Performance Unlimited Blog

Visibility is crucial when driving and a Wonder Lake winter poses a problem for winter drivers. Proper precautions are the solution. Sept. 24, 1929, famous WWII pilot Jimmy Doolittle did something incredible; he was the first man to take off in an aircraft, fly a set course and then land the aircraft only using instruments. He had no windshield to look out of. That’s an amazing accomplishment but it’s not something you want to do in your car pulling out of your Wonder Lake driveway. Of course, it’s best if you keep all four of your car’s tires on the ground – your car probably isn’t designed to fly. But even with the tires hugging terra firma, putting a black screen over the windshield while you drive is not a good idea. You want to see where you’re going. As insane as some might have considered Doolittle’s feat in 1929, driving without good vision is probably crazier. Remember, there are other cars on the road. But you don’t need a black screen across the windshield to struggle with v...

We just crossed the line into autumn but, don't kid yourself; a McHenry winter is just around the corner and there's nothing like getting the jump on the season by winterizing your car, truck or SUV. IT’S STILL SEPTEMBER!!! What do you mean, it’s time to start thinking about winterizing your car, truck or SUV here in McHenry? Actually, that’s not such a crazy idea. According to the National Gardening Association, there is a 10% chance that we’ll see our first freeze her in McHenry by September 26. And we have a 50% chance of seeing the first frost by October 8. Not to put a chill on your autumn fun, but there’s a 10% chance we’ll see a temperature of 16 degrees by November 8. These dates are just around the corner. In reality, winter is just around the corner, too. The earliest snow in the area was Oct. 12, 2006. The average first snow of the season is November 16. The first snow of last winter came on Halloween. In any case, early, average, or even late, snow is coming. Snow i...

Considering the pros and cons, how do EVs measure up to internal combustion engines? Are you considering an EV – Electric Vehicle? There are some advantages. There are some disadvantages, too. Weighing the pros and cons of EVs vs. internal combustion engines can probably start with comparing the weight of the vehicles. When it comes to weight, heavier vehicles were trending before EVs seriously hit the scene. According to the Website AXIOS, “The average weight of U.S. vehicles has already increased from 3,400 pounds to 4,300 pounds over the last 30 years as Americans have ditched passenger cars for pickups and SUVs. The same Web page also gave a comparison between a 2023 GMC Hummer EV and a 2023 GMS Sierra. According to Kelly Blue Book, the later weighs in at less than 6,000 pounds. The prior tops the scales at more than 9,000 pounds with 2,900 of those pounds taken up by the battery. That extra weight translates to more wear-and-tear on the roads. At the same time, since drivers gener...

You don't need to service the transmission as often as you should change the engine oil. But, if you want to pull out of your Wonder Lake drive with confidence, you'll want to service the transmission when it's due. You start the engine and give it the gas. The engine revs but, otherwise, nothing happens. You sit in your Wonder Lake driveway and go nowhere. Clearly, you need to do something else if you want to begin your trip. And we all know what that is. You need to put the transmission in gear When you think about your car sitting out there in your Wonder Lake garage or driveway, you probably think about the maintenance required to keep it operating properly – the engine, the suspension and steering, the tires and brakes and other components. But how many times do you think about the transmission. Fortunately, transmissions are fairly reliable components. You can drive for 100,000 miles, with some transmissions, before you have to service the transmission. The only thing...