Local Adventures in Michigan

Michigan has a wealth of beautiful scenery, terrific museums, interesting shops, and fun places to explore! Here’s a small list of great places to check out!

Local Places to Explore:

• Matthaei Botanical Gardens – located at 1800 N. Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor - Walk through multiple gardenscapes, check out rare and non-native plants in the conservatory, and even reserve space to host events.
• Graffiti Alley runs from E. Liberty and E. Washington in Ann Arbor, halfway between S. State Street and S. Division Street. A local spot of interest with ever-changing artwork, graffiti alley is often used as a backdrop for photo shoots.
• Nichols Arboretum – located at 1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, the “arb” is a local favorite that features many hiking trails! From the peony gardens blooming in the spring, to wide hiking trails along the Huron river and the summertime Shakespeare in the Park series, there’s always something to do. 
• Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum – located at 100 East Cross Street, Ypsilanti – have a fun afternoon in this museum looking at both rare and unique cars, both locally built as well as from further afield. 

Day Trips to Check Out:

• Gilmore Car Museum located at 6865 W. Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners – Many people in southeast Michigan are familiar with the Henry Ford Museum but are completely unaware of the Gilmore Car Museum. This gem has over 400 vintage and collector vehicles and motorcycles.
• Frankenmuth, Michigan - This town is the home of Bronner’s and Zehnder’s as well as beautiful Bavarian-style architecture, fun shopping, festivals all summer long, and a number of museums. Your day trip could easily turn into a weekend getaway!
• John K. King Used & Rare Books located at 901 W. Lafayette Blvd, Detroit - One of Michigan’s largest used bookstores, this shop boasts four floors and literally a million books. Those in the know bring lunch with them and arrive early. The parking lot is small and they pack as many vehicles safely in as possible. For book lovers, it’s easy to spend a full day engrossed in the ever-changing collection.

If you know you’re going to be taking advantage of the smaller crowds during the week, drop one of your vehicles off with ArborMotion for the day to have your regular maintenance done while you go play!

Is your vehicle road-trip ready? Find out here!

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we care about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!  

Maintenance and Used Vehicle Sales

When it’s time to buy a new vehicle, you’re looking for a quality vehicle at a good price. You probably already know what you’re looking for in terms of seating and cargo space, as well as price. But have you considered quality of care?

Vehicle A:

This vehicle is what you’re looking for and looks to be in good shape. No dings or dents. It sounds like it runs smoothly. It’s been freshly detailed and is nice and clean. The price is right for what you want to spend. But…the seller only has sporadic paperwork from some of the oil changes they’ve had done. For everything else, you’re going to have to take their word.

Vehicle B:

This vehicle is also nice. The body is solid, without rust, and the handling and braking are as you’d expect. The size and price are what you’re looking for, and the seller has paperwork from oil changes and recommended maintenance. You can easily verify that the brakes are relatively new. The tires are a brand you recognize and were installed last season. 

Which vehicle are you going to spend your money on? For either vehicle, we highly recommend scheduling a pre-purchase inspection to have one of our specialists make sure you’re getting a vehicle that will last for many more miles. Vehicle B clearly has some added assurance that it’s been properly cared for, and that’s where we would invest our money if we were buying a vehicle!

The flip side is when you’re looking to sell your used vehicle. Doing all your maintenance at ArborMotion makes record keeping very easy. We can email or print you a full list of your records any time at your request. 

Learn more here on how to refresh your current car and make it like new again!

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we vehicle about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!  

Your Vehicle, but Better!

Your vehicle’s suspension determines how smooth and comfortable your drive will be. If you’ve got 10 years or 100,000 miles on your vehicle, you may be hearing some clangs and clunks - the standard “older car” noises. Are you ready to get rid of those noises and have your vehicle feel like new again?

Revive your suspension for that “new car” feel! Your suspension includes the following:

• Shocks
• Struts
• Springs
• Control Arms
• Bushings

Investing in your current vehicle will give you the most bang for your buck. New and used vehicles are expensive and hard to come by these days. By spending a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle, you can make your current vehicle feel like new all over again. 

Learn more here on how to refresh your current car and make it like new again!

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we care about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!  

What is Mileage-Based Maintenance?

You may hear something referred to as a “maintenance recommendation”, or have a signal that shows up as “scheduled service due” on your dashboard. These can both seem vague, but what do they mean?

