The Performance Unlimited auto repair technicians at 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, have built a strong reputation for more than quality repair services; they’re also known as mechanics who care for the welfare of their clients.

“We know that, when someone’s car breaks down, at the minimum, it’s an inconvenience,” said owner Denny Norton. “In some cases, it’s a significant problem. In this economy, when someone’s car has a major problem, it can have a catastrophic effect on their budget.”

Norton said they do everything they can to soften the blow in such situations. However, he said the best thing they can do is to help people keep up on maintaining their cars.

“When money is tight, people look for ways to save,” Norton said. “Sometimes, they save by cutting back on auto maintenance expenses. That’s not always a good idea.”

Norton said maintenance expenses are generally a fraction of major auto repair expenses. The prior costs often eliminate the need for the latter saving more money in the long run.

In fact, since more people are trying to drive more miles with their existing vehicles, rather than buying new cars, maintenance is more important than ever.

“There’s no way around it,” Norton said. “If you drive your car you’re going to have normal wear and tear on the vehicle. In some cases, the wear and tear is abnormal.”

Norton described ‘abnormal’ wear and tear as those things you can’t necessarily plan for, such as hitting an extremely deep pothole and damaging your suspension, steering and/or alignment.

On the other hand, normal wear and tear simply happens and maintenance is quite predictable. After a certain number of miles, depending on individual driving habits, brake pads wear out, shocks lose their bounce and sparkplugs fail to sufficiently spark.

In terms of maintenance, nothing is more crucial than timely oil changes. When a car’s oil is changed on schedule it extends the life of the engine.

“We know people are trying to save money,” Norton said. “Our goal is to help people keep that transportation column in their budgets as small as possible.”

To schedule maintenance or repairs at Performance Unlimited for your vehicle, call 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.

Apparently, April is National Car Care Month (incidentally, October is Fall Car Care Month). Online offers pertaining to this celebration include a suggestion that this is a perfect time to purchase a rebuilt engine. Here at Performance Unlimited, Ringwood, we sincerely hope you don’t need one of those. In fact, if you’ve done a good job keeping after your car, you almost assuredly don’t.

Other online auto parts establishments are offering everything from products to clean your car to seat covers, trailer hitches, lights struts and brakes. If you’re in need of these items now, or will be in the near future, you may very well want to take advantage of these offerings. But, even if you don’t, National Car Care Month is a good time to reflect on your vehicle’s condition.

National Car Care Month and Fall Car Care Month are set at specific times of year for particular reasons. In the case of the latter, it’s so that people will make sure their cars are ready to take them safely through the winter. In the case of the prior, the goal is to get cars back into shape after grueling winter driving experiences.

Yes, this past winter wasn’t as grueling as some in recent history. Still, the cold weather took a steeper toll on vehicles than most warm weather months. One of our goals is to ensure that our customers, people we like to call friends, have a safe and enjoyable driving experience. To that end, we do all we can to keep their vehicles in tip-top shape.

Whether you look at National Car Care Month as a marketing tool, which, to some degree, it is, or whether you look at it as a community service effort, the idea has merit if you take it to heart and consider the needs of your vehicle at your convenience.

Bringing your car in at your convenience is the alternative is to finding yourself sitting on the side of the road somewhere. Or, it’s the difference between taking care of a problem when it’s relatively small and less expensive and waiting for it to grow into something more significant and costly.

So, if you want to bring your car in, we’d be happy to hear from you. Even if you don’t, please, take a moment to consider your car’s needs before they interfere with yours.

For more information about Performance Unlimited, call 815-728-0343 or visit www.4performanceunlimited.com.

A recent article on Yahoo.com suggested drivers can save as much as $2 per gallon on gasoline if they follow a few tips offered in the article. That offers wonderful news here in the Chicago area where people are now paying more than $4 per gallon. Unfortunately, the article was probably a bit too rosy. However, that isn’t to say that there aren’t ways to save on gasoline.

According to the Yahoo article, tips include removing junk from the trunk of your car. The article states that every “100 pounds of added weight in a car reduces its fuel economy by up to 2% (working out to) an extra four to seven cents per gallon.”

Here at Performance Unlimited, we’ll occasionally perform repairs or maintenance on a vehicle with a trunk full of odds and ends. But, even the most crammed trunk seldom has even 100 pounds of “junk” in it. Removing unneeded items from the trunk isn’t a bad idea but it may not save as much on mileage as the writer of the Yahoo article suggested.

