Performance Unlimited Blog

No, you don't want to spread road salt on your car, truck or SUV. But you might want to consider what road salt from McHenry roads is doing to your vehicle. Think about it: salt is used to tenderize a steak. It pulls some of the moisture out of the meat and dissolves into the fibers of the meat. Using salt to brine meat is described as ‘similar to osmosis.’ It breaks down protein. It can also ‘lock in moisture’ depending on how you apply it. If salt has these kinds of chemical reactions with your food doesn’t it make sense that it also has chemical reactions when it comes up off McHenry roads onto your car, truck or SUV. The combination of oxygen, moisture and salt causes corrosion to metal. According to the Web page sciencing.com: “One form of corrosion that occurs when metal and saltwater get together is called electrochemical corrosion. Metal ions dissolve in water and saltwater conducts electricity and contains ions, which attract ions from other compounds. During electrochemic...

What has changed in the world of auto repair? Almost everything. Mostly, the cars have changed. Years gone by, cars were relatively simple. With a little initiative and mechanical inclination, many people were able to work on their own cars. Today, computers dominate the operation of vehicles and the backyard mechanic is in limited supply. Some have said that this mechanical inclination among Americans was a secret weapon during WWII. Farm boys and hotrodders who went off to war were familiar with working on farm equipment and older cars that required more hands-on attention. When their Jeeps, tanks, airplanes, boats and ships required attention, they didn’t approach the machines nervously unfamiliar with how things work. Hotrodders were the epitome of the person who isn’t afraid to dive under the hood and change out parts. They weren’t always experts. They made mistakes but they learned from their mistakes. Racetracks and dragstrips the sprung up around the country stood as evidence o...

According to Wikipedia, the first automatic transmission, "the … Sturtevant ‘horseless carriage gearbox,’” was designed in 1904. But it wasn't until 1939 that General Motors introduced its Hydramatic transmission. And it was a few years after that before automatic transmissions were widely available in vehicles purchased by the general public. Since that time, the automatics have taken over American roads. According to the April 7, 2016, issue of ‘The Zebra’ for comparing insurance quotes, only “3.9 percent of cars sold in (the) U.S. were built with manual transmissions.” But, back in 1986, of “vehicles on American roads" 29 percent had manual transmissions. The popularity of the automatic transmission, however, never really caught on overseas. As of the time that ‘The Zebra’ article was written (2016), 80 percent of the cars sold in Europe and Japan still had manual transmissions. Do they know something we don’t? Probably not. For years, manual transmissions were conside...

 Most consumers agree – independent auto repair shops are best When you go to the doctor, you want a doctor you can trust. When you call in a furnace repairman, you want to know they won’t take advantage of your trust. After all, you’re counting on the doctor to help you get well, if you’re sick, or stay well otherwise. You’re counting on your furnace repairman to keep your furnace safe and running properly without filching your bank account. That's the same kind of trust you hope to have with your auto repair shop. Your health is your most important asset. Your home is probably your biggest investment. And your vehicle is most likely your second largest investment. An investment like that is something you want to care for and maintain properly. If it requires repairs, you want the repairs done properly. And you don’t want an auto repair shop that takes advantage of your needs to pad their own pockets. Unfortunately, when consumers are asked, auto repair shops don’t have the best r...