Performance Unlimited Blog

Yes, it’s still September in McHenry. But it’s the end of September. On average, the first accumulation of snow for the season comes Nov. 18. That’s only about a month-and-a-half off. In 2006, the first accumulated snow came on Oct. 12. THAT’S ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY! Whether winter comes sooner or later, you want to be prepared. You wouldn’t want to find yourself out for a walk in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt or blouse when the temperature suddenly drops to the teens. Well, you wouldn’t want to discover that your car’s antifreeze can’t handle a sudden drop in temperature, either. How cold will it get this winter in McHenry? Who knows. What can you do about it? You could winterize your car now. You’re going to want to prepare your car for winter anyway. Why wait to the last minute, especially when you don’t know when the last minute will drop. Besides, the closer we get to winter, the more those who are late preparing their vehicles for the season ahead will rush in to have their cars ...

There was a time when people in Wonder Lake left the doors of their homes unlocked. They knew their neighbors and knew they wouldn’t come into their homes unless invited. They also knew that their neighbors would notice if someone suspicious was near their home and that the neighbors would confront them, ask them what they were doing, or call the Sheriff to come check things out. Folks around Wonder Lake used to leave their car, truck or SUV doors unlocked, too. Whether it’s your house or your vehicle, it’s no longer a good idea to leave the doors unlocked. For one thing, we don’t seem to know our neighbors as well as we used to. For another thing, respect for others’ property seems to be on the decline. Leaving your house unlocked makes it easy pickings for someone with nefarious intent to come on in and help themselves. The same is true with your car, truck or SUV. While someone could steal from your home or vandalize, with your vehicle, they could drive away with the entire vehicle....

 Or you might bring the car in to have it looked at You’re driving down 120 in McHenry and you suddenly notice a knocking or scraping sound you never heard before. What do you do? Well, you could turn up the stereo louder until you can’t hear the sound. But that won’t fix a problem that will probably only get worse. Some drivers in McHenry have powerful stereos in their cars. When they turn it up, the vehicle may actually bounce in the road to the beat. A stereo like that can blot out almost any sound from a mechanical issue their car can produce. But your car stereo doesn’t have to have super-duper sub-woofers to blot out most sounds produced by your car, not to mention the errant ambulance that may come by. As a means of dealing with mechanical problems, a louder stereo is seldom the optimal solution. In most cases, the best it will do is to allow you to ignore the problem a little longer. Let’s say, however, that your car starts making a thumping noise. You may even feel a jerk ...

The last day to swim at the Merkel Aquatic Center Pool is Monday, Labor Day.  McHenry is a great place to live and, particularly, to enjoy summer. But summer doesn’t last forever and Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is one of the signs that the seasons are about to change. And as summer ends, the little ones, and not so little ones, are back to school. In fact, most of them are back to school already. As a parent, you know all about this. Your schedule is probably already packed to the breaking point. And it’s only going to get worse.  The point is that Labor Day offers a 3-day weekend and a last chance to kick up your heels and have a final big splash of the McHenry summer of 2023. Don’t let it pass without making the most of it. Get out and do something. If you want to stay local, Labor Day is the last day of the year to jump in the water at the Merkel Aquatic Center. Or you can have a picnic in Knox Park, Petersen Park or one of the other outdoor recreational facili...