The article also suggests using credit cards that offer gas rewards on purchases. This is also a reasonable idea but it’s a tradeoff between one set or rewards and another. Most of us are already banking rewards on our purchases.

Another tip is to drive responsibly. Here, the writer refers to U.S. Department of Energy estimates: “each 5 mph one drives over 60 mph adds $0.30 per gallon to the gas bill. Aggressive stops and starts waste another 33% at highway speeds and about 5% at slower, local speed limits.”

Not to take a position opposed to the Department of Energy but, if you can save the $1.27 per gallon suggested in the article by changing your driving habits you can probably save a lot more money in the traffic tickets you’ll avoid. In fact, if you can save that much you’re probably driving without a license already.

Still, jack-rabbit starts and heavy acceleration will adversely affect your mileage. You will save if you go a little easier on the gas pedal.

Maintaining the air pressure in your tires will also help, but I wouldn’t count on saving 12 cents per gallon. If you’re driving on tires that are virtually flat, maybe you’ll save that much. Most of us, however, may save a few cents a gallon by keeping our tires fully inflated to manufacturer’s specifications.

If you live near a grocery chain that is offering discounts on gasoline based on grocery purchases, that may well save you some money on gasoline. However, most grocery chains will fall somewhere below the $2.20 the writer mentions. However, if there is a “Giant” grocery store in the area offering that kind of savings, we’re all for it.

Most grocery stores offering discounts based on purchases have caps on how much you can save and time limits to use the discounts.

Finally, the story suggests planning your routes better. Other than where you can choose between a route through city driving and highway driving, this won’t have a lot to do with your mileage. However, planning trips using the shortest practical route does make sense and can save you money you would otherwise burn up in the engine.

The one tip the article doesn’t mention, which is probably the most important, is to make sure your vehicle is running optimally. A poorly tuned car will burn a lot more extra gasoline than a car with under-inflated tires.

When’s the last time you changed the oil, air filter, had a tune up? These are all good questions to ask when thinking about improved performance, whether that performance translates to better mileage or more power at the pedal.

Ways to save $2 per gallon makes for a great headline. These days, however, saving anything on gas mileage is welcome news to most of us.

You’re driving down the road listening to the radio and thinking about what you need to buy at the store when, suddenly, you hear a thump, thump, thump sound and the steering wheel starts jerking in your hands. For a split second, you think to yourself, “What the heck is that?” Then it dawns on you, “For crying out loud, I have a flat tire.”

Of course, this scenario assumes you haven’t had a complete blowout and aren’t fighting to maintain control of the vehicle. In either case, you need to grab the wheel firmly and, first of all, ensure that you have control of the car. At the same time, assuming it’s safe to do so, you’ll want to let off the gas. Don’t slam on the brakes unless, once again, you absolutely have to. But take control of the car while remaining calm.

At the first reasonable opportunity, you want to start pulling off of the road into a safe and level area. It’s possible you’ve had your flat where there is nowhere to pull over. In that, case, you’ll have to thumpety thump your way along at a low rate of speed until you come to a spot where you can pull out of traffic. If you go too fast or too far, a tire that is flat and repairable can become a tire that is shredded and replaceable.

Once you’re off the road a good distance, you’ll want to replace the flat tire with your spare tire. You have checked the spare recently to make sure it’s holding air, right? That’s a good thing to do before you actually need it. It’s a major inconvenience when your tire is flat and you don’t have a spare to replace it. However, more important than convenience is safety.

There are two major concerns in terms of safely replacing a flat tire with the spare on the side of the road. The safest way to deal with something like that is to call your motor vehicle club and have a professional come out. One major safety concern still applies in this case, though; even if you’re pulled off the road there is a risk that someone could hit your car from behind.

Before you get out of the car, put the flashers on to let people know you’re pulled over. This is particularly crucial at night and/or during bad weather. However, it’s still important on a sunny day. You’ll also want to set the emergency brake.

Now, checking that it’s safe before exiting the car on the passenger side away from the road, you need to pop the trunk or otherwise access the spare, the jack and the lug wrench.  You need to apply additional caution if the flat tire is on the driver’s side of the car as you may be working close to the road as other cars go by. This is an excellent time for a police officer to stop by and put his lights on behind you.

