Performance Unlimited Blog

Have you adjusted your driving to meet the realities of high gasoline prices here in Wonder Lake? If so, you have plenty of company. Many people simply aren’t driving as much because of the are paying more at the pump. There isn’t much you can do about the cost of gasoline, or diesel fuel in Wonder Lake if your vehicle happens to run on that. Fortunately, however, cars, trucks and SUVs these days are designed to get better gas mileage than in years gone by. Still, that only helps so much. If the price at the pump is taking to big of a bite out of your wallet these days, one other thing you can do is to ensure that your vehicle is getting the most miles possible out of every gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel. What can you do to improve your fuel mileage? Here are several ideas. They won’t, necessarily, allow you to drive the way you used to, but they can help: Maintain proper tire inflation. This is probably the first place to get to ensure your maximizing your vehicle’s mileage. Check ...

A friend used to say “Brakes are overrated.” Of course, as an aircraft mechanic for the Marines, he also used to say of aircraft that “wings are overrated.” He meant nothing of the kind. In fact, he was joking because, in truth, whether talking about brakes or wings, he was talking about something that is absolutely essential to the vehicle. Since most of us here in McHenry don’t fly Harrier Jump Jets, the reference here is to automobiles and brakes. In the middle of the summer, you want your brakes to work and work well. You hope you don’t need them in an emergency situation but, if you do, you want to know they’ll do their job as expected and help to keep you out of trouble. Imagine you’re driving down the street on a sunny afternoon in July. You’re approaching an intersection while listening to some of your favorite tunes on the radio. You’re thinking about your plans for the weekend, maybe. Or something you plan to do with your spouse or friends. You don’t expect a problem. Unfortu...

Winter in McHenry is rough on a car. Between the ice, snow, sleet and freezing rain, mixed with road salt, a car’s finish is under attack from the elements. In the summer, it’s the sun. In the winter, the sun can still cast its UV rays your car’s way but you’ve also got those other elements listed above. The solution is to find a carwash in McHenry or the surrounding area where you can do something about the elements. And remember, the ice, snow, sleet and freezing rain, mixed with road salt, also attack your car’s undercarriage, suspension and steering components. A proper carwash will also clean the bottom of your car. In some cases, you have to choose this as an additional option but more on that below. Now that we’ve agreed that you should take your car to the carwash with some regularity in the winter, it’s time to consider the types of carwashes so you can make an informed decision about which type you want to use for your car. You’ll find carwashes at gas stations. You’ll also f...

The sun rises in Wonder Lake today at 7:22 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10, and it sets at 4:39 p.m. That’s not the shortest day of the year but it’s only 9 hours and 17 minutes of daylight. Consider that the longest day of the year, June 21, the sun will rise at 5:16 a.m. (adjusted by an hour when we jumped the clocks forward one hour on March 12) and will set at 8:33 p.m. That represents a 15-hour and 17-minute day.  The difference is six hours – six hours of additional sunlight in June and six hours less than that now. Translated to fit the concerns of Wonder Lake drivers, that means that you’re far more likely to spend more time driving in the dark. Those lights on your vehicle are critical. You have lights designed to help you see – the headlights and, when you backup, the backup lights. You have lights designed to help others see you – the running lights. And, you have lights designed to help you communicate your intentions to pedestrians and other drivers. Headlights: You want those ...