Brake fluid test

Brake fluid moisture is over the allow content on this #VW #Jetta #TDI. Moisture in the hydraulic braking system will introduce a series of issue. This can cause master cylinders and calipers to fail, which can lead to costly repairs. Also, under heavy breaking conditions, the moisture can actually boil, turning to steam, causing the brakes to feel spongy resulting in unsafe braking conditions.
 
If you feel that your vehicle may need a brake fluid flush, call us to make an appointment, call 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.
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2003 Mercedes E320 W211

A 2003 Mercedes E320 W211 chassis came in and put into service mode. We also performed a 100 pt inspection for some additional service.

To make an appointment, call 425-254-0627 or email us. #MeisterWerks European & Import is located one block south from #TheRentonLanding in #Renton, WA.

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A Quality Oil Filter is Important

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A Quality Oil Filter is Important

At Meister Werks, we only use the highest quality oil filter on your vehicle. In this demonstration you can see the difference between high quality and low quality oil filters.

Both filters were removed from the same car, using the same oil. However the interval was drastically different. The one on the top left is a quality oil filter manufactured by Mann, a German company. The other filter pictured has clearly collapsed, which makes it much less effective at filtering oil. These lower quality oil filters can also start disintegrating and get in your oil system, which creating larger problems down the road. The bottom right filter was only used for 1,000 miles, while the other one was used for over 5,000 miles.

Despite what the dealer or manufacturer recommends, we suggest changing your oil and filter at 5,000 miles on all your vehicles. Some manufacturers recommend changing the oil and filter every 10,000 miles, this is a national average and does not take into account our local climate, the driver’s driving style, or the manner in which the vehicle is used. For example, a vehicle that is used mostly for short trips in stop and go traffic means you may need your oil changed more frequently, such as 3,000 miles. Some people who do a lot of long distance freeway driving might be able to go longer than 5,000 miles. Our standard recommendation is 5,000.

At Meister Werks, we help you keep track of your vehicle’s oil service intervals and make sure your vehicle is in tip top shape with our courtesy 30 point inspection. We also use the highest quality oil and filters on the market for your European or import vehicle. Sometimes a quick change oil service company seems convenient, however they might not use quality parts or proper oil which can result in damage or breakdowns and they may not perform inspections which could uncover additional maintenance and repairs your vehicle needs.

Contact us today and get your oil and filter service appointment. To make an appointment, call 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

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2005 Mini Cooper S Fog Light Install

2005 Mini Cooper S Fog Light Install

Wiring

Last Friday we completed a fog light install on Lori’s 2005 Mini Cooper S (Slick). Lori really wanted something unique for her car. We went through the Hella catalogue and spent a good amount of time looking for the perfect lights that were under her budget. She then decided on the Hella 500 Series black magic halogen driving lamp kit, due to the look and styling that would complement Slick.

Building the custom bracket

Custom Brackets

Before receiving the kit we knew that there may be some custom modification or fabrications that to do to get these lights to fit the way she wanted them to. After receiving the kit, Lori dropped off the car and Luke started the mock up. Next, we determined that a simple bracket mount was all we needed to get the lights to line up

Wiring

properly. We then carefully measured, drilled, and tapped the holes in the bumper and rebar. After that we mocked up the bracket, supplied by Hella, with a piece of

Custom Bracket

16 gauge cold rolled steel to create a custom mount. After that, we measured, marked and drilled all the holes. Keenan then took over and media blasted the paint off of the Hella brackets and welded them to our custom mounts. Some more minor sandblasting took place to get them prepped for powder coating. He powder coated the brackets black to match the styling of Slick. After all of that, they were ready to install.

Mounting and Wire Holes

Wiring

While Keenan was building the brackets, Luke stared to wire the head lights to the Mini. We ran the harness under the dash with a hidden switch. Then he wire tucked the harness though the engine compartment and though the car’s re-bar. Two small holes in front of the bracket mounts allowed us to access the headlight harness for a nice and clean install.

Completion

After everything was installed and wired, we aimed the fog lights to line up with the headlights. Lori can request us to re-aim the lights if they are not to her liking. As you can see the install went well and it is exactly the style she was looking for.

