Haven’t winterized your car, truck or SUV yet? Here comes some serious incentive, if we believe the weather reports. A blizzard is bearing down on the Midwest with accumulations to 18 inches in some states. Now, most weather reports suggest that, here in the McHenry County area, the storm will either stay mostly to the North or will have blown itself out before it gets here. That’s good news, especially

Every year, about this time, this blog focusses on the importance of winterizing your car. Winterizing your car is so important for folks here in McHenry County we’ll almost certainly hit the topic again before the snow flies and temperatures really drop – unless, of course, Old Man Winter throws an early curve ball or two. Winterizing your car is what you might call automotive-reliability insurance.

It’s beginning to feel as though this winter is here to stay forever? The cold just keeps on coming, wave after wave of arctic blasts that make the simplest outdoor tasks monumentally challenging: snow that follows the waves of cold and keeps folks almost perpetually with shovel in hand or lining up behind their snow blowers. As bad as this winter has been so far, and though there’s no guarantee

There are aspects of winter that can be fun – snowmobiling, skiing, skating, snowball fights, building snowmen. Other aspects are less so.  So far, this is a tough winter in Northern Illinois.  Temperatures have dropped lower than is customary. Though the area hasn’t experienced one big blizzard yet, the accumulation of snow is still significant. And winter is still less than halfway

Days, such as today, are the kinds of days enjoyed by polar bears and penguins. They don’t seem to mind when the thermometer suddenly dips into the nether regions of zero. For the rest of us here in Northern Illinois, this is the kind of day where simply staying inside is not a bad idea at all. It’s not merely a matter of comfort, either. Temperatures this low are down-right dangerous. McHenry

You see that car sitting on the side of the road on a cold winter night. There’s a good chance, whatever caused that car to pull over it wasn’t something the driver planned for. No one plans for their car to breakdown, especially not in the middle of winter. But, if it happens, the trick is to have a plan. If you have a plan for such an occasion, you’ll know what to do. You’ll be prepared.

Winter can reach bitterly cold temperatures here in McHenry County. With wind chills, winter carries potentially fatal consequences across the barren landscape. Traveling on such days is a challenge – a challenge to safe and warm even in your car. But, when you turn on the heat in your car the heated air pours out of the vents and warms you to the bone, right? It all depends on whether your car’s

In the summer, it’s not a big deal if fueling the car is an afterthought, as long as you don’t run out of gas. Here in Northern Illinois, however, it’s not such a good idea to let the gas tank run low in the winter time. Gasoline won’t freeze until it hits 97-degrees below zero. However, that big cavity above the gasoline in a near-empty tank is an invitation to humidity laden air. Water freezes

What kind of winter will we have here in Northern Illinois and McHenry County? Some are predicting a harsh winter this year – bitter cold and lots of snow. Hopefully, they’re wrong. But, what if they’re right? Are you prepared? Is your vehicle prepared? Preparation starts with having the right clothes and making arrangements for snow removal – either a good shovel and strong back, a snow blower

It’s comforting to know your car is ready for winter, assuming it is. Sure, we have a little while yet before we have to seriously worry about sub-zero temperatures and falling snow. But, if your car isn’t ready to start when that time comes, on a frigid day only a few months away, you don’t have to stand in a walk-in freezer wearing shorts and an Hawaiian shirt to know it will be cold. When