Performance Unlimited Blog

Lillie is always busy around her McHenry home. She weeds and plants out in the garden. She cuts the lawn and edges along the driveway and sidewalks. She regrouted her bathtub recently and, on the same day, replaced the air filter in her furnace. She had the gutters cleaned in the Fall and plans to power wash the house in the Spring. But is she as attentive to her car, such as changing the oil on schedule? Lillie’s McHenry house requires regular maintenance, or it will fall into disrepair. Disrepair means that it requires repair and repair is usually far more costly than timely maintenance. The same is true with a car. Perform timely maintenance on your car or it, too, will fall into disrepair. And, just as with your home, it costs a lot more to fix parts than to maintain them so they don’t require repair as often. Automotive maintenance includes inspecting parts to ensure that they are still in good condition. For instance, you want to inspect your brakes, suspension and steering syste...

filter Noun fil·ter ˈfil-tər  1a: a porous article or mass (as of paper or sand) through which a gas or liquid is passed to separate out matter in suspension b: an apparatus containing a filter medium Merriam-Webster Dictionary Oil Filter: Most of us know that there is an oil filter in our cars. It cleans particles out of the oil so the oil can do its job of lubricating moving parts in the engine without those particles causing damage between the moving parts. Air Filter: Cars use a mixture of air and fuel that is compressed and ignited to run. We have air filters to keep foreign particles out of the air that enters the air-fuel mixture. Fuel Filter: Similarly, your vehicle has a fuel filter to keep particles from entering the air-fuel mixture with the fuel.  PVC Valve: The PVC valve, also known as the Positive Crankcase Ventilation filter, removes pollutants from the engine crankcase.  Breather Filter Element: This helps to eliminate and control contaminants and vapors i...

It’s Valentine’s Day in McHenry again and you and that special person in your life are going out to celebrate. You might want to clean up the car first. And why not? It’s a special occasion. They’re worth it, aren’t they? She comes out to the car wearing a pure white Calvin Klein wool blend jacket. A pink cupid hearts silk skirt swishes with each step she takes. She had her hair done special for the occasion and is dressed to the nines. Then she brushes against your car and that beautiful smile turns into a frown. She’s probably a sweet hearted lady, brushes off the residue of road salt, calcium and dirt. But, if you’ve gone out to make everything ‘just right’ for your special occasion, this is not a good start. Maybe you’re picking him up for Valentine’s dinner or driving your car as you’re already a couple. Will he slide into the passenger seat to find a mix of hamburger wrappers, cups and other detritus scattered on the passenger seat and floor. Is there something on the seat that w...

What can you do to protect it and get yourself unstuck? Spin them wheels, baby! How frustrating is it when you get stuck in the snow such as when you’re trying to get out of your McHenry driveway. You’re counting on your car, truck or SUV to get you where you’re going. Instead, you can press the accelerator all day long and you’re not going to move. This is one of the reasons that a McHenry winter is tough on car, truck and SUV transmissions. You’re spinning the wheels and suddenly the tires grab a little – not enough to get you free, but just enough to jolt the gears in your transmission.  Even when you’re out on the road driving, you can hit a patch of ice and the effect on the transmission of your car, truck or SUV is a little like yanking a rug out from under someone. Or the other way around – you’re driving on an icy road when you hit a dry patch. The change in traction is sudden.  If you are stuck, one of the ways to get free, hopefully with some big, strong helpers push...