Performance Unlimited Blog

Next to your home, or even the cost of rent, your automobile is probably your largest investment. You depend on your vehicle. You need it to get to and from work, or to and from the train station, if that’s how you get from McHenry to downtown. You depend on your car to drop the kids off at school, for doctor’s appointments, to run to the store for groceries and more. Try to imagine your life without your car. Inconvenient? That only begins to describe your life without reliable transportation. It’s not only how you count on your car; it’s also all the money you have tied up in your car.  According to the Website nerdwallet, “the average monthly payment on a new car was $523 in the first quarter of 2018.” Your car, however, may not be brand-new. The payments for your older car may be less, or you may even have paid off your car. In either case – with a newer car or an older car – maintenance will keep it running reliably but will also protect your investment. If the engine is...

They're back! Yes, school is open and the school buses are back on McHenry County roads. In some communities of McHenry County, the buses have already started rolling. And when the buses roll, the children are in the area. Often, children are running and playing, or running to catch a bus at the last minute. In either case, they may not pay attention to traffic the way that they should. Hitting a child is a tragedy for everyone: the child, their parents and family, their classmates and you. This is why the law is extremely strict when it comes to driving near a school bus. Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-1414 explicitly states that a driver must stop when overtaking, from either direction, a school bus that is stopped for loading and unloading students. The bus driver will extend the warning arm from the front-drivers side of the bus. When you see that arm out – STOP!!! You should also see flashing lights. But, even if you don’t see the warning arm extending from the si...

With school is approaching get out there for that mini-vacation now Hopefully, you and your loved ones have made the most of summer. Oh, it’s not over yet but that time is drawing close. McHenry high schools open this week and McHenry grammar and middle schools open next week. So, if you had hopes of getting away this summer before the kids had to go back to school, the time to act may have passed. With limitations, however, you may still have time. This is particularly true if you take advantage of the upcoming Labor Day weekend. There are places you can, and things you can do, that don’t require a week away and airline tickets. Here are some ideas that are a short-drive away: Take the family fishing: You could rent a cabin, even rent a boat, if you need one. This is a great opportunity to bond with the children. It’s also an activity they’ll cherish for years to come. Just don’t forget the life preservers and fishing licenses. Go to the Dells: There’s a ton for the family to do...

A nasty mix of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons drifts out of your car, truck or SUV’s tailpipe as you cruise down Route 120 in McHenry on a weekend evening. Unless you have an electric car (and it’s important to remember that the electricity used by your electric vehicle requires the generation of electricity at some kind of an electric plant somewhere), you can’t drive without creating emissions. Working semi-quietly under your car, truck or SUV is a piece of equipment designed to reduce the amount of emissions the vehicle produces. This piece of equipment is part of your car, truck or SUV’s exhaust system and is called a catalytic converter. It works by breaking down unburned gasses. Unburned gasses are those that escape from the cylinders after the combustion cycle. The catalytic converter is made of a variety of materials, including ceramic, platinum, palladium and copper. Operating at about 800-degrees Fahrenheit, the converter converts those nasty elem...