If you would like fog lights installed on your car, call 425-254-0627 or email us to make your appointment. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

Mounting Brackets
Front Head On
Covers on
Side
Headlights & Fog Lights
Just Fog Lights
Just Fogs Top
Just Fogs
All On
Fog lights
Custom Bracket
Building the custom bracket
Wiring
Wiring
Mounting and Wire Holes
Covers

 

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Free Alternator & Battery Testing!

Free Alternator & Battery Testing

Do you think your battery may be failing? Is your car staring really slow or making a clicking sound, then starting? At Meister Werks European & Import we will do free battery testing on any car. Not only that, but we have your European car battery in stock as well.

Battery Testing-1Over the past 3 weeks we have changed countless amounts of batteries. We even ran out at one point, calling our Interstate Battery rep to deliver more batteries. We currently have a Snap-On battery tester which makes it a very simple procedure. On most cars, you can be in and out within minutes.

About Batteries & Testing

Our battery tester scans for many other things than just voltage. It tests cold cranking amps (CCA) voltage and alternator charging while the car is running. It will even say wether or not the battery is stable, aka able to hold and keep a charge. One other thing about failing batteries, they can damage your alternator. The alternator is the part that charges your battery. A normal battery should hold between 13 volts and 14 volts. If that battery can only hold a 12v charge, your alternator will kick into overdrive, fighting to charge it to 14v which, over time, will damage the alternator.

Swing by Meister Werks any time, call 425-254-0627 or email us with any questions. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

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Porsche Cayenne – Getting all the Flushes

Porsche Cayenne – Getting all the Flushes

Coolant Flushing-2

The other day this Porsche Cayenne received an oil change, brake flush, and coolant flush. When this Porsche Cayenne was in for an oil change we did our courtesy 30 point inspection on it. We found that the coolant was only good down to 0ºF, but it should be -22ºF or lower. We also found that the brake fluid had a moisture content of 4% and over, which should be much lower, around 0-2%. This means that the antifreeze and brake fluid needed to be changed ASAP before the upcoming winter.

We started by draining all the old coolant / antifreeze out of the Porsche Cayenne. We then hooked up our coolant machine and flushed good coolant though it until it was a nice pink clean color. This Cayenne uses a special coolant that is imperative to use, or else other damage may occur. Green over the counter coolant / antifreeze should never be put in these Porsches. If the wrong coolant is used, the chemicals can eat away the aluminum in the cylinder head, radiator and heater core, this will cause corrosion. Using the wrong coolant / antifreeze will cause problems down the line such as clogged radiators, damaged heater cores and damage the water pump, among other things.

Next, we flushed out the brake fluid. This fluid should be the color of honey and not be dirty what so ever. If there is dirt or moisture in the system, it will decrease braking performance and brake down the seals in your brake master cylinder and calipers.

If you need your coolant or brake fluid flushed, call us at 425-254-0627 or email us to make your appointment. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

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Mk5 VW GTI Stage 2 Clutch

Mk5 VW GTI Stage 2 Clutch

GTI Bad ClutchOn Monday Zach knocked out a Stage 2 South Bend clutch on this Mk5 Volkswagen GTI. Previously, the customer had called to get a quote to replace this on his car. Little did he know that upgrading to a more performance part was only around $150 more. This type of upgrade is very nessesary if you are doing a chip tune or performance upgrades, The factory clutch is not capable of handling any more than 250 horsepower and will wear quickly if not done.

GTI Stage 2 ClutchThe car was towed in last week and diagnosis was confirmed by our tech. We pre-ordered the clutch before the car had arrived and it arrived the next day. When we removed the transmission there was a plethora of “spaghetti” all over the flywheel and pressure plate, as you can see from the photo.

We installed the new South Bend clutch, as well as the rear main and input shaft seals. These are easy and highly recommended seals to replace while doing this kind of job. These additional repairs insure that you will not have to remove the transmission for these kind of repairs again.

After securing all of the transmission parts on the GTI, we replaced the right axle shaft due to a very badly torn CV (constant velocity) joint boot. This was also something that did not cost the customer any additional labor to replace, since the axle was already out of the car.

If you need your vehicle’s clutch done, contact us by phone at 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks is located at 618 Park Ave N, Renton, WA, one block south of The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.

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Mercedes Benz Factory Air Suspension

Mercedes Benz Factory Air Suspension

This week we performed a simple test on this Mercedes Benz GL450 air suspension. After looking the factory air bag suspension had failed. Arnott is the company we use for these bags. They are a fraction of the price and the same quality as the Mercedes Benz suspