Performance Unlimited Blog

Is your car, truck or SUV up to snuff? This isn’t necessarily a subjective question. It’s not about whether you think it’s a fine automobile, whether you look really good cruising down Route 120 in McHenry. It’s about whether the state of Illinois approves your vehicle. And, for McHenry residents, every two years you’re required to prove it. That’s right; every two years, you’re required to take your car, truck or SUV to an Illinois EPA Testing Station to have your car tested. The test center will inspect your vehicle and its emissions. If it passes the test, you can breath a big sigh of relief, pay your $20-inspection fee and roll back out onto the road. But, if it fails the test, you’ll need to fix the problem or junk the car, truck or SUV. If your vehicle fails, you’ll receive a Vehicle Inspection Report and Certificate. You’ll also receive a Required Vehicle Repair Data document and a Repair Shop Report Card. You probably thought you were done with report cards. If your car, tr...

Auto manufacturers have made strides to improve the horsepower and gas mileage you can expect from a new car, truck or SUV that you bring home to your Johnsburg driveway. They’ve also made improvements to the painted finish of new cars, trucks and SUVs. In terms of improving the finish of a car, truck or SUV, as well as its durability, they’ve developed new methods for treating and cleaning the metal before the application of coats of paint. They’ve scientifically adjusted the layers, and thickness of layers, applied to a car, truck and SUV. They’ve improved the methods of applying the layers of paint to vehicles. They’ve adjusted the process of baking and rinsing the painted vehicle to increase the luster of the painted finish. They use methods, such as Electrocoating, to apply paint the most effectively. They also adjust the thickness of the layers, and the materials used, based on which part of the car, truck or SUV they’re painting. For instance, they may use PVC or urethanes i...

It’s important, when you have parts replaced on your car that you use good, quality parts. It’s also important, whoever is installing those parts, that they know what they’re doing. To ensure that they have the proper knowledge to go with the right parts, it’s vital that they have the training that will keep them ‘up to date.’ Once, the back-yard mechanic could get away with working on a car, to a point. Those days are over. Now, new cars are more complex than ever. Just as a hammer, a screw driver and some wrenches are only the beginning of the necessary tool list when working on a new car – computerized equipment is also essential to auto repair today – the extent of knowledge required of auto repair technicians has increased exponentially. Experience is vital for an auto repair technician today. But, training is equally vital, if not more so. That’s because things keep changing. Auto manufacturers keep advancing the systems that control the operation of your car. This requires a...

It doesn’t matter where you’re going, if you’re taking the car on a road trip this summer, you don’t want to breakdown along the way. You drive the car day in and day out, why would the car breakdown just because you’re going farther? First of all, driving farther means that the car will have more time to heat up and for parts to vibrate loose. It’s not inevitable, unless you’re a firm believer in Murphy’s Law, but it is possible. But, why worry about it before you take a trip? The answer is simple – it’s a question of what you’ll do when it breaks down. If you’re close to home, you may have to call a tow truck to pick up your car. If you can’t find someone you know to pick you up, there’s a good chance that the tow-truck driver can drop you off at your house or office. If not, you can always call a cab to pick you up. But, if your car breaks down in Wyoming, now that’s a cab ride to McHenry you never want to pay. If your car does breakdown in Wyoming, or even in Indiana, what ...