Auto Authority

04/01/2026

As of March 31, 2026 our area has seen the closing of more than 12 local auto repair shops with even more closing in the very near future.

Auto Authority has served Crystal Lake and our surrounding areas for more than 22 years and we are not going anywhere. In fact, we continue to grow in both square footage and team members to provide you with the best customer service and repair in the Crystal Lake area. We are a local, independently owned small business serving our community.

If your repair facility has recently closed or been bought out by a large corporation then look no further than Auto Authority in Crystal Lake. We are here to help you understand and navigate your vehicle's repair and maintenance. We are a relationship business rather than transactional so we can best serve your budget and needs.

02/16/2026

We will be closed from 9:00 AM to 1 PM today, February 16, 2026 to attend the memorial service for our dear friend and colleague, James "Potter" Wyrwicki. Thank you for your understanding.

02/13/2026

It is with a very heavy heart that we share the unexpected news that we lost a great friend and team member, James "Potter" Wyrwicki, on Tuesday, February 10th. He was a very young 42 years old.

He was incredibly intelligent, friendly, engaging, hardworking, and fun with a great sense of humor. He loved his Coke Zero and local favorites for lunch. He was not just a coworker to the other members of our team - he was family. He is and will be missed.

Potter, as he was known by all, worked tirelessly to assure that our customers had the very best experience. He would regularly be the first one in to work each day to make sure that everything was ready to go for our technicians and he wouldn't leave at night until the day's work was done. He treated this business as if it were his own. He was the face and voice that our customers had become accustomed to seeing and hearing each visit.

Everyday has brought the question of "Where's Potter today?" I have had to answer with the cruel reality that he has sadly passed. Our customers, vendors, delivery drivers, and sales representatives have all had the same tearful reaction as our team had upon learning the news. The emotional responses and outpouring of love from all of you is a testament to the really good person that Potter was to those he met and had the pleasure of knowing.

This is a man that I had the privilege to know and talk with every day of our workweek. Our conversations spanned the normal shop talk to countless topics from the most commonplace to the abstract. I can proudly v say that we regularly solved the world's problems in our conversations. His absence leaves a silence and void in our day and hearts.

Goodbye Jimmy "Potter" Wyrwicki - you will be missed.

Below is information for anyone interested in attending his service which will be Monday, February 16, 2026 in Arlington Heights.

https://www.smithcorcoran.com/obituaries/James-Michael-Wyrwicki?obId=47225510

01/24/2026

With the cold temperatures this weekend here are a couple of tips.

A weak or dead battery can freeze in these temperatures - DO NOT jump start a frozen battery as that can lead to it exploding. Put the battery and/or car in a warm spot like your garage to allow to thaw before charging.

Check your tire pressures. Tire pressures change by approximately 1- 3 psi per every 10 degrees of temperature change. Driving with your yellow TPMS warning light on the dash will lead to premature failure of your TPMS sensor batteries resulting in the need to replace the sensors.

Do not simply start your car and start driving in these temperatures as it can lead to lack of lubrication, reduced performance or fluid leaks. Do not turn your steering wheel until the vehicle has had some time to warm up.

Allow your vehicle to warm up before driving. Normally, you only need to let your vehicle warm up for 1-2 minutes in the winter but with these colder temperatures it will need additional time to warm up before driving. When you start driving, remember to accelerate "gently" until the car warms up fully.

The fluids in your vehicle have gelled and thickened in the cold and do not flow as they normally do. If allowing your car to warm up before driving be sure not to leave your vehicle unattended. Monitor the vehicle because if a hose blows or leak develops then you may have a major repair on your hands if it goes unnoticed. It does not take long to lose all of your oil, coolant, transmission fluid, or steering fluid if a leak occurs. Not only can it create a HUGE mess but can also lead to catastrophic failures.

Some quick tips before starting your car in the cold. If using a remote start then lock and unlock your car multiple times with the key fob before activating your remote start. This will warm the battery slightly and assist in greater cranking power. If starting car from in your vehicle then turn on your headlights for 15 - 30 seconds before starting to warm the battery slightly which will assist in greater cranking power.

Drive carefully - with temperatures this low the roads will be slick - salt is not as effective in these temperatures as in warmer temps.

Finally, dress warm and have blankets in the car in case the unexpected happens.

If you run into any problems this weekend then give us a call. We are happy to help. 815-356-0993

08/27/2025

08/27/2025

We have CrossFit classes, Olympic Lifting sessions, Open Gym times… and now we will be offering Hyrox training! 🏃🏼‍♀️

We will offer Hyrox training and workouts Monday and Wednesday nights as well as Sunday mornings!

Message us or email us at [email protected] for our full schedule or to sign up for a free trial class!!

08/19/2025

Seems more like the norm lately with Comcast. We are open but working at limited capacity due to another Comcast outage. We currently do not have normal access to phones nor internet. Thank you for your patience. We can be called at 815-356-0993 but our four lines are being forwarded to a single line without voicemail. We are monitoring missed calls and will get back to you as quickly as possible.

07/04/2025

Happy Independence Day to everyone - Be Safe and enjoy time with family, friends, and neighbors. We will be back on Monday, ready to handle all of your automotive needs after a great weekend off celebrating with our community.

06/18/2025

UPDATE: Happy to announce our phones are working again (mostly - some features still down) and back to normal business. We are working diligently to identify and return any missed calls. In talking with Comcast service technicians, this isn't an isolated incident and may be due to hackers. If you need to contact us please call our main line again at 815-356-0993. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

UPDATE: Comcast has not been able to restore phone service tonight. For some reason their tier 2 service technicians go home at 4 pm central time - this despite me being on hold for over 5 hours. Doesn't sound like they understand the meaning of their name - Comcast Business Services. We have a service technician scheduled to arrive between 10 and noon tomorrow morning. Hoping for the best. Again, we are open for business please see below for contact methods.

ORIGINAL POST:
We have been having serious phone issues with Comcast since renewing our contract on May 28 which has culminated to no phone service whatsoever today. Rest assured that we are open. You can call us at 847-776-2886, text us at 815-367-8115, or email us at [email protected] until we resolve our Comcast woes. Sorry for the inconvenience. We will update when our phones are back in service.

11/06/2024

We wanted to let you all know that as part of our Matchmaking Service we have customers with cars for sale that we have inspected and serviced over the years. We would love to help them find a new home.

The following are currently for sale:
2007 Cadillac Deville with 92,000 miles
1997 Toyota 4 Runner with 215,000 miles
2006 Mazda 6 with 155,000 miles
2004 Mini Cooper with 190,000 miles
2011 BMW X3 with 190,000 miles

We have pictures, details, repair history, pricing, and inspection reports if you are interested. Give us a call at 815-356-0993 for additional information.

09/19/2024

Having another great networking meeting with Dana Forrest Vincent as our speaker this week. Learning a ton about payroll services. If your you're a small business and need payroll service then give Dana a call.