Performance Unlimited Blog

Changing your oil on schedule is the most important thing you can do to protect your investment in your automobile and that certainly applies during a Johnsburg winter. Winter poses an additional challenge to motor oil in terms of doing its job of lubricating the parts inside your vehicle’s engine. Without oil, the friction between parts within the engine will create so much heat that, in a short period of time, the parts will grab hold of each other, things will break, and parts will fuse together as they cool. Cold weather makes it harder for the oil to work its way up through its passages and into the engine. As we enter the Johnsburg winter of 2021-22, we don’t know how cold it will get. But we know the thermometer will fall below freezing and, quite likely, below zero. These cold temperatures have a specific effect on motor oil. When it’s cold, the oil thickens. Until it warms, it’s reticent to flow when the oil pump works to pump up and through the engine. As the engine runs, the...

“I've been drivin' all night My hand's wet on the wheel …” Headin’ home Thanksgiving Family has special appeal. You may have a ways to go to get home to family in Wonder Lake this Thanksgiving. The mile markers will flip by one after another, but don’t focus on those; keep your eyes on the road. Stay alert. Stay focused. As you drive through the night, you want to be on top of your game. You want to get home to Wonder Lake safely so you can enjoy the holiday with family and friends. The family is eagerly awaiting your arrival. But they would rather if you’re a little late than to have a knock on the door with a law officer there to tell them you were in an accident. “The radio's playing some forgotten song Brenda Lee's ‘Coming On Strong’ The road has got me hypnotized And I'm speeding into a new sunrise …” Yes, those road markers can hypnotize as you drive. White-line fever is always a risk. But there’s another concern; is your car up to the trip. In worst-case ...

You’re tough. You can take everything a Wonder Lake winter can throw at you. So, if the heater in your car isn’t as effective as it once was, so what? You’ll keep your coat cinched up around your neck, keep your gloves on and weather through the cold weather. But the heat in your car isn’t just about comfort. Of course, your car’s heater is also about keeping you warm as the next Wonder Lake winter approaches. Just because you can take the cold doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your car heated inside when it’s blustering cold outside. The car heater, however, does more than fill your vehicle with the warming comfort of heated air. It also works to keep your windshield clear. Have you ever come out to your car on a cold morning, scraped the frost off the windshield and, by the time you get in the car, the windshield is frosting up again?  Sometimes, you’ll scrape the frost from the outside of the windshield only to find that frost has formed on the inside of the windshield, too. You c...

During the American revolution, Civil War, teamsters were responsible for driving and caring for horses and carts that carried ammunition, food and other equipment. At times, they carried troops. Other times, they carried the wounded. It was their job to keep the horses and good health and the carts in good condition. Horses were the engines of the transportation system of the era, though steam locomotives appeared before the Civil War and played a significant role in that conflict. But even a train engine has significant maintenance considerations.  By the time of WWI, the combustion engine had made its appearance and cars, trucks and aircraft had joined the logistical battlefield. Tanks also made their first appearance during the First World War. These, too, required dedicated attention to keep them operating properly. By WWII , the combustion engine was the overwhelming workhorse of the American military. While soldiers were often called upon to march into battle, there were tim...

It’s comforting to know that, no matter how cold it is outside this McHenry winter, when you run out to your vehicle, your car, truck or SUV will start. When you have that kind of comfort, you don’t even think about it. It’s subliminal. But if you don’t have that confidence … If there is a weakness in your car, truck or SUV charging and starting system, a McHenry winter is likely to find it. There are a number of issues that could give your vehicle trouble starting when the temperature drops. The charging system: The charging system recharges the battery and operates the electrical systems while your car, truck or SUV is running. If it doesn’t provide enough electricity, such as with an alternator that isn’t up to speed, the battery will slowly lose its charge while the charging system will fall short of providing the energy required to keep the vehicle running. Either the vehicle won’t start one day or you’ll find yourself stranded on the road somewhere. The battery: The battery is a...