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...