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

There’s no denying that the 4th of July in Wonder Lake will be different this year. Public fireworks generally just aren’t happening this year due to COVID-19. That includes Wonder Lake’s annual 4th of July Parade and Fireworks. Gathering in large crowds just won’t do when the risk of coronavirus is high. And large crowds are an integral part of Wonder Lake’s traditional 4th of July celebrations.

One characteristic of the COVID-19 lockdown is hard to escape – monotony. You might say that the ‘shelter-in-place’ order in response to the virus has interrupted the natural, and annual, experience of escaping from winter’s cabin fever. If you drive a 4-wheeler, you may have a solution that will offer a little relief. Take that baby off road. The exhilaration of hitting the trails in a factory

All this sheltering-in-place has one bright side – most of us are not spending as much on transportation costs. In other words, you’re probably not driving your car, truck, or SUV too often or too far from McHenry. In the process, you’re making fewer stops at the gas stations. Less driving also means less wear and tear and your car, truck, or SUV. Ah, but don’t assume you can just wait until

Isn't it time to show a little gratitude for those who have played importantroles during the pandemic? The last few months have been challenging for Americans, including those in McHenry County. But through it all, there are people who have performed important roles despite increased risks. These are the first responders, the nurses, doctors, and caregivers. While many of us have ‘sheltered

You come out to your car one night in McHenry and find that someone has broken a window, slashed a tire, or otherwise vandalized your car. At the very least, it’s annoying. Probably, it’s infuriating. If the vandalism has rendered your vehicle inoperable, it can be more than that. Is there anything you can do to ensure that no one vandalizes your car? Probably not. But there are some measures