Kevin Post, an auto repair technician  with Ringwood based Performance  Unlimited, cleans a part in their new SmartWasher parts cleaning  system. For as long as auto repair technicians can remember they’ve had to hold automotive parts under a stream of somewhat toxic parts cleaner. That’s all different now; today, there’s a parts cleaner and fluid that is safe for auto

When you bring your vehicle to an auto repair shop, you want to know that the auto repair technicians are qualified. Have they had sufficient training – the latest training? Do they have experience? Years ago, there was a television commercial where a dopey looking guy in dirty coveralls says something to the effect of “Gee boss, I never did fix an automatic transmission before.” When you

There are some in the auto repair industry who are cut from an older bolt of cloth. They’re gruff and short on patience. Their customer service skills are almost nonexistent. It often seems they’re a little annoyed when asked to explain the technical problems with a customer’s car in layman terms.Today, there’s no good reason that someone would have to put up with that kind of treatment. Most

Each year, the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce hosts its Annual Dinner Dance. The theme this year, on Saturday, Jan. 24, was “Chicago, All That Jazz.”  The event was a celebration of dining, dancing and live music. However, it was also an opportunity to celebrate some of the 2014 contributors in the Chamber.One such contributor was Denny Norton of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited. Norton

In the rear-view mirror, you see your daughter’s anxious smile from the car seat in back. Dressed in her ballet outfit, you wonder to yourself how anyone could be so incredibly precious. Though your eyes were off the road for just a moment, that’s all it took; In that instance, a car has missed the red light and pulled into your path. Before you’re fully conscious of what has happened, your foot

Most people know Denny Norton as the owner of Performance Unlimited in Ringwood. They’re used to seeing him behind the counter responding to questions about their cars. They’ll see Norton interacting with the mechanics in the shop as they team up to ensure that cars are repaired and maintained to the highest possible standards. This Thursday, however, folks will see Norton in a different setting. Norton

There’s something about cruising on the open road – a kind of freedom you feel as the mile markers go by, local radio stations fade in and then fade out as they’re replaced by other local stations that track your route as the aural equivalent of mile markers. Whether you’re headed north, south, east or west – sometimes, it’s just great to get away. And, when you get back, folks will ask

Sure, the auto repair shop you recommended does a great jog repairing and maintaining the family car but I need someone who can help with my company’s fleet of trucks. What about that?Not all auto repair shops are the same. How many mechanics do they have? Do they have the capacity to handle a fleet of vehicles? Of course, even before you ask those questions, you’ll want to make sure the auto

You’re driving down the road somewhere in Illinois, maybe even Ringwood, Illinois, and you suddenly notice an amber light in the dashboard is burning brightly. Upon closer examination, you notice that it reads: Check Engine. No, you don’t have to panic. Depending on how your vehicle is otherwise operating, you may not even have to pull to the side of the road and call a tow truck to bring

Are you ready for the snow, the ice and the cold? After all, this is not Palm Beach. Yes, we’ve seen some moderate weather for this late in the year. Maybe it will stay that way. Maybe the lowest temperature we’ll see all winter will dip no lower than 30⁰ Fahrenheit (we’ve actually had night-time temperatures below that already). Even as you read this, the upper Midwest is in the crosshairs