Grand Rapids Auto Repair

I've always been amazed by the damage that can happen inside an engine compartment or on the suspension of a vehicle. The technicians always let me know when they have some car part carnage for me to take a picture of before they repair it. There are many reasons for visible damage. Age and wear, lack of maintenance, and sometimes just a part that fails before its time. Sometimes damage can happen simply due to another part failing and it becomes a domino effect. The technicians always explain the sequence of events that lead to the damage. I've learned a lot from seeing situations like this and having them explained to me. Automobiles are mechanical. There are a lot of moving parts and sometimes if it is a moving part fails, it causes a lot of damage. At times, even a new part can fail. We are choosy about the parts we use for the repairs and maintenance; however, on occasion even a new part will fail. It isn't just disappointing for the customer but also for t ... read more

Being a NAPA Autocare center gives us, a small independent business, the opportunity to take advantage of training, parts purchasing and the ability to participate in different programs. Each year, NAPA offers a 'give back and get back' program that offers customers a rebate as well as a way to give back to the service people that have been injured protecting our freedom. We've participated in this program for years and always felt it was a terrific opportunity to give back. Several of us from Arie Nol Auto Center had the opportunity to attend a NAPA training event this past year. One of the speakers was an Armed Services veteran that had suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) while serving in the military. He spoke about the affect his injuries had not just on his life but on his family's life. Listening to him share what having access to the programs offered by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund meant to himself and his family, put the struggles he faced right i ... read more

What do you do? Your vehicle temperature gauge or oil light is in the red but you are SO close to your destination. Just a little bit farther and you won’t have to pull over on the side of the road. This happens and I totally understand. The last place I want to be is on the side of the road with a dead car. Especially if I’m on the highway or in an unfamiliar place. My goal would always be to get to my destination or a service facility. Unfortunately, you can do additional damage to your vehicle if you continue to drive it. It’s also hard to determine, based on what’s happening, as to whether continuing to drive is a bad idea. Looking at your owner’s manual may give you additional information but pulling over to read the owner’s manual isn’t really ideal either. From the time Jeff and I started dating and he became in charge of my vehicle maintenance for my 1976 Honda Civic Wagon, he told me the rules for non-technicians. Stop. If the vehicle is ... read more

A teenagers list of desirable car traits: Cool Not a minivan Awesome sound system A parent’s list of desirable traits for their teenage driver’s car: Safe Reliable No acceleration Looking for a used car can be stressful. Even more so when looking for one for a new driver in your household. It can be a good opportunity to teach them about research, test drives, and inspections. Firstly, do your research on the models you are interested in purchasing. Test drive with the radio OFF and listen for sounds that are not normal for a well-maintained vehicle. Finally, if you’ve found a vehicle you like and you think it would be a fair purchase, have it inspected by a licensed, certified technician at your favorite repair facility. It might seem like an unnecessary expense but it can be a great investment. You might find out that the beautiful vehicle that drives like a dream needs a thousand dollars worth of work to ... read more

A long-time customer came in with coolant leaking from her vehicle. Her vehicle contained her work items along with three grandchildren. Sitting at our shop was not on her agenda for the day. Jeff had one of the technicians check out the vehicle and it was determined that it wasn’t drivable. The customer had someone that could arrange to pick her up but they didn’t know if there would be enough room for all three kids, with one in a car seat, to be taken home in one trip. I had been putting plants in the planters outside of the office door, one of my favorite jobs every spring. One of the young ladies came out and chatted with me while I planted the flowers and our technicians inspected her grandmother’s vehicle. We talked about basketball, summer vacation and her two sisters. Most days my job requires paperwork, phone calls, speaking with customers, social media and probably more paperwork. Customer service is the focus for all of us here. Making peop ... read more

Customers call when their brakes are making noise, their muffler gets loud or their vehicle isn’t starting. These are all part of car ownership. They also never happen at an opportune time. These are things that need to be taken care of either right away or soon. It’s the little things that get don’t really have to be taken care of immediately or, they may even be something you aren’t aware of that’s not operating. I remember getting pulled over as a teenager for a headlight that was out on my Honda Civic. There were no dashboard indicator lights to let me know this was an issue. Now, my car would tell me a bulb was out but not which bulb. A customer came in several days ago and we were chatting while Jeff checked her vehicle. She lives alone and had a light out indicator on her dashboard. She couldn’t identify which bulb was out. Jeff found it was a brake light bulb. It can be a two-person job to check the brake lights as the brake pedal has to be depressed whi ... read more

Have you ever gone to another hair salon or stylist to get your hair cut? Not your usual stylist. Maybe you heard about a new stylist, and you weren’t unhappy with the current person keeping your ‘do looking good, but you thought, “Maybe this new person will create this incredible new look?” I’ve heard it called a hair affair. Most woman have done this at least once. I know I have. I don’t know that I expect anything magical to happen but it’s fun to see what someone different has to offer. I have the same hair I’ve always had, maybe not quite the color I was born with or the color it has changed to, but still the same hair. Remember Jennifer Aniston and her ‘Friends’ hairstyle, the Rachel? Everyone wanted that look. I knew there was not a stylist on the planet who could coax that look from my hair but, maybe? The thing is, if you go back to your original stylist, she knows you went somewhere else. I asked Paula, the boss of my hair, a while ago how she felt ... read more

I’d like to say “Happy Mother’s Day” to everyone! This weekend is the day we celebrate the woman who raised us. The person who was with you through the good and the bad, the cheers and the tears. Mom’s everywhere look forward to this day because, if your children are young, it means gifts and cards made by little hands and smiling faces. If your children are adults, it means a phone call or visit and precious time spent with them. Sometimes it means celebrating the day with memories because your Mom is no longer living. Wishing you could make that phone call to let them know you are thinking of them and miss them. People say, “Enjoy time with your parents, there will come a time they won’t be a phone call away”. Take the time to connect with your Mom. Someday you’ll be thankful that you did. Enjoy the day! It’s not just a Hallmark holiday but one more chance to celebrate

April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month. It could be called ‘Pay attention, you’re driving a giant chunk of metal!’ month. Most people that have a cell phone have done it. You’re driving down the road and your phone notifies you of an incoming text, email or call. You know you shouldn’t respond but you do. I’ve done it. I think I have all my attention on the road. C’mon, I’ve been driving for years! I can multitask. I can handle glancing down at my phone and watching the road. But science and statistics prove we can’t. In my perusing of the vast knowledge base that is Google, one study actually said that the better you think you are at multitasking, the worse you probably are at it. And no, you aren’t the exception. If you are a teenager, you aren’t good at it either. Even though you’ve grown up with cell phones, etc. Your brain still isn’t capable of processing a text and driving at the same time. One of those things will get all of your attention and it’s p ... read more

Sometimes l will be thinking about my blog post content. I will be set on a topic and then something happens here that causes me to change the topic. This week a vehicle came in with a broken ball joint. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know I have an unnatural fear of broken suspension parts. I’ve seen too many vehicles towed in and the accompanying story of the sudden stop or loss of control. So, we should discuss the triangle of safety. This is steering, stopping and stability. These all play a part in your ability to control your vehicle in a stopping or maneuvering situation. The other triangle is who it affects. It affects the driver, any passengers and anyone else on the road with you. If your brakes are worn and not operating correctly, you affect everyone on the road around you. If your ball joint breaks, you will come to a sudden stop. If your shocks aren’t operating within certain perimeters, you have less tire-to-road contact. Wor ... read more