the windshield. If you think about it, however, at 34 degrees, there shouldn’t be frost. After all, frost is ice – i...

Imagine if cars didn’t have shock absorbers? Every time the car hit a pothole, your teeth would probably slap together painfully. Every bump in the road would announce itself jarringly. Chiropractor offices would have to expand their waiting rooms to accommodate the increased demand as driving gave more and more people bad backs. Shock absorbers help to make rides more comfortable. They even protect us from injury while driving over uneven roadways at high speeds. Without shocks, occupants in cars would be tossed back and forth roughly. Along with the rest of the suspension, they make driving a pleasant experience where bumps in the road are hardly noticed. But, they actually do much more than that. Shocks play a major role in safe driving Among the occupants of a car is a key occupant known as the driver. And, without shock absorbers, when a bump threw the occupants about roughly, the bump would also throw the driver around. Even with shock absorbers, maintaining control of a c...

That teenager of yours is so proud and there is a piece of plastic in their wallet that has given them this emotional boost. No, it’s not a credit card you’ve given them though, if you have given them a credit card, hopefully you’ve put some reasonable restraints on their use of the credit card. This piece of plastic gives your teenager the right to operate a vehicle on the roadways. That piece of plastic is a Driver’s License. In today’s American culture, a Driver’s License is often the only rite of passage that signifies that someone has come of age – that they’re no longer a child. Of course, if you’ve driven for a while, you can’t help but realize that, at any age, a driver’s license hardly proves maturity – remember that guy flying up on your rear bumper, honking his horn, flashing his lights and making an obscene gesture? And all because he thought it was his turn at the last stop sign when you went. Mature or not, the laws allow that a teenager has a right to apply for a Dri...

One after another, a procession of Jeeps drove north on Route 47 in Woodstock Sunday. Judging by the mud splattered on the vehicles, this was a post-event parade of celebrants for folks who took their Jeeps off road. It seemed there were as many as 20 of them, all splattered with mud. One other similarity is that everyone in the Jeeps appeared to have a broad, satisfied smile on their face. Where was the off-road trail where they attracted the mud, and the smiles? For those watching them go by, it was a mystery. But, there was no mystery that each and every one of them has a passion for their Jeeps and for the off-road adventures they experience together and, certainly, alone. Some people like to garden. Some people join bowling leagues, collect stamps or hunt for Pokemon Go. But, a lot of other clubs are pretty tame by comparison to a club that gathers to drive their vehicles hell-bent-for-leather over rough hills and through valleys, rivers and pits. Of course, it takes a speci...

Auto insurance is another and substantial expense that adds to the cost of operating a vehicle. That makes the question, “How can you lower the cost of your auto insurance?” a poignant question indeed. According to AAA, the cost to operate a vehicle in America today is 60.8 cents per mile. That may not sound that bad but, when you consider how many miles we all drive, on average, it adds up. In fact, based on driving 15,000 in a year, which is also approximately average for drivers in the country, it comes to $9,122 per year. The cost of operating a vehicle includes the cost of gasoline, maintenance and replacing worn and damaged auto parts, along with the cost of insurance. It also includes taxes, parking and toll fees and other incidentals. Hopefully, those ‘incidentals’ do not, for you, include the costs of tickets, lawyer’s fees and repairing damage from accidents. If they do, they’ll also drive up the cost of auto insurance. Clearly, avoiding such incidents as traffic ticket...

You may live in a community where you’re required to bring your car, truck or SUV in for an emissions test or you may live where that’s not required. Whatever the case, there is a device under your car that is designed to help your vehicle reduce emissions. It’s called a catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is part of your vehicle’s exhaust system. The exhaust system takes hot gasses created in the engine’s combustion chamber and safely carries them out the back of the vehicle. This protects the passengers from the heat and the fumes that would make the passengers sick. The exhaust system does more than that, though. It also reduces the amount of noise produced by the engine in your car, Truck or SUV. It reduces the noise significantly. Mufflers on vehicles have done this for years. Now, however, they have a partner in the noise-reduction process. Once again, it’s called a catalytic converter. The exhaust system actually does more than carry away heat and gasses, and redu...

