Did you set your clocks ahead today? Here in Richmond, we observe the coming and going of Daylight Savings Time and this is the weekend when it’s time to set our clocks ahead. Fire departments have used the weekends when we reset our clocks as a means of reminding us to check the batteries in our smoke alarms and CO2 alarms. That’s a very good idea. It could save your life. This is also an opportune

You don’t look at that rugged terrain as a problem; you see it as a challenge and an opportunity. Your truck is up to the challenge and so are you. Well, hopefully, your truck is up to the challenge and, hopefully, your off-road suspension is up to the challenge, too. Off-roading isn’t for the faint of heart, whether we’re talking about the driver or the truck (or even a car modified for off-road

If you track your car’s gas mileage, here in McHenry County, you’ve noticed that your mileage generally goes down; you just don’t get as many miles per gallon in the winter as you do in the summer. Why is that? One of the primary reasons that winter gas mileage drops for drivers bearing the full force of a McHenry County winter is that the cold affects a change in the way we operate a vehicle

With the Daytona 500 Sunday, last week, this blog ran a trivia quiz about the race and NASCAR. Those who answered the questions correctly, after sending their answers to rich@richpublicity.com, were entered in a contest for a free oil change at Performance Unlimited or, if they’re not in the McHenry County area, Rich Publicity would send them a consolation $5 gift card to use at a Panera Bread store

This is a big weekend for race fans and most race fans already know why. For those who don’t follow the world of NASCAR as closely, this Sunday is the 2016 Daytona 500. While the Super Bowl is played at the end of the NFL season, racing’s equivalent of the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, runs at the beginning of the race season. In other words, the NASCAR season starts with the Daytona 500. While

Some of the roads in McHenry County are, shall we say, less than in the prime of their lives. They have potholes. They have cracks. With stop-gap repairs, they may have bumps built on bumps of asphalt. While it’s uncomfortable driving on a bad stretch of road, such as that, there’s more to it than just comfort; it’s also a matter of cost and safety. If you drove your car on a perfectly smooth

In many ways, success breeds success. This is certainly true among auto repair shops. A quality auto repair shop will stick around for years. During that period, it will develop a trusted reputation for quality auto repair and automotive maintenance. And, through word of mouth, that reputation will spread. Based on that reputation, they will attract more and more customers who will add their voices

Winters in Richmond are challenging. The roads are frequently very slick – covered with everything from ice to snow to freezing rain and even black ice. Caution is essential for Richmond drivers in the winter. That caution means that drivers need to stay alert. That includes a clear view of the road and the surrounding area. We’ve all seen them – drivers who were in too much of a hurry to properly

Are you waking the Richmond neighborhood where you live every time you start your car? What was once nice and quiet has grown increasingly loud as you find yourself progressively turning up the radio. The problem is that exhaust systems deteriorate. You may have a bad muffler. They rust and corrode. There’s not much you can do about it other than replacing them, or parts of them, when they get too

Does it seem as though your car just isn’t getting around as well during this McHenry winter? Why would that change? After all, it’s the same car, right? Actually, there is a very good reason that your car’s ability to negotiate the roads in the winter would change and you can trace the problem to where the rubber meets the road. It’s all about tire tread. With good tire tread, your tires