Performance Unlimited Blog

As we shake off another winter, it's time to think about that post-winter checkup . The last days of March are approaching here in Richmond and that is reason to cheer and maybe do a happy dance. After all, this means the winter of 2025-26 is on its way out, into the history books and reaching the end of its ability to clobber us with snow and shiver our bones. Of course, this Richmond winter may throw us a curve or two – a late snowstorm or freeze. But whatever it has left in it will not last long. We know that. We’re generally better able to survive those surprises with smiles knowing that warmer sunny days are just around the corner. As winter fades, this is also a good time to check out your car, truck or SUV to see how well it survived winter. Here are nine points to consider when examining your vehicle to see what condition it’s in now that winter is passing. 9-Point Post-Winter Automotive Checkup Tires : how is the tread? Do they have any cuts or gouges? Do they need to be ...

Squeak! Squeak! Grind! Grind! Are your brakes trying to tell you something. Hearing some noises, you may want to have your brakes checked. Those are likely the sounds of brakes on your car, truck or SUV as you roll down the road leaving your McHenry driveway . It’s an important message your brakes are trying to communicate to you. Your brakes are trying to tell you that they may have a problem. Your brake pads may be getting dangerously thin. Even your rotors or drums may be showing signs of scoring where grooves that shouldn’t be there are cut into the metal. Brakes are remarkably resilient. You can drive on your brakes for a long, long time before they require attention. For instance, brake pads can generally last up to 70,000 miles . Considering that the average American driver drives 13,662 miles per year (about 37 miles per day), you may be able to drive for more than five years before you need to have your brake lines replaced.  Of course, how you drive is another factor. ...

Aye, laddies and lassies, that emerald day of craic (fun and enjoyment) tis near upon us here in McCullom Lake . Tis a time for frivolity and a tipping back a few cans of the black stuff ( Guinness ). While we wish you a grand Paddy’s Day, don’t count on the luck of the Irish alone to keep you from getting booted into priosún (jail) for driving while ar meisce (drunk). Such an event could cost you considerable airgead (money). But, otherwise, this tis the day to erin go bragh (show your allegiance to Ireland). Well, that’s probably enough of a hackneyed attempt at using the lingo of the Irish. While apologizing for anything that we’ve got wrong, we are very sincere about wishing you the happiest and safest possible St. Patrick’s Day . If you do intend to imbibe with significant gusto, you may want to arrange for someone else to do the driving. Having done so, you’re free to drink some Guiness, or some green beer to what, we hope, is a physically safe proportion. Of course, this is...

Hasn't your car, truck or SUV earned an oil change after all the heavy duty work it's done this Johnsburg winter? “Aaaaahhhhh!” Stop and take a big sigh of relief. No matter what the weather outside, no matter how long this Johnsburg winter will last, we know one thing for certain; we are on the downside of the winter of 2025-26. Worst case scenario, we’ll have another month of winter weather. But it’s going to come to an end. Spring is ready to spring even if it hasn’t quite sprung yet – even if winter has a surprise or two in store for us. And, so, you deserve to take a sigh of relief. You’ve earned it. You deserve some spring and then some summer. While you consider the well-deserved relief from the depths of winter, you might consider what your car, truck or SUV has earned. Your vehicle has fought its way through all the cold, ice, freezing rain and snow. On those cold, cold Johnsburg mornings or nights when you started the car, truck or SUV after it sat and got cold, yo...