Inside the trunk lid you’ll most likely find directions for using the jack. This is crucial. You don’t want the car to fall off the jack, particularly while you have the wheel off. Cars generally weigh around two tons and are very dangerous if they fall on you.

A car can roll back off of the jack. You should have a block of wood or something to jam behind a good tire opposite from the end of the car you’re lifting. If not, look for a large rock or something else that you can jam behind the tire.

Before you raise the car so the tire is off the ground, you’ll want to break the lug nuts loose. Don’t take them all the way off yet but loosen them enough that, when the tire is free from the ground it won’t spin when you try to loosen the lugs.

When you’re ready to jack the car up, be sure to raise it high enough for the spare. Even if your spare is a smaller tire or what is commonly called a donut, it may be wider than a flat tire.

Once you have the car in the air, remove the lug nuts completely, putting them in a place where you won’t lose them and they can’t become fouled with dirt or mud. A coat pocket works well if you don’t mind traces of rust the lugs may leave behind.

Once you’ve removed the lugs, remove the flat tire, set it aside and immediately put the spare tire onto the car fitting the bolts through the holes in the wheel. Then spin the lugs on just snuggly while the car is still in the air. At this point you’ll want to lower the car carefully until the spare tire has solid contact with the ground.

Now It’s time to tighten the lug nuts. Don’t tighten them one after the other in a circle. Rather, tighten in a crossing pattern. Most cars have four, five or six lug nuts holding the wheel in place.  Also, don’t tighten the first lug as far as you can. Instead, work all the lugs in a bit moving from one to another until they are good and tight.

Now, you can lower the car and put the flat, jack and lug wrench back in the trunk.

If your spare is a smaller donut, keep in mind this is a tire that is not rated for the speeds of the other tires on your car or for driving the same distances. Consider the 50 rule – you shouldn’t drive over 50 mph and you should replace the spare with an actual tire within 50 miles. Actually, those are the outer limits of safety. Your best bet is to drive well below 50 and change the spare as soon as possible.

For help or additional information, visit Performance Unlimited’s Web site at www.4performanceunlimited.comor call 815-728-0343.

To properly maintain your vehicle, it helps to arm yourself with some basic knowledge about your car’s proper operation and maintenance so that you’ll recognize a potential problem. You’ll also want to employ your senses to gather clues about the problem so you can pass them on to your mechanic.

Seeing a puddle under the engine is a pretty good indicator that something is leaking. Feeling a shimmy in the steering wheel suggests a problem with the steering and/or suspension. A knocking sound when you accelerate will help to identify a possible problem with your engine. Even your sense of smell can help, particularly if you have an idea what different odors mean.

The Federal Trade Commission, in an online article titled, “Taking the Scare Out of Auto Repair,” offers the following information under the heading, “Smells Like Trouble:”

As with any potential problem you see, hear, feel or smell, these are clues that you may want to bring your vehicle in to a trusted auto-repair shop. Keep in mind, many problems start with a little drip, tap, vibration or odor and then develop into something more – something that could take a big bite out of your wallet, leave you stranded on the side of the road somewhere or, even worse, put you and your family in harm’s way.

Has your car recently developed an unusual odor or have another symptom that has you concerned?  Bringing your car in to your trusted auto repair technician will help you get to the bottom of the problem. In the McHenry County area, call Performance Unlimited at (815) 728-0343.

If the hyperlinks in the text above are not working in your version of this document, you can cut and past the following URLs:

No one would go to a doctor they didn’t trust when their health was on the line, just as they wouldn’t knowingly take their financial portfolio to a financial advisor with a felony background for embezzlement.  The same logic holds true when bringing their car to an auto-repair shop.

A less than reputable auto-repair shop can leave you with costly and unnecessary auto-repair expenses. Trusting the wrong sort with your car can also leave you stranded on the side of the road somewhere when an improperly installed or defective part breaks down.

At Performance Unlimited, our recommendation is that you shop around. Ask others you know where they go for service and how they’ve been treated. Did their repair shop fix the problem and at the promised price? Once you’ve identified a shop with a good reputation, ask if they have proper certification, such as an Automotive Service Excellence seal. Are their certifications current?

Finally, ask them if they’re familiar working with your type of vehicle. Some shops only work on European or Japanese automobiles. If that’s the case, and that’s your type of vehicle, you may have a fit. But, keep in mind, specialization only has value where it’s matched by a positive reputation.

