Northeast Columbia Auto Repair

Photo by Liviu C. on Unsplash   So it’s time to hand over your precious BMW to the next generation of drivers in your family. This is both an exciting and slightly scary process because it’s not so simple as people make it out to be. Incredibly irritating is the fact that your kid (inheriting your car) will have to pay a used car tax which has never been a fun experience.    Keep in mind, most states can allow you to avoid this tax, but only if you are gifting it to an “immediate” family member, such as your spouse, kids, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings. But, as we said, that’s in MOST states.   Although there are a lot of steps to take and a lot of paperwork to do when passing ... read more

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash   It’s Halloween time! South Carolina has much to offer during Autumn. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most exciting festivals and places you can attend, that are at most, on a two-hour drive from Columbia!   Fall Festival and Corn Maze and Denver Downs Farm, Anderson - Fan of Halloween? Well, this festival is for you. The farm at Denver Downs masterfully combines the day-to-day activities of farm life, as well as the spooky traits of the Halloween tradition! Singing pumpkin lights, corn maze trips during the night and barnyard bonfires are only part of the whole experience!   Boone Hall Fright Nights, Mount Pleasant - Boone Hall is the state’s l ... read more

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash   Hurricanes are both terrifying and devastating. Throughout its history, South Carolina has been hit by a total of 30 hurricanes, some of which caused the state to go into an emergency (most notoriously Hazel in 1954 and Gracie in 1959). This month, we wanted to look at what to do in a hurricane, as a refresher course in case something big and unexpected hits the Carolina coast in September.   Before we get into what you’ll need to protect yourself and your loved ones during a hurricane, we have to make something clear: you need to stay informed. Check your weather news an ... read more

Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash   BMW has established itself as one of the most forward-thinking car brands in the world. With sales going through the roof, the company has plenty of space to cook up new ways to reassert its dominance in the market. Innovation and technological advancement are coming, and looking back at BMW’s history, we can see that they may be ready to take another big step forward.    What we’re focused on today is their 100 Year Vision, the Bavarian Motor Works manifesto for the next 100 years of automotive creation. The vision, in a nutshell, is to create a line of individualized and connected drivin ... read more

Photo by Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay   We’ve got summer on our minds this month, specifically getting ready for another hot summer in Columbia. South Carolina heat can be pretty serious. However, there are lots of steps you can take to protect your BMW (or your Mercedes or your Mini Cooper), your passengers, and yourself when out in the summer heat.    The key to getting through a hot summer is good planning. That may mean making more decisions than you’d like to make, but those decisions can spare you and your car a lot of oppressive heat. Here are some of the things you can do to get ahead of summer’s heat!   Plan your trips. The less you have to go out, the ... read more

Photo by Jo Zef Mrkwa from Pixabay   Welcome to the June blog for Brown Motor Works! It’s time for summer fun again, and with people returning to the highways just in time for the 4th of July, it’s a good time to go over some of the basic knowledge drivers should have.   Your BMW works in a similar way to most combustion devices. The more you know about it, the more prepared you will be for the challenges drivers face. Here are our top 5 things every driver should know!   Know how to check the air tire pressure -- This is the number 1 item for a big reason. Your tires are the point where your car connects to the road. Tire pressure can decide your fuel efficiency, but ... read more

Photo by Hunter Newton on Unsplash   Welcome to the May blog for Brown Motor Works Northeast! We hope spring has been kind to you and you are working your way towards a productive summer. With the pandemic beginning to lift and people finally beginning to get their vaccinations, it looks like we might be in for a jam-packed summer all over the U.S.   And with summer on the horizon, it’s a good moment to consider what needs to be done to your car before the sun is at its most destructive in August. Left unchecked, the sun’s rays can be pretty harsh on a car’s interior and can make driving a painful experience. Here are our top three suggestions for keeping it cool this summer:   Good planning can spare you the heat ... read more

Welcome to Brown Motor Works Blog! It’s so frustrating to think of others enjoying their shiny new 2021 BMW X5 when we’re starting to see the age of our 2011 X5. Everything we’re noticing about the 2021 X5 makes us want one. It’s a gorgeous car. Understandably, you’d want a more recent, shinier model. But sometimes, greed and desire for new things can get the best of us. Our X5 has been loyal to us over these many years. It may not have all the flash of the 2021 model or the bells and whistles, but it does have many great features. And it’s ours. We’ve paid for it. The X5 is a sport utility with all-wheel drive. You have five passengers capacity and with a lot of interior space. Your BMW is a car you can keep for years because BMWs are luxurious, classy, and have great curb appeal, as long as they are maintained.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea that we should have the latest model, and if we don’t, we’re fall ... read more

When you first get a BMW, one of the things that impress us is the factory-installed sound system. There are usually three ranges of complexity, but all three are Harmon Kardon systems that deliver excellent audio entertainment. The three standard BMW audio systems range from a simple stereo Harmon Kardon system with no tweeters and no amplifier, to a Hi-Fi configuration of a Harmon Kardon system, to the premium sound system with woofers under the seats. The YouTube channel, “What’s Your Forté,” has a wonderful guide to getting the most out of the sound settings of your Harmon Kardon system, no matter what configuration is operating inside your BMW. BMW vehicles are known to have excellent sound qualities, but now we’re talking about more than just the stereo system. BMWs show their high level of quality in the sounds they make, including the purr of the engine and the sound of a closing car door. BMW means quality, and if you don’t hear good soun ... read more

February 2021 is a scary time for most people in Columbia. With a new COVID19 variant threatening at the same time that the vaccine is finally getting distributed, we’re in a race to save ourselves. We must keep being safe and protecting the weak among us until the vaccine reaches all of us. As we roll into February and Valentine’s Day promises us a moment of validation and affection, love is an essential factor in our everyday lives. It’s important to show your love instead of your fear, not only for your friends and neighbors but for yourself. As we age, fear sets into our lives because we have more to lose. We tie our fortunes into the equity in a property, and we raise a family. We are suddenly aware of our mortality and the vulnerability we ignored in our twenties. We have legitimate fears for the first time in our lives. We must develop coping skills and learn to be brave if we want to achieve more. That’s the importance of love. Choosing to be empathet ... read more