Grand Rapids Auto Repair

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Ervine's & Grand Rapids Hybrid! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday with friends and family. With all the holidays comes lots of travel, so if you are planning a road trip in the near future, we recommend that you check off some important travel measures before you hit the road.  Be sure to have your vehicle inspected by the experts here at Ervine's & Grand Rapids Hybrid before you hit the road. You never want to be caught in a situation where you are stuck without a working vehicle, so guaranteeing that your vehicle is ready for any road trip will keep your family safe and bring you peace of mind on the road.    Pack ample blankets and coats for the road to keep warm if you’re traveling in the cold this winter.    Have an emergency kit on hand in your trunk to help out in cases of emergencies. Some things to make sure you have with you include a spare tire, jack, wrench, flashl ... read more

Noticing that your engine is overheating while driving can be very stressful and concerning. If you do find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is find a safe place to pull over. Even if you feel your vehicle can make it to the nearest auto repair center, the best thing to do is just call for a tow and have your vehicle towed into our shop to avoid making matters worse. Driving when the engine is overheating can cause more damage and make the repairs more extensive and expensive.  If you see smoke coming from underneath the hood, refrain from opening the hood. The engine components will be extremely hot and can cause severe burns if you try to touch anything under the hood. Turning the engine off will help cool it off and stop the smoke.  The temperature warning light is the most common indication of an overheating engine. However, you can also pay attention to the temperature gauge and if you notice that it is very high, that is another indication that your en ... read more

The fall season is upon us and the weather is rapidly changing from the summer warmth to colder conditions. Driving in certain weather conditions can be unpredictable, which is why we recommend that you are always prepared for anything that may happen while driving.  Here are some items that we suggest keeping in your trunk at all times during the fall season:  Spare tire, jack, and wrench - a flat tire can happen unexpectedly, and the cold air causes the air pressure in our tires to compress and become lower. This can cause blowouts or flats on the road, so being prepared to change a tire is essential. Be sure to have the necessities and read up on how to change a tire if you aren't informed about how to do so already.  Gloves and jackets - sometimes the cold weather can hit hard, especially at night. It's always a good idea to pack a few extra gloves and jackets in your trunk. Trust us, you'll probably need them!  Emergency flares - flares are a gr ... read more

This is something that drivers never want to experience in their lifetime - total brake failure. This is probably the scariest thing that can malfunction when on the road, especially when you are already traveling at a high speed. Brake failure is extremely dangerous, and being mindful to prevent this from happening is important.  If you do start experiencing brake failure, one thing you can try is pumping the brake pedal quickly. This may be able to get enough pressure going to initial a stop. The next thing is to get to a safe area, like pull of to the side of the road if you can, and use the emergency brakes (parking brake). Whatever you do, try to be as safe as possible, avoid collisions, and eventually your vehicle will slowly stop if you aren't continuing to accelerate.  The main cause of brake failure is no fluid pressure in the brake lines. Brakes work from hydraulic pressure, so without fluid pressure, your brakes won't work. This is usually caused by a lea ... read more