As the hour approaches, in your McHenry home, you put on that carefully chosen outfit, put the finishing touches on your hair and preen yourself with eager anticipation of a wonderful Valentine celebration ahead. You anxiously watch the clock ready to head out to the car and head off to pick up your Valentine (even if you’re picking up your spouse from work).

When the moment arrives, you rush out to the car knowing that a glorious and romantic night awaits you. But what if your car won’t start? What if you find yourself stuck in your McHenry driveway or garage as the minutes of Valentine’s Day tick away without you?

Or maybe the car starts fine. A short drive later, you pull up and you get out to hold the door for your Valentine, who looks fantastic. You’re off to a great start but then your brakes start scraping loudly, or the muffler sends a shower of sparks as it drags along the pavement below you. Maybe you have a flat tire or the engine stalls.

Okay. None of those things happen. But then you see smoke sneaking out from around the hood. You know that, under the hood, the engine is overheating. Then again, instead of the engine overheating, you discover you have no heat coming out of the vents inside the car. You and your Valentine can snuggle up to keep each other warm, but you’d probably still prefer to reach your destination and enjoy Valentine’s Day as intended.

All kinds of mechanical problems could arise to interfere with your plans for Valentine’s Day. There’s a good chance they won’t. After all, why would a mechanical problem wait for a holiday to go wrong? Then again, whether you believe in Murphy’s Law or not, why wouldn’t a mechanical issue arise while you’re out to celebrate a romantic evening with a loved one?

The odds are in your favor, but there’s no guarantee. Still, with a lack of proper attention, the odds could grow shorter and go against you. On the other hand, with due diligence, you can improve the odds that your Valentine’s Day will be unimpeded by mechanical gremlins.

Whether you’re looking forward to Valentine’s Day or not, proper maintenance will go a long way to ensure that you don’t get stuck in your McHenry driveway or garage. And it will help to keep you safely on the road. In the meantime, have a wonderful Valentine’s Day.