Grand Rapids Auto Repair

“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.” – Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln is someone that can be quoted for many different situations. I think because his words were so simple yet so true, even today. In his day, an ax was an important tool used by people on a daily basis. It could be used for protection, acquiring fuel for your fire, and building your home. Your muscles were what powered this tool so your ability to perform a task was limited by your physical strength. The tools that we use in our business vary from a wrench or mallet to a computer. The correct tools are required now more than ever. We’ve gotten to the point where some tools are very vehicle specific. Some are even based on the year, make and model of the vehicle. What implications does that have for today’s car owner? One thing it does is limit your ability to work on your vehicle. As technology advances and cars become more technologically sophisticated ... read more

We are in the process of putting winter tires on our family cars. I am not a fan of winter so to me this is the harbinger of what is to come. I’m probably a 5th generation Michigander so you would think that my DNA would include a snow and cold loving gene. People suggest that finding a winter sport is the key to loving Michigan winters. The problem with that is that I’d have to be outside. Making sure that my car has heat, good tires and the coolant is working correctly helps me get through the winter. Coolant/antifreeze is more interesting than one would imagine. Seriously, I always thought it just kept the engine cool but it does more than that. Worn out coolant is more electrically conductive than fresh coolant. Electrolysis (and not the hair removing kind) in the coolant causes it to become corrosive and can damage the engine and components. So it’s important that your coolant/antifreeze be tested to make sure that it is still doing all the things it is required to do ... read more

We have a customer that has been driving for 58 years and has never gotten a ticket. Not one for speeding or parking, nothing. He also has never been involved in an accident. When he stops in to chat with Jeff and they have an ongoing conversation about this milestone. When you watch people on the road today, it's amazing how much driving has changed over the years. When Bob started driving, drivers paid attention to the road. There were no cell phones, GPS technology, Starbucks coffee in the cup holder, no distractions. We hear all the stories about someone's last text before they crashed their car, or the “almost” accidents when someone chatting on their cell phone cuts another driver off on the road. Sometimes we are that person and understand what we're doing when we look up and realize we weren't paying attention to our driving as much as we thought we were. I read something when I was a teenager that said you should drive as if every car on the road was out to hit ... read more

The fun cars are getting ready to be put away for the winter. The sparkly, convertible, wind blowing through your hair on the way to the beach cars. The little two-seaters that bring a grin to your face as you sit in the driver’s seat. We see so many of the vehicles that are completely an emotional purchase. I love the stories! We’ve had cars that someone will bring in because their dad owned one and they remember those summers spent helping him wash it in the driveway or taking it out together for a ride. Some people purchase a car because they had a similar model when they were younger and want to relive that feeling. I feel that way about Corvairs. We had a Corvair when I was younger and I remember riding in it with my family. Unfortunately, everyone knows that they had engineering flaws back then and were dangerous. By the time the kinks were corrected and it was only a cute little sports car, the name was synonymous with horrible accidents. So, I will never own one bu ... read more

During the course of our day, we have many people in and out of our office. Customers, vendors, and salespeople are constantly walking in and out. There is research that shows that when you smile at someone, you’re not only making an impression on them but yourself as well. Smiling lowers stress and some research even suggests that you can improve your own mood just by smiling. We have a vendor that comes every day who is always smiling. When you ask him how he’s doing, he says, “I am peaceful.” Everything in his day has not gone perfectly as planned but he still smiles and says, “I am peaceful.” I am not always peaceful and he laughed when I mentioned that to him one day. His response was, “You woke up this morning and got out of bed. For that, you should be thankful.” He was right. On any given day, our computers may start acting up, parts didn’t arrive, frustration builds, the Internet is slow etc. Someone has a car that is towed in because it unexpectedly broke dow ... read more

My past four vehicles have been Volvo wagons. I don't even have children in soccer anymore, so the Volvo-driving-soccer-mom doesn't apply. When someone asks me what my favorite make of vehicle is, I don’t even have to think about it. Here's why: safety, comfort, outstanding engine-acceleration, and organization. If I ever met a Volvo engineer, I might act like a NASCAR fan meeting Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jeff is hoping that never happens. Safety first
They're not flashy vehicles but they've been known for their safety innovations since they began. I had smaller children when I had my first Volvo and I liked the fact that they were a little bit safer in my car in case of an accident. Plus they have the option of built-in booster seats. Comfort
Not everyone is comfortable in a Volvo but the front seats fit a wide variety of heights, so it’s perfect for me. However, my sons are both six-feet plus and they impart their opinion of the l

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I was shopping several years ago at a local clothing store that I love when I met Susan Brogger, the store manager. Naturally, we started talking about shoes, and one pair in particular I’d been trying on. But as the conversation progressed, I had learned that Susan just recently lost her mother to pancreatic cancer. She mentioned that she was partnering with the Van Andel Institute (VAI) and their Purple Community to start a fundraiser and asked if Arie Nol Auto Center would be interested in contributing. We did and we were so thankful for the opportunity to support someone who has taken the loss of a parent as a chance to support this local research facility. Susan’s story resonated with me so well because Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer have all impacted our family's life in the past several years. Since getting involved, we've had the pleasure of learning more about VAI and what they hope to accomplish in the future. And by us learning about the ways they im ... read more

Ratchet and Wrench is an automotive industry publication that we've enjoyed reading since its inception several years ago. The magazine tells the story of someone who runs, owns or works in the automotive repair industry. They give a description of how they overcame a problem within their business or approached something from a different angle, and came up with a unique solution or idea. We are really excited to be featured in an article in the September issue of Ratchet and Wrench. The focus of the article is Jeff's move from automotive technician to service advisor. It was a business decision that we made years ago as we grew the business. Jeff has always enjoyed working with customers, but in the past had worked mostly as a technician. It was a neat opportunity for us to share our story and hopefully encourage anyone that is currently trying to make a similar decision. We've been blessed with terrific employees who've contributed to our business in so many ways. They've ... read more

Taking car maintenance seriously is not as exciting as it may sound (this was said with heavy sarcasm). It’s like going to the dentist; you know you have to do it, but most people drag their feet before making the appointment. Knowing you have a dental appointment causes us to do all the things we should be doing anyway. Typically, lots of flossing precedes the dentist appointment. The dental hygienist knows that you don’t floss every day. One glance in your mouth tells them you tried to make up for all those missed flossings. Car maintenance has a similar effect on people. You think back to when that pesky light on the dashboard came on and you decided to ignore it. It’s suggesting that you need maintenance, but it’s not a carved-in-stone-do-this-immediately light, right? Most of the time, the maintenance due light is letting you know that something the manufacturer recommended is due. You can look in your owner’s manual and find out what sort maintenance is due, or you ca ... read more

One of our technicians, David, is a triathlete. He bikes, runs, or swims daily to be ready for his next competition. He started out mountain biking a while ago and progressed to what he does now. At the shop, we have had several discussions about safety equipment while biking. Many people from our Arie Nol family have participated in different types of bike racing, including Iceman in northern Michigan. Everyone agrees safety equipment can be irritating. You purchase it, wear it and most of the time never have any reason to be glad you wore it. Until an incident that reminds you of the ‘just in case’ reasoning behind that helmet, neck protector or reinforced vest. David had that situation last week. Going 10-15 mph, he hit a tree. He bounced off that tree and hit another head on. The pictures below are of his helmet. In his words, it “rang his bell for sure” but he got up and walked away. The helmet did its job. He walked away able to participate in a sport that, like every ... read more