Performance Unlimited Blog

When you pull out of your McHenry driveway, you want to know that you can count on your car, truck or SUV to get you where you’re going reliably, safely, economically and in comfort. These are reasons that you go out of your way to properly maintain your vehicle. How does this apply to rotating your tires? There are several good reasons to rotate tires on your car, truck or SUV. Consider the following: Extend the life of your tires: Sitting in the same position on your car, the wear tends to appear consistently in the same location on each tire, but not necessarily the same location from tire to tire. If the wear continues in the same place it will eventually reduce the tire past its usefulness. Rotating the tires spreads the wear around, you might say. The tires will, therefore, wear evenly longer.  Improves safety: By spreading the wear evenly on your tires, you avoid creating areas where the tread is so thin that you have a greater chance of a blowout or other tire failure. It a...

Check that undercarriage while you’re at it As the last two years have demonstrated, there’s no reason to assume that winter has thrown its last punch in Johnsburg this year. Then again, we did cross the threshold from winter into Spring, officially, Saturday. That’s worth celebrating, isn’t it? With the warmer temperatures this week, the weather seems to match its official designation, at least for now. It’s a great reason to escape the house, get outside and maybe take a stroll in Sunnyside Memorial Park, take a bike ride or even roll the windows down on the car and take a drive. With the lockdown loosening up, there’s all the more reason. While you’re out and about, you may want to run the car through the carwash so you can clean away the residue of another winter. It’s good for the car’s finish and good for your state of mind. Besides, with a clean car, you don’t have to worry about getting your clothes dirty if you brush up against it. While you’re at it, is your vehicle ready for...

Who doesn’t love a parade? But, if you were looking forward to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in McHenry, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until next year. They won’t turn the Fox River green and the McHenry Shamrocks won’t be dancing, not in the parade, anyhow. McHenry’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is another victim of the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t show your Irish pride, whether you’re Irish or not. You can start with a little wearing of the green. Get a four-leaf-clover pin for your lapel. Or you can go all out with a green sweater, a green hat … Green pants? Well, that may be going too far (it’s your call). You can also face-paint some clovers on your cheeks … mmm? Or you may want to ask someone else to do the painting. You can also dress up your car, truck or SUV for the occasion. You can get some stick-on clover stickers. Or, how about a leprechaun and a pot of gold? You can put a Happy St. Patrick’s Day bumper sticker on the back of your car. Or you can get creative ...

Have you noticed blemishes on the pavement where your car is parked? What’s that all about? Is it something to worry about? The answers to these questions are, ‘Depends.’ That’s probably not the simple answer you were hoping for. The answers really ‘depend’ on where, in comparison to parts of your car, truck or SUV, you find the spots. It also ‘depends’ on the color and odor of the spots, as well as their size. A red spot near the front of the vehicle is probably a sign that you have a power-steering pump that is leaking. A reddish-brown spot close to the middle of the car, truck or SUV, or to one side of the front, could indicate that the transmission has a leak. A greenish fluid (in some cases, orange, depending on the make and age of your vehicle) is probably coolant/antifreeze that is leaking. This latter fluid usually has something of a sweet odor. A brown spot under the engine area is probably engine oil leaking onto the pavement. If these fluids have a burnt odor, that could ind...