Whether you use your pickup truck for work or simply for transportation, the idea of saving on the cost of operating your pickup truck is a welcome thought. One way to save on the cost of operating your pickup truck is to improve your pickup truck fuel economy. If you operate a fleet of pickup trucks, pickup truck fuel economy is even more attractive. There are a few things you can do to improve pickup truck fuel economy. Happily, for the most part, these efforts do not require extensive effort. They are generally simple tips you can apply without much cost, time or energy. Combined, they will help you to maximize your pickup truck fuel economy. Keep the weight of your pickup truck down as much as possible. If you don’t have to carry a heavy load, don’t. Imagine you are in a foot race. How much energy will you burn if you carry a backpack filled with rocks as compared to the energy you’ll burn without any unnecessary weight? The same holds true for your pickup truck fuel econom...

Car makers often recommend a car should have its tires rotated every time the car has an oil change. Compare that to how frequently you have your tires rotated. Unless you’re in a very small group of car owners, it’s a safe wager to say your car’s tires haven’t been rotated even remotely that often. It’s not uncommon to find someone who has never had their car’s tires rotated. And it’s probably safe to say that a majority of drivers assume rotating car tires is an annual kind of thing. Here is what Goodyear has to say about the matter: “Rotating your tires every 3,000-6,000 miles will help eliminate premature tire wear and could save you hundreds of dollars.” What does rotating car tires involve? Rotating car tires involves moving tires from one place to another on the car. This is done in accordance with a particular pattern. Patterns include crisscross rotation, front-to-back and back-to-front rotation and a variety of mixed alternatives. For instance, the front tires may mov...

An older pickup truck that looks good and runs well has a touch of class many cars could would struggle to approach. That pickup truck is a working man and woman’s statement of durability and the owner’s willingness to getting their hands dirty when the need arises. When someone drives an older pickup truck, they’re saying that a little sweat is a badge of honor. But, a pickup truck doesn’t grow older without a commitment from the owner to keep that truck in optimal condition. What can you do to keep your pickup truck running long beyond its ‘planned obsolescence?’ Follow these tips and that newer pickup truck may grow old with style, too. Here are some tips that, incidentally, will also keep a car running longer: Read the owners manual for your pickup truck Probably the first thing you want to do is to familiarize yourself with the owner’s manual. What, you don’t have the owner’s manual and the pickup truck is so old you wouldn’t know where to find it? Actually, the Internet is...

The summer of 2016 is quickly running its course. Children will soon return to school and, before we know it, the leaves will change colors and begin to fall. But, let’s not rush into that; there’s still time to enjoy the summer before it’s gone. One way you may get the most out of this summer is to take a vacation while you still can. While that may involve air travel, or even a train, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to load up the car and hit the open road. Nothing can short circuit a trip faster, however, than a breakdown on the side of the road. A flat tire is an inconvenience, assuming you have a spare. And, it would be wise to make sure your tires are properly inflated and that you have a good spare with proper inflation, too. Putting the right air pressure in the tires is also a good way to make sure your car achieves optimal gas mileage, as well. But, there are other factors to consider before you hit the open road: Are the belts and hoses in good shape? Most cars...

It seems as though you just put those new tires on your car, truck or SUV. Or, maybe the vehicle was recently new and so were the tires. In either case, over time, the miles you put on the car, truck or SUV wear away at the tires until you need new tires again. Depending on the tires, you should expect to get around 50,000 miles from a set of tires. Some tires will last longer and some not as long. How you drive and maintain your vehicle can have a lot to do with how long your tires last. These factors also come into play in terms of how safely you’re able to drive your car, truck or SUV. There are several factors to consider in terms of getting the most out of your tires in terms of how long they last and how they affect safe operation of your car, truck or SUV. Here are the primary issues to consider: Tire pressure Tire pressure is a key factor in safe operation of your car, truck or SUV and how long the tires will last. According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA)...

