Performance Unlimited Blog

The best auto repair techs stay current by taking ongoing training on the latest developments in the auto industry. How do auto repair technicians stay up on changes to cars? That’s a darn good question considering that changes are relatively frequent in the auto industry. Consider a recent article in FamilyHandyman magazine that listed 14 new changes coming down the pike: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Self-Driving Cars Augmented Reality Dashboards Adaptive Suspension Systems Adaptive All-Terrain Navigation Interior Cabin Radar Systems Invisible Hood View Massaging Front Seats Electric Cars for Everyone Greener Cars Over-the-Air Updates and Diagnostics Smartphone and Cloud Connectivity In-Car Personalization with Biometrics Integrated Air Purification That’s quite a list. But it generally only refers to new and improved features on cars. What about mechanical changes and recalls? The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) maintains a Website with recalls for proble...

Either way, no one wants to break down while driving America has had a long love affair with the car. But is that coming to an end? Either way, if you love your car, or just want to get from point A to point B, maintenance is key. In 1969, if you ordered a new Ford Mustang, Fairlane or Falcon from the factory, you had 24 colors to choose from. But, today, if you ordered a 2025 Ford Escape, you would have six colors to choose from and, technically, four of those ‘colors’ aren’t colors at all. They’re shades – black, white, silver and grey (Agate Black Metallic, Oxford White, Space Silver Metallic and Carbonized Gray Metallic).  Watch an old television show, and you’ll see cars of every color and shade of color. It’s as if America’s famous love affair with the car was expressed in technicolor. And that’s the question – is America’s love affair with the car over? Beyond the colors of cars, there are other indications that this may be the case. For instance, many young people today don...

Even if you have an electric vehicle in your Johnsburg driveway, maintenance is still critical. You pull out of your Johnsburg driveway and you watch the gas stations go by as you smile from behind the wheel of your EV – Electric Vehicle. Of course, at some point, you will have to stop and charge the battery but you still take some comfort that you’re not standing next to your car as the fuel pumps into your tank. One of the true comforts you take with your EV is that the mechanics of your vehicle are simplified. You don’t have to worry about the engine breaking down anymore, and we all know how costly that can be. But there’s more to your EV vehicle than you may have considered when you first parked it in your Johnsburg driveway.  Many of the parts found on gasoline-driven vehicles are also present on your EV. These require the same maintenance as your gasoline-powered vehicle. For instance, you EV still has: Tires and Wheels Brakes Steering and Suspension Windshield Wipers and So...

Who doesn't love summer time in Richmond? But this is also the time of year when sap, sun and droppings attack your car's finish. It’s a beautiful summer day in Richmond, IL, so you take the car to Richmond Carwash and give it a thorough cleaning. Or maybe you go for an entire detailing. On the other hand, you grab a bucket, sponge, brush and appropriate cleaners, drag the hose out to the driveway and wash the car yourself. Before you know it, the car is clean and shiny, almost like the day when it was new, right? But what does Murphy’s Law say about washing your car? Inevitably, if you wash your car, you can count on rain. It almost seems like, as soon as you give the car a good bath, the rain clouds start plotting and changing course to head straight for your Richmond home or wherever else you park your car. Let’s imagine that Murphy takes a pass when it comes to applying the Law of clean-car-precipitation onto your vehicle. You have the car washed but it doesn’t rain. You’ve...