The leaves are about to change into a kaleidoscope of autumn colors. Gentle breezes will bath the countryside in moderate and pleasant temperatures. But don’t kid yourself. It’s not going to last. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself transported, as though plucked from the comfort of your home and deposited on a distant planet where the landscape is so barren, windswept and frigid it barely supports life.

That’s really not an exaggeration when winter sets in for the Midwest. The season is so harsh that it annually claims the lives of infirm and those who are imprudent. The latter group can include those who don’t take the risks seriously enough and those who don’t prepare.

Just as winter’s bite can test an individual’s metal, it will also test the metal, fluids and electrical systems of your four-wheeled transportation. And if your car fails that test, it can leave you stranded at home or, worse yet, stranded on a long stretch of road somewhere without another car in sight.

The solution is to prepare for the worst. Not only will this reduce the chances that you’ll wind up stranded somewhere but it will also relieve a lot of the stress you may unwarily carry along with you as you consider going out in the cold.

Preparing your car is called winterizing. Like many auto repair shops, here at Performance Unlimited, north of McHenry off of Route 31, www.4performanceunlimited.com, we can help get your car in shape for the cold and snow ahead. However, there are things you can do yourself, some of which you should do, to ensure you have a safe and, reasonably, comfortable winter.

Over the course of the next several days, we will be posting tips you can use to prepare your vehicle for the onslaught of winter. Many of these procedures you can take yourself. If not, you should find a reputable automotive shop to help out.

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