Performance Unlimited Blog

And don’t forget to watch out for little monsters on the streets While enjoying the holiday, be sure to drive safely this Wonder Lake Halloween. Little ones don't always take proper precautions, especially when they're caught up in Halloween fun. You’ll carve some pumpkins before Halloween rolls into Wonder Lake Tuesday, Oct. 31, right? Some of you will provide additional decorations for the house. Some will go whole-vampire, ghost or ghoul with the Halloween decorations for the house. And, no doubt, you and the kiddies will dress up in costumes for the spooky event, right? What about the car? The car has significant potential to add to your scary display. You can fill clothes with straw, place it behind the steering wheel, but leave off the head and have yourself a headless driver. You can create a vehicle-sized face on the front of your car, truck or SUV, something sinister maybe. You could have a bloody hand sticking out from under the hood. How about legs and feet sticking ...

Is your car, truck or SUV up to the job? Don't just assume your car, truck or SUV will start with winter coming to Richmond; have it checked out so you know it will start. Have you ever noticed that more people have trouble starting their cars, trucks or SUVs in Richmond when winter rolls into town? The same cars, trucks or SUVs started just fine all through the summer. Autumn arrived and they still started every time the owner engaged the ignition. What is it about winter that convinces some vehicles not to start? The problem is inside the engine – the oil. The oil thickens when the temperature falls. And, as we all know, the temperature in Richmond during winter can fall precipitously.  When you turn the ignition key, or press the ‘Start’ button on your car, truck or SUV, the solenoid calls for electricity from the battery and feeds it to the starter. The starter has a small gear that engages with the teeth on the outside of the flywheel.  Turning the flywheel begins the mot...

Imagine what it would be like if you drove this winter and your car's heating system wasn't keeping you warm. In McHenry, it gets darn cold in winter. You could wind up looking like a popsicle if your heating system fails. Last week, we discussed how the defrosters will help thaw ice on your windshield as the coming McHenry winter approaches. The good news is that, if the defrosters work, there’s a good chance you’ll have heat for your own comfort in the car, too. If the defrosters provide heat blowing up into the windshield, it indicates that your vehicle is producing the heat you also want for personal comfort. If the defrosters provide heat but you can’t get the heat to blow out of the vents in the front of the dash, or onto the floor, it’s almost certain that you have a problem with controlling the vents; the heat’s there you just can’t get it to go where you want it to go. The problem described above is something to bring to a trusted auto repair shop in the McHenry area. ...

The ability to see while driving is, obviously, crucial. But, a McHenry winter provides even greater challenges to visibility. Are you ready? Imagine driving down 120 in McHenry with your eyes closed. Probably not a good idea. How ‘bout wearing dark, dark sunglasses while driving at night? Uhm … that’s not the best idea either, is it? Or, you could make a pin hole in cardboard and look through that as you drive. As with the other ideas, why would you do that? There’s really no good reason to accept substandard visibility while you drive. In other words, when you’re operating a vehicle that can drive at substantial speeds, on roads that are lined with fixed objects, and sharing it with other vehicles moving at similar speeds, the ability to see where you’re going is generally well appreciated. We’re probably all in agreement then that we shouldn’t create situations that make it harder to see. By that same standard, should we accept situations that limit our visibility while driving. The...

A crucial step in preparing your car, truck or SUV for the Johnsburg winter ahead is to have the antifreeze checked. Some folks say ‘You gotta go with the flow.’ You may agree with that philosophy. You may prefer to buck the trends and blaze your own trail. But, when it comes to a Johnsburg winter and your car, truck or SUV’s antifreeze, going with the flow is definitely the right answer. Antifreeze needs to flow. It needs to wash through the passages in your car, truck or SUV’s. Once the engine has warmed up, that antifreeze will carry away heat that could damage the engine. But, when temperatures drop during a typical Johnsburg winter, before the engine is running, and creating heat, the coolant needs to prove its stuff as antifreeze - a liquid that doesn't freeze. Not to get confused, coolant and antifreeze refer to the same fluid that is crucial to your engine. The names refer to that essential fluid's ability in your engine to cool when the engine is creating heat and to c...