Some general industry guidelines for milage-based maintenance include:

• Oil changes - every 5,000 miles or 6 months
• Tire rotations - every 5,000 miles
• Brake fluid and power steering fluid - every 24,000 miles or two years
• Fuel filter change, fuel induction service, and coolant flush - every 36,000 miles or three years
• Transmission flush service, brake pads and rotors, spark plugs - every 60,000 miles

If you’re beyond 60,000, congratulations on keeping your vehicle in good shape! Talk with your ArborMotion service advisor to see when your shocks and struts, water pump and timing belt will be due. These are bigger jobs, but well worth the time and money to keep your vehicle running for a long time. 

You may also want to consider a wheel alignment before your next road trip!

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we care about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!  

Are You Ready For Spring?

Longer days and sunshine also come with rain and mud as we fully embrace springtime in Michigan. The warm weather is welcoming, the potholes less-so. Are you and your vehicle prepared for springtime road trips and road hazards?

Have your emergency kit stocked and ready!

Smart things to have inside your trunk include:

• Fresh bottles of water
• Snacks or meal bars
• Jumper cables
• A spare tire
• Portable battery backup with phone charging cord

Schedule your spring maintenance

You’ll want to have your ArborMotion specialist do a few things to prep for spring including:

• Oil change
• Swap winter tires for summer tires
• Check wheel alignment
• Install fresh windshield wipers

You may also want to consider a wheel alignment before your next road trip!

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we care about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!  

Springtime Driving Checklist

Are you and your vehicle ready for warmer weather and leisurely drives? Here’s a handy checklist so you can be springtime driving ready:

• Schedule your oil change! We talk a lot about oil changes at ArborMotion, and for good reason. Your engine oil is one of the most important components inside your vehicle. If your oil is dirty or low, it can cause problems that turn into catastrophes if left unchecked. 
• Schedule a tire swap if you use seasonal tires. Keep an eye on weather predictions and schedule your appointment accordingly. Summer tires don’t do well in cold weather, so be sure the ambient temperature is above 40°F consistently before you put your summer tires on. 
• General maintenance is a good idea. Your manufacturer has a schedule of recommended maintenance at 15,000 to 30,000 mile intervals This maintenance is important so your vehicle will perform at its peak for many years to come. 
• Check your emergency kit. Make sure your backup battery is charged, you have a fresh bottle of water stored, and any snacks you have aren’t expired. 
• Get a car wash. Winter roads bring lots of debris, including salt, which can chew up your undercarriage. Going through a carwash and selecting the undercarriage option is one maintenance item that many of us forget about as the weather starts to warm up. 

To ensure you're ready for springtime driving, read more here.

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we care about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!  

Must-do Maintenance for Infrequent Drivers

Do manufacturer’s recommendations still apply to me, even if I don’t drive very much? What do I have to do to keep my vehicle healthy?

For all infrequent drivers, short commuters, and those of you who have no commute, here are the things your vehicle still needs from you to stay in tip-top shape:

• Oil changes - these are an absolute must every 6 months even if you haven’t driven that much. If your car Isn’t driven much the oil in your engine can collects moisture that may never properly burn off, potentially causing issues for systems that need to be water-free!
• Get up to speed - even if it’s just an occasional drive, get your vehicle up to highway speeds once in a while. That higher speed and bit of distance will work the oil through the engine in a way that city commutes won’t and keeps all rotating parts “exercised” so they don’t atrophy.
• Check your tires because not just tread depth matters. Over time, tires break down, so even if your tread depth looks good, the age of the materials can still cause problems. If you need help with this, give us a call!
• Have all the belts and hoses inspected – we will do this for you at every oil service. Letting a vehicle sit can cause degeneration of anything rubber or plastic. Those parts still go through the weather extremes we get in Michigan, so they to be regularly inspected for wear and cracking. 

In short, even if you don’t use your car often, it still needs some basic care and maintenance so that it works without issues when you’re ready to roll! To ensure you're ready for springtime driving, read more here.

Schedule Service on Your Asian or European Vehicle Today!

We’d love to be your go-to repair shop to help ensure you and your family are safe. Bring your vehicle to ArborMotion and we’ll have it running in tip-top shape in no time! At ArborMotion, we care about your safety! No question is too big or small. Call ArborMotion for domestic and European auto repair at 734-761-1088  to schedule your appointment today!