Extreme weather will test our vehicles. If there is a weakness, excessively hot or cold weather may bring that weakness to the forefront. Belts and hoses that are on the brink, radiators and coolant/antifreeze that are no longer operating at their peak performance, engine thermostats that are stuck: these are just a few of the issues that may float below the surface on days when the weather is mild.

Hot out, isn’t it? Days like this make us appreciate the wonders of modern conveniences, such as air conditioning. Speaking of air conditioning, that’s also comfort creating equipment for a car, isn’t it?Just imagine, it’s 1936 and the family is on its way to Aunt Betty’s. The windows are down in the hopes the breeze will offer some relief from the 100-plus heat outside. As heat waves radiate

Maybe you don’t exactly love you car’s engine. You may start the car and start driving while hardly considering your engine at all. But, if your engine stops doing what it’s expected to do, you may develop strong emotions about your engine in a hurry.“Your oil is the lifeblood of your engine,” said Denny Norton of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited. If you shortchange your engine oil you’re

Well, your antifreeze kept your engine block from freezing and cracking last winter. How should you reward it? How about giving it a physical examination and, if it isn’t up to snuff as a coolant, having it replaced. That might not seem entirely appreciative but it’s probably the smart move.The liquid in your radiator is supposed swing with power from both sides of the plate – in winter and

Have you rotated your tires lately? If not, maybe you should.“Rotating your tires will extend the life of the tires while ensuring safer driving,” said Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited.  “Tires wear differently on the front of the car than they do on the rear. By rotating the tires you make sure that they wear a more evenly.”Uneven wear between tires will have

The bad news was that your car threw its timing belt. But, once you recover from the sticker shock of an operation such as that, now the work is all done and you can pick up your vehicle. Good news, right? Not so fast.This is a question you probably should have asked before the mechanic started working on your car but what kind of parts did they use? Were they OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)

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

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

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

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