When the temperature rises to 93 degrees, the inside of these cars are like ovens. And the sun is punishing the car battery in each of these cars, as well as the finish. These are the true dog days of summer – the gritty days when the heat can feel like a damp and suffocating blanket. And through it, the sun beats down baking the earth and everything on it. Perspiration seems to form on your brow if you so much as look out onto the scorched world around you. What does this heat mean for your car? Plenty. Air conditioning: Hopefully, your car’s air conditioning is really healthy and robust. If not, this kind of weather will break its spirit and leave you sweltering in the car where you expected the cooling relief that the car's air conditioning always otherwise provided. If your car’s air conditioning isn’t quite up to the task, no problem, just bring it into a trusted auto repair shop and they can give it an energy boost that will keep the sun, humidity and heat at bay. T...

Who doesn’t want to go green: green with their home, their work, their transportation. There are ways that you can go green in all of these areas. In this blog, we’ll be focused on how you can go green with your car. Recycle One way to go green with your car is to recycle. Recycling, in the automotive sense of the word, means that you’re careful with how you dispose of fluids and parts that could adversely affect the environment. For instance, what do you do with the oil from your car when you do an oil change? And if you don’t do the oil change yourself, what does the shop, where you bring your car, do with the old oil? If you change your car’s oil yourself, find an environmentally friendly place to drop off the oil – somewhere that reuses the oil in an environmentally safe manner. If you drop the car off somewhere for an oil change, ask them what they do with the old oil. Make sure they handle it responsibly. The same holds true with other fluids, such as antifreeze/coolant....

Support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund in the process When we install a NAPA starter, alternator or battery in your car, you receive a rebate VISA card and deserving members of the military and their families receive some  assistance. Here at Performance Unlimited, we’ve partnered with NAPA Auto Parts to offer rebates when you purchase a NAPA starter, alternator or battery. You can receive a pre-paid VISA card of $15 to $25 with a purchase of any of these three items. The best part of the deal, we think, however, is that the program will also support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund was started in 2000 and established as a not-for-profit organization in 2003. The goal is to support men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. To date, nearly $200 million has been provided to families of American and British military personnel who were lost or severely wounded while fighting in the war on terror. For the families of service...

Some people say that having an auto repair shop they can trust is almost as important as having a family doctor they can trust. If you could tell the difference by driving past an auto repair shop, that would be great. But, you may want to investigate auto repair shops before you choose one as yours. Having one auto repair shop you trust, where you always bring your car, truck or SUV for repairs and service is a very good idea. The auto repair technicians at the auto repair shop will get used to your car. They’ll have a solid idea of the condition of your vehicle. And, in the process, you’ll develop a relationship with the auto repair shop where you’ll have confidence that they’ll take care of you and your car, truck or SUV if you ever have any issues. First, however, you want to choose the right auto repair shop to develop a relationship with. In doing so, you’ll want to ask several questions. You’ll want to know the answers to the following questions: Are the auto repair tech...

A quality auto repair shop can help you keep your company’s fleet of cars and/or trucks safely and economically on the road. This is especially true if you bring the vehicles in for scheduled maintenance. Some auto repair shops will help by sending reminders when vehicles are due for service. This helps to make the operation of a fleet of vehicles far less complicated. But, be sure to choose an auto repair shop wisely. A quality auto repair shop will do more than merely provide scheduled oil changes; they’ll also take your fleet’s maintenance to heart. They’ll understand that your goal is to ensure the safety of your drivers and/or sales staff. They’ll know how costly it is if one of your vehicles breaks down in Boise, Idaho. First of all, you’ll have that tow. Then, you’ll probably have to put the driver up for the night. Who knows if the auto repair shop you’re stuck with in Boise is reputable or what they’ll charge for the repairs? If they can’t fix the vehicle quickly, your dri...