At Performance Unlimited, we’ve made a commitment to keep our auto-repair technicians up to date on training and knowledge of the latest vehicles on the road. They regularly attend classes on current changes in automotive technology, repair and diagnosis. This is a philosophy you’ll want to see in your auto-repair shop, too.

We think you’ll find these recommendations sound. However, if you’d appreciate another and impartial voice of reason you can check out what the Federal Trade Commission has to say about the matter. The FTC has published an online page titled “Taking the Scare Out of Auto Repair.” This is an excellent source of information about choosing an auto-repair shop and technician. It also provides excellent information about “unlocking the mystery” behind auto repair charges, preventative maintenance, “Protecting Your Auto Repair Investment” and more.

Reading this document will let you know if you’re on the right track in terms of auto repair and maintenance or, if need be, will help you to get on the right track. We’re confident you’ll find that Performance Unlimited matches up well with the FTC’s recommendations. However, wherever you take your car, SUV or truck, we wish you a safe and happy driving experience.

If the hyperlinks in the text above are not working in your version of this document, you can cut and past the following URLs (in the order that they appear above):

To contact Performance Unlimited by phone, call (815) 728-0343.

Proper maintenance of your vehicle is important. It will help to increase the life of your car while decreasing the likelihood that you’ll find yourself sitting on the side of the road when something went wrong. There was a time when a periodic injector flush was part of that maintenance process. Now days, not so much.

In fact, frequent injector flushes as part of regularly scheduled maintenance are probably not a good idea. Furthermore, they’re costly. As long as they’re operating correctly there is no need to flush them.

If you start experiencing mechanical problems, it’s possible the fuel injectors could be the culprit but don’t jump to that conclusion. This is where a qualified mechanic is a great asset. Your mechanic will track down the problem. And, if it turns out you have a problem with your injectors, your mechanic will uncover the evidence and present you with the best possible solution.

On occasion, a problem with fuel injectors can be remedied with cleaning. In some cases, however, replacement is required. A qualified mechanic should be able to determine which is the case for your vehicle.

Some cars come with port fuel injectors where an injector adds fuel to each cylinder. Others have TBI, or throttle body injectors. In the latter case, one or two injectors are responsible for mixing fuel with air for all the cylinders. Even if your vehicle has port fuel injectors, a problem may be isolated to one injector.

Another word of caution: check with your mechanic before using a fuel injector cleaning fluid you might purchase at an auto parts store or department store. Many of these will do a fine job of cleaning the varnish and sediment out of your fuel tank and fuel lines. Then, the cleaner will deposit the mix in your injectors. At that point, you may need your mechanic to remove the injectors and perform a proper cleaning.

For more information about fuel injectors and maintaining your vehicle, check with Performance Unlimited, 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood.

It’s shocking to imagine a drive in your car without a suspension system. Every bump and crack in the road would transfer from the chassis and up the passenger’s spines. But, more than a matter of comfort, properly functioning shock absorbers save wear and tear on your vehicle while making the driving experience safer.

Have you ever hit a really bad pothole and felt the steering wheel jerk in your hands? Imagine trying to hang onto that wheel, and control the car, if there was no suspension to absorb the shock. On the other hand, as shock absorbers wear, they generally cause the opposite problem. The suspension becomes increasingly sloppy and the steering is affected in the process.

Still, comfort is the number one reason people change their shocks or struts, depending on which your vehicle is equipped with. Shocks and struts don’t need changing based on a maintenance schedule. Rather, their life expectancy is related to the kind of driving you do.

“With most cars, the shocks and struts will last quite a while,” said Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited at 5415 Austin Court. “The best bet is to have them checked out from time to time. Of course, if you feel the suspension getting a bit squishy, you may want to have them looked at. Otherwise, you can ask your mechanic to take a look when you have your oil changed.”

Badly worn shocks also affect the way your tires wear and can cause additional wear to your steering and other suspension parts. In other words, if the shocks are no longer doing their job the way they used to, it’s time to change them before you find yourself changing other expensive steering and suspension parts, as well.

One quick test you can give the car yourself is to press and hold a corner of the car down. When you release it, the car will jump up again and bounce a couple of times. If the bouncing continues more than that there’s a good chance you’re in need of new shocks or struts.

For more information about Performance Unlimited, visit www.4performanceunliimited.comor call 815-728-0343.

