Bryan Auto Repair

Do you have a magic machine?? We get this too much. Lets see if we can answer this so everyone understands. Starting in the early 80’s cars were required to have On Board Diagnostics. Commonly referred to as OBD. As with the Iphone and all other electronics it has been updated…OBD – OBD1 – OBD2 etc… What this means is the car has the ability to monitor systems and tell if one is not working properly. When that happens it sets a trouble code and in some cases will turn on a warning light. Here is where we get into myth vs. reality. To retrieve a code you need a code reader or a scan tool. The Magic Box!!! Not really it is just another tool. First what is a code reader? It is a tool used to retrieve and clear trouble codes in the generic and emission systems. We use the Bluepoint Micro scan. It is great for quick checks or clearing codes. Great for double checking after a repair to make sure all is good. It does not have any live data, by-directional testi ... read more

We live in a microwave pace of life today with many plates spinning! In the Auto Repair business we fight the opinions of people and reputation of an industry. Lets be honest, the reputation is rough and the opinions of many are true. But not at all shops. Since my dad opened in 1986, B&B Automotive Services has always tried to look at things from a customers side. Putting customer service FIRST! Have we always been successful…no, after all we are human. We make mistakes and we try to fix them to the customers satisfaction. We also have procedures in place to keep those at a minimum, but it still happens from time to time. Since we spend so much time looking from the other side of the counter I thought I would share a day in the life of the auto technician. Three things to think about from the mechanics side.. Shops are busy with tons of things happening at the same time. Our techs have 2 bays and 3-4 cars on the digital inspection folder to get checked out ASAP. Remember t ... read more

The older I get the more I realize life is too hard to focus on things that don’t matter. Today we work hard to have a bigger house so each child has a room and private bath room. We fill our lives full of things…stuff that a year(or less) later we don’t use. I am not anti stuff don’t get me wrong, but ask why do I want/need this stuff… My grand parents raised 4 kids in a 1100 sq ft house with one bath. I grew up in a 1600 sq ft house and shared a room! My aunts, uncle, and my siblings all survived!! You ask Where did this come from?? This is not the usual B&B Automotive FAQ. You are right it isn’t, but maybe it is. We say “We treat you like family” here. To me it is more than a Tag or a Slogan. It is who we are…or at least who we want to be. It starts with our team. They work hard! Its hot, often thankless work. The shop makes payroll and the bills get paid! That’s what is important right!?? I don’t think so. W ... read more

Due to servicing 2000 cars per year, we get backed up sometimes. When we can’t meet the time expectation of our customers, knowing we are known for honesty and integrity, we get asked “Is there anyone else we could try?” Not wanting to back away from a sensitive subject and wanting to always be upfront we will be answering this question today. While we think we are the best in town and give great service, we have been around long enough to know there are other places that have a solid reputation as well. 1 Sevcik Service Center Started by Leon Sevcik over 40 years ago in Bryan. They are still a family run business with Pat and Mark taking over when Leon passed. They relocated in College Station off Longmire. 2 Aggieland Automotive The newest shop on our list, but are well known for being up to date on technology in our ever changing industry. Kirk and his guys also do pretty well on European cars. They are in College Station off Brentwood. And if you are not sati ... read more

Wow this is a hard question!! Short answer typically $400-$800 on average. I know that does not help right… First, lets start with what is a tune up anyway. A tune up is a scheduled maintenance item on a car or truck that has to do with the fuel and ignition system. It is not a repair these are things designed to wear out or stop up. These are spark plugs, distributor caps and rotors, coils, and coil boots. Fuel filters and air filters and on newer cars induction service is very important. If it sounds like a lot… it is. Cars today are more complex and require less frequency on tune ups, but that comes at a cost. Spark plugs of the past used copper and a resistor, today platinum and iridium are common. Copper plugs retail for about $4.99 per plug while some iridium plugs can cost $35. Cars are also packed into tighter engine compartments making it harder to access tune up parts. Some need the intake manifold removed to gain access to spark plugs and boots. So what do you ... read more