Grand Rapids Auto Repair

The beginning of the New Year seems to be when we feel the urge to start anew or change our bad habits. We’re going to exercise, eat healthy, be organized and finish up all those projects we started. All the procrastinating and complaining is going to stop! A study by Franklin Covey showed that only 35% of people surveyed stuck with the resolution they made on December 31. Facebook currently has lots of weight loss, money management and organization ads popping up. Everyone wants to help us with our resolutions. A better resolution is to appreciate where you are and make small changes every day that help you reach your goal. Take the stairs, eat an apple instead of chips, or get a plain coffee instead of a mocha- cinnamon cappuccino with whipped cream. Enjoy your New Year’s Eve, be safe and Happy

I’ll walk for miles on the beach looking for shells. They’re amazing creations that used to be the home of an animal, and they are usually beautiful colors and shapes. I have several that, when I first saw them, they appeared perfect. But when I pulled them out of the sand, I found either a large hole or they were broken. They are still beautiful but not what I was picturing. Used cars can be like that. You drive by and then stop, lured by the beautiful (insert your favorite car color here) exterior. You look inside and the interior looks like new. The seller tells you that it was only driven on Saturdays to the grocery store and has never seen a winter. You love this car so you drive it around the block once, then purchase it. This can have two outcomes. The first one is: the car is in pristine condition mechanically and was a terrific purchase. The second is: You’re standing at the repair shop staring at an estimate for the totally unexpected needed repairs. You can avoi ... read more

I have a board on Pinterest devoted to pins of shoes I love. If you don’t understand that sentence, you may be a guy. Or you are missing out on the greatest time waster ever created. My Pinterest shoe board is, to me, what Car and Driver magazine is to men. I look at pictures of shoes other people love and decide if I want to pin them to my board. Like Car and Driver readers and the cars they love, I will never own 99% of the shoes that I see and like. The boards on Pinterest are somewhat like going to a car show. People stop and look at the cars and then discuss if they’ve had that car, want that car or just admire that car. I pin a pair of shoes and if someone else pins them, we’ve bonded. We like the same shoes. We’re shoe-sisters. I saw a poster that said, “Shoes make me happy. I’m superficial. Whatever.” I didn’t want to relate to that statement, but I did

I love getting to know the customers who come into Arie Nol, it's one of my favorite parts of working in a service industry. Visit by visit I build relationships with our customers, until seeing them is the same as seeing old friends. I always look forward to hearing their stories. A specific memory comes to mind. A few weeks ago, an older female customer came to show us her new car. For years she had driven a nice, low-key vehicle. Nothing flashy, but very reliable. On her last visit to Arie Nol, we stood and watched her car as it was towed away to the scrap yard. It was bittersweet as that car had served her well for a long time. I wasn't sure what to expect when she came by with the new car, but when she walked in the smile on her face was contagious. Without even seeing the new vehicle, I broke into a huge smile, happy for her happiness. I walked into the parking lot and there sat a sleek, shiny, brilliant red car. “Why the change?” I asked, curious. She paused ... read more

We've all seen it, that one car driving down the highway as it hits a slight dip in the road. Suddenly, it's bouncing up and down and you think, “Wow! The ride on that car must be horrible!” What that actually indicates is bad shock absorbers. The shocks are not holding the tires to the road the way they should be and, as a result, the car rebounds from the dip in the road. This can make your vehicle much more difficult to control safely. As if that weren't enough, bad shock absorbers are also rarely an isolated issue. When your car's shocks start to wear, the parts surrounding them have to work double-time to make up for the issue. This can cause increased damage to your car and raise the repair cost. If your car is experiencing strange symptoms, bring it in to a trusted technician. Not only are technicians aware of what bad brakes, shocks, etc. mean for the safe control of your vehicle, they'll also be able to help identify worn parts before the problem spreads