“It doesn’t look that bad, it wasn’t the guy’s fault but it’s $3,600,” said Tony Licocci, with McHenry MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Painting, as he looked over a vehicle that recently came into his shop for season repairs.

In the auto body industry, seasonal repairs represent those that are caused by weather conditions. In this case, the $3,600 bill is the result of icy conditions the car owner was driving through while trying to get home.

“It just happens that fast,” Licocci said.

Winter, particularly in the Northern regions, presents several potential obstacles to safe driving. First among these are icy roads. Licocci said the best thing to do is to slowdown. He added that 4-wheel drive doesn’t help a bit on ice.

“And you have to watch out for the guy in front of you who is fishtailing,” Licocci said. “Next thing you know, he’s going to wipe out. If you’re on ice and can’t stop, you’re going to hit him.

Licocci said that, when the backend of your vehicle slides out you need to counter steer. This doesn’t happen as often today as it once did as so many cars have front-wheel drive today. However, when it does happen it often happens when braking.

Another difference between driving today and years ago is that newer cars usually come equipped with anti-lock brakes today. Anti-lock brakes pulse automatically when you hit the brakes hard. With older cars, drivers needed to pump the brakes when the car began sliding on ice. That’s not helpful with newer cars that have anti-lock brakes.

Another winter driving hazard is caused by snowy roads. Licocci said drivers should try to stay out of deep drifts where they can become stuck or, worse yet, lose control.

“Try not to change lanes too often,” he said. “Follow in the ruts other cars have created.”

If someone does become stuck, he recommends trying to rock the car free with the accelerator or by shifting from drive to reverse. A word of caution here is that too much rocking can have an adverse affect on the transmission. Denny Norton, with Performance Unlimited, can attest to that fact based on the number of transmissions he’s replaced over the years.

Another and potentially more dangerous winter driving condition is called black ice – ice that is not visible on the road but can still throw your vehicle out of control.

“The thing with black ice is, usually, you don’t know it’s there until you’re on it,” Licocci said. “That’s the worst kind (of winter driving condition) because it surprises you.”

When you find yourself on black ice, don’t panic. Slow down, but don’t jam on the brakes. Licocci even suggested that you might want to stop for a cup of coffee somewhere until you can get behind a salt truck.

Whatever the particular winter driving hazard, staying calm and aware always goes well with slowing down and putting a little extra space between your vehicle and other cars. Of course, in the worst conditions, you might want to ask yourself just how important the trip is to begin with. Staying home is one of the surest ways to avoid ‘seasonal repairs.”

Keeping your windshield clear is vital in the winter. It’s bad enough that your tires may lose a firm grip on the road; your ability to anticipate such occasions, and react appropriately, is largely dependent on your ability to see what is going on around you. However, it takes a team effort to keep that windshield clear.

In this case, the team players are your windshield wipers, your defrosters, windshield solvent, a brush and a scrapper. The brush and the scrapper are often the first into the action. You come out of the house and find the car covered in snow and/or the windshield coated with frost or ice. Maybe you’re in a hurry. Don’t let your schedule dictate the level of safety you apply to your driving experience. Clean off the snow and scrape the window.

It’s a very good idea to clear loose snow off the hood, as well, since, once you start driving, the snow on the hood will blow up into the windshield.

Good wipers are essential. Are yours in good repair? Do they leave streaks as they wipe the windshield? If the answer to these questions is no, it’s time for a replacement. Skimping on wiper blades is not the best idea considering the difference in cost and the potential difference in safety offered by different models. Some wiper blades even come with a covering to keep the snow from binding up between the blades and their holders.

In any case, remember to gently knock the ice off your wiper blades when your brushing or scraping your windows before driving.

Washer solvent is also essential. Maybe you can get by putting water in the reservoir in the summer but that will turn to a block of ice in the winter. A good dose of windshield washer solvent works wonders when salty road spray begins to accumulate on the windshield.

And what about the defrosters? If you can’t blow heat up into the windshield there’s no way to melt the ice that builds up as you drive on certain days. Warming up the car a little before you go will help generate the heat necessary to help clear ice that builds on the windshield as you drive. If your defrosters don’t work, get into your trusted auto repair shop and have them do something about it.

Don’t forget the other windows, either. Safe driving requires the ability to see in all directions. Plus, you can even receive a ticket for failing to adequately clear your windows before driving.

Oh, and there is one more member of the team – you. You’re the one with the wisdom to use all the tools at your disposal to stay safe on the highways.