Performance Unlimited Blog

Visibility while driving is critical to safely arriving at your destination, and all the more so when winter comes to Wonder Lake . This driver has failed the test of  ensuring he can see where he's going. If someone suggested that you get in your car and pull out of your Wonder Lake driveway to go for a ride with your eyes closed, what would you say to them? The logical response is that their idea is nuts. You’d be lucky to go 30 feet without running into something. The point of this rather absurd question is to point out how important visibility is while you drive. And nothing will challenge your visibility more than the coming Wonder Lake winter . Winter can interfere with your ability to see sufficiently while driving for several reasons. Winter drops things on your windows and windshield – things called snow , sleet and freezing rain Cold temperatures can cause frost to form on your windows and windshield Tires on other vehicles can kick up a mix of moisture and roadsalt th...

Winter is coming. Time to start thinking  about winterizing your car , truck or SUV. Think of it as mechanical insurance . It’s a frigid night in January. The wind is cutting like a knife. All you want to do is run out to your SUV, jump in, start the SUV and, as you start to get some heat in there, drive home. But, when you try to start the car … NOTHING! Or, maybe your car will start but your wipers are leaving big streaks and, apparently, you windshield fluid is frozen. You’re driving but your struggling to see where you’re going. Then again, your pickup truck may start but you’re not getting any heat out of the vents. Not only are your shaking from the cold, but the windshield keeps fogging up and, once again, you can’t see where you’re going. Your antifreeze may have frozen . Your tires may not provide the traction you need on ice and/or snow-covered roads. Your brakes aren’t up to the task and the slippery conditions make it dangerous when you want to stop. You may also find y...

This tire should have been checked a while ago. Now, it needs to be replaced. McHenry drivers should pay attention to worn tires, adjust air pressure properly and have their wheels aligned. As they pulled out of the McHenry driveway and headed for Route 31 , Dan tilted his head a little as though he were pondering a particular point. Julie asked him, “What are you thinking about?” “Shhhh,” Dan said. “What …? I just wanted to …” “Don’t you hear that?” Dan asked. “Hear what?” Julie asked. “I don’t hear anything,” Julie said. But then the traffic on 31 made room and Dan picked up speed. “Oh my, what is that?” Julie asked sounding alarmed. What they heard was a roar from the back of the car that got louder and louder as they picked up speed. “We must be dragging something,” Julie said in alarm. “No. That sounds more like a bearing ,” said Dan.  He pulled over, got out and looked around but couldn’t see anything. “Well, whatever it is, we need to get the car in and have it looked at,” s...

When you pull out of your Ringwood driveway , you want to know that your car, truck or SUV will take you reliably down the road. One maintenance procedure many forget is to have the transmission serviced . If your car, truck or SUV didn’t have a transmission, every time you pulled out of your Ringwood driveway, the car would struggle to get you going. A transmission provides the engine with a series of gears to turn while you drive. Yes, it helps you to go in reverse when you want to backup. You can put it in park so it shouldn’t roll out of your Ringwood driveway when you shut the car off. And you can put it in neutral so the wheels aren’t engaged while the engine is running. But the hard work the transmission performs is when you driving forward. The gears are progressively larger. It’s easier for the engine to move the car when it engages a small gear to get you going. But that small gear won’t spin the wheels on the pavement fast enough for you to keep up on a highway. And, while ...