Grand Rapids Auto Repair

No matter how cool, how expensive, how big, how much it can haul, or how fast your vehicle is, there’s nothing more important than its ability to stop! It is, without a doubt, that your brakes are the most important part of being able to drive your vehicle. Have your vehicle’s brakes lost some of their stopping power? Do they even squeak or squeal or scrape metal on metal? The squeak is an early warning that it might be time to replace, at a minimum, the pads. If you’re hearing metal on metal grinding, then its definitely time to do so (quickly) and you could be into some rotor work as well. No vehicle will stop effectively with worn brake pads. Nobody wants to go through a wall or have an accident because it won’t stop. So it makes a lot more sense (and is way less scary) to be able to just lightly touch the brakes and have the vehicle do exactly what you intended. When you hit the brake pedal, brake pads press against the rotating disk rotors to slow them down an ... read more

So what’s all this about filters? A new oil filter keeps contaminants out of your expensive engine. A new air filter can help improve your vehicle’s performance. And a new cabin air filter protects you and your passengers from mildew, allergens and more. Let’s look at each type of filter and when it makes sense to change them. OIL:Most vehicle manufacturers recommend changing the oil once a year or every 7,500 miles in passenger car and light truck gasoline engines. For diesel engines and turbocharged gasoline engines, the usual recommendation is every 3,000 miles or six months. However, when you read the fine print, you’ll find those recommendations are for vehicles that are driven under ‘ideal’ circumstances. Unfortunately, what most of us think of as ‘normal’ driving is actually ‘severe service’ driving, which include frequent short trips, stop-and-go city traffic driving, driving in dusty conditions (gravel roads, etc.), and/or driving at sustained highway spee ... read more

Hey, know what’s scary? Most vehicles’ timing belts fail without a lot of warning. And that can leave you stranded somewhere you don’t want to be. So check your vehicle owner’s manual’s suggested mileage for timing belt replacement and talk with the experts at Heritage Service Centre. The failure of a timing belt is one of the most common reasons why cars break down. If you are familiar with a timing belt functions and how to tell when something is wrong with it, then you can prevent more serious damage. Knowledge about timing belt symptoms will save you from being stranded by the side of a road because of a broken timing belt. Simply put, a timing belt is a chain or belt that control the opening and closing of a car’s valves. Without a properly functioning timing belt, an engine’s pistons would cease to function and your car would be unable to run. Worn / old timing belts can no longer perform their job properly and why they can lead to performance problems with your c ... read more

What a great time of year this is for holiday gatherings, great food … and, ick, inclement weather. Nearly ninety percent of all driving decisions are based on a clear view of the road, which means good visibility is absolutely essential — especially during wet weather when vision may be obscured by water, road splash, sleet or snow on the windshield. Yet, wiper blades are one of the most neglected components on vehicles today. Many blades are cracked, split, torn, brittle, worn or otherwise in obvious need of replacement. Others may look okay, but do a lousy job of wiping when put to the test. Any blade that’s chattering, streaking or doing a lousy job of wiping is a blade that’s overdue for replacement. Most experts say wiper blades should be replaced every six to twelve months for optimum performance and driving visibility. This is why we suggest doing during our spring and fall specials. Exposure to sunlight and ozone causes the rubber to age, even if the ... read more

If your vehicle’s radio or air-conditioner aren’t working properly, that’s an inconvenience. But if your brakes aren’t as reliable as they used to be, that’s serious business. With school back in session and fall and winter driving right around the corner. Now more than ever, your vehicle needs great brakes you can rely on for every stop. One of the most interesting things about vehicle brake system is that a small peddle can stop a huge vehicle with a slight push of brake pad. How it all happens is still a mystery (friction not fiction) for many people. Being “out of sight, out of mind,” the braking system on most vehicles go unnoticed… until a problem crops up. There are drum brakes, disc brakes, anti-lock brake systems (ABS) and hand or parking brakes, depending on the age of the vehicle that all may come into play when stopping your vehicle. Some use hydraulics, others a cable, and still others an on-board computer to assist and/or control how that all works. W ... read more