Enjoy, but have your car checked out, too The warmer weather, these last few days, may give you the feeling that the winter of 2016-17 is about over. Actually, there’s additional evidence, and far more concrete; as of Monday, Mar. 30, 2017, winter officially ended. This doesn’t mean that we won’t have any additional snowfall. It doesn’t mean the temperature won’t drop precipitously into

You’ve heard it all before: Change your car’s engine oil on schedule. Keep the air pressure at the proper level in the tires on your pickup truck. Make sure your shocks, struts and springs are in good order and your car is properly aligned. You hear it, but there’s no sense of urgency. And so, a couple extra-thousand miles slip by before you bring the car in for its next oil change. You tell

There is something exciting about purchasing a new car. Unless you can pay cash for the car, there is also something dreadful about buying a new car – years of hefty, monthly payments. At some point, however, it may be time to buy a new car. How do you know when that time has arrived? One thing to consider is the age and condition of your existing vehicle. Some say that it is best to trade in your

UPDATE: Kurt Busch won the 59th Annual Daytona 500. Chase Elliott finished 14th after running out of fuel as the race reached its conclusion. However, this was a significant improvement from his 2016 finish of 37th. Last year, Chase Elliott was a rookie running in the Daytona 500 in Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet NAPA car No. 24. He started the race in the pole position. Well, he’s done it again.

Hopefully, with the warm weather this week, you’ve had a chance to get out of the house and shake off some of that cabin fever winter has imposed on you. While enjoying near- and record-warm days, you may have noticed how dirty the winter has gotten your car. You may have thought to yourself, this is a good time to wash the car. You’re right; this is a good time to wash the car. Now, the question

Having an auto repair shop you can trust is almost as important as having a family doctor you can trust. There are many auto mechanics who are highly reputable, trustworthy and skilled in repairing your car, truck or SUV. There are also auto mechanics who are anything but trustworthy. Some of these simply don’t know what they’re doing and others know, all-too well, how to use their knowledge to

Some say you should. Some say you shouldn’t. The debate rages on: should you let your car warm up before you pull out of your Richmond driveway on a cold winter’s morning? Those embroiled in the debate are so firmly entrenched in their opinions that it’s unlikely they’ll find common ground anytime soon. They all have their reasons for believing what they believe. Those who say you should warm

There are days in a Wonder Lake winter when the roads are slippery. Snow, ice, water: they accumulate on the road a pose a potential hazard for drivers. They can cause you to slide out of control. These uncontrolled moments behind the wheel can be hair raising. Fortunately, they don’t always end with a collision between your car, pickup truck or SUV and someone else’s car, truck or SUV. And they

Four-wheel drive is more and more common in cars, trucks and SUVs on the roads of McHenry County these days. With the winters we face, they make good sense. Four-wheel drive can go a long way to helping you get your car, truck or SUV going on ice- and snow-covered Midwestern highways. There are serious advantages to a four-wheel drive car, truck or SUV. These benefits also, generally, apply to all-wheel

Winter in Richmond is an abuser. It beats the heck out of the roads and they pass along the beating to your car, truck or SUV. These are good reasons to have your steering and suspension checked when winter is over – to see what kind of damage winter roads have done to your vehicle. However, you may not want to wait for spring to ensure your steering and suspension are in good working order. Winter