An insurance company has a commercial where a driver has forgotten their fishbowl, with a goldfish, on top of the car. The suggestion of the commercial is that drivers who are fastidiously safe behind the wheel will not drop the fishbowl off the roof and will receive lower rates for their auto insurance. In reality, it doesn’t matter how you drive from your McHenry home – that fishbowl is not going

How hot will it get this summer? The high temperature in McHenry during the summer of 2020 was 92 degrees on July 26. We hit 90 or higher on seven or eight days in the course of the year. But there were any number of days that hovered close to 90. The reality is that the temperature in McHenry doesn’t need to hit 90 before you turn the AC on in your car. At what temperature do you turn on your

It may come to you as a rattle. Then again, it may catch your notice with a squeal. Maybe you’ll notice a grinding noise. Or you could experience a repeated thump. These are all indicators of a possible problem. While they may cause some concern, they are all much better than noticing this problem when you hit your brakes and your car, truck or SUV doesn’t do what’s expected – it doesn’t

Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag at Talladega Speedway Sunday, April 25, in the GEICO 500, one of nine different winners in the first 10 races of the 2021 NASCAR CUP SERIES.“The whole race, I had a couple of opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘Man, just keep your car in one piece till the end.’”And he did keep it together till the end as he took the first position

Are you and your vehicle prepared for the challenge?Warmer weather is settling over the McHenry area while the soil is retaining enough moisture to promise ample splattered evidence that brings a sparkle to the eye of the dyed-in-the-wool offroader who considers dirt on the fenders a badge of honor. Yes, it’s time to hit the road, and then leave the road, with your off-road monster of choice.Of course,

Did you ever pull out of your Johnsburg driveway, head down the road and not find yourself surprised when your car, truck or SUV broke down? When are automotive breakdowns expected? Did you ever call your boss to tell them you’d be late when leaving home for work: “I just wanted to let you know I’ll be late today. My engine is going to overheat halfway there.”Those conversations don’t happen

A jar of jam is a sweet idea here in the McHenry area. But there is nothing sweet about a jar from your car hitting a post-winter pothole. Hit the pothole hard enough and your teeth may float in your mouth a bit while your spine coils and uncoils painfully. Then there’s the question of what that pothole is doing to your car.Cars are designed taking potholes into account. Suspensions are built to

Whether you’ve noticed or not, it’s coming. It comes this time every year – road construction. Flaggers will appear with signs that say ‘STOP’ on one side and ‘SLOW’ on the other (not sure why they call them ‘flaggers’ anymore since they don’t actually use flags anymore).You’ll also see more of those intrusive species – the road horses and hazard cones dotting the highways.

When you pull out of your McHenry driveway, you want to know that you can count on your car, truck or SUV to get you where you’re going reliably, safely, economically and in comfort. These are reasons that you go out of your way to properly maintain your vehicle. How does this apply to rotating your tires?There are several good reasons to rotate tires on your car, truck or SUV. Consider the following:Extend

Check that undercarriage while you’re at itAs the last two years have demonstrated, there’s no reason to assume that winter has thrown its last punch in Johnsburg this year. Then again, we did cross the threshold from winter into Spring, officially, Saturday. That’s worth celebrating, isn’t it?With the warmer temperatures this week, the weather seems to match its official designation, at least