How long do you plan to keep your car? Some people keep a car for a couple years. Some people get five or 10 years out of their vehicle. Others stick with their car to the bitter end – until it’s ready for a tow to the scrapyard. If you’re not in that last category, there are some ways to keep your car’s value up.Even if you’re in that final category – someone who drives a car until it

Even in the Age of COVID, teenagers are learning to drive. At McHenry Community High School, 15-year olds are entering the ‘Permit Phase’ of their driver’s education. By the time they hit 16 and 17, they’re entering the ‘Initial Licensing Phase.’ From 18 to 20, they should be ready for the ‘Full Licensing Phase.’If you are a parent of one of these newbies to the roads, this can prove

The ‘unofficial’ end of summer is almost upon us. The astrological start of summer was June 20. And, astrologically, summer ends September 21. But most of us think of summer as running from Memorial Day (May 25) to Labor Day (September 7). If we abide by what ‘most people think,’ summer ends next Monday.We generally welcome summer, and bid it adieu, with ‘ceremonial’ barbeques. That’s

You may not have noticed that the tire was going flat. The first inclination you have is that there is a thumping noise, corresponding with a jerking of the steering wheel, as you drive. You don’t want to keep driving on that flat tire. If there’s any chance of saving the tire, continuing to drive on the flat tire, while not a safe idea in terms of maintaining control of the vehicle, will

 McHenry drivers need to be aware all the sameAbout this time of year, the space on this blog is usually dedicated to reminding McHenry drivers that schools are opening – to watch out for children running to and from busses in the roads, or walking to and from school. But, with COVID-19, 2020 isn’t a customary year. Yes, children are headed back to school but much of their class time will

Before COVID, you would get out on the highway, away from McHenry, and open up the throttle of that car, truck or SUV you drive. But, since the pandemic, you just don’t seem to get out as much. When you do leave the house, it’s generally a short trip – to the grocery store or maybe for a cup of coffee at The Hidden Pearl. Highway drives seem to belong to a by-gone era.This is a different kind

Your car started making a funny noise. You tell yourself, “It can wait.”The brakes are squeaking. “As soon as the lockdown is over.”Smoke from that bad muffler seems to come up into the cabin from under the car. “It’s not so bad.”The oil change is how many miles overdue? “It’s not that important.”You can always find excuses for not bringing the car, truck or SUV in for repairs or

'Cooking' is a more appropriate term than you might think The McHenry forecast calls for temperatures close to 90 today and above 90 tomorrow. In the week ahead, the temperature will moderate somewhat with highs in the low to mid 80s. But that’s still pretty darn hot when you get in your car to go somewhere. It’s not unusual for the mercury to hover in the 80s and 90s in McHenry in late

You might call it good news; only 5% of all automotive accidents are attributed to brake failure. But, since there are, on average, 6-million automotive accidents every year, that’s still a substantial number of accidents caused by brake failure. That’s approximately 300,000 automotive accidents due to brake failure. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration: More

There is a misconception that winter is more harmful to car, truck and SUV batteries than summer. It’s not true. Summer in McHenry is harder on automotive batteries than winter. The reason for the misconception is simple. Winter thickens engine oil. This makes it far more difficult to crank an engine over and start your car, truck or SUV. The starter motor has to work harder to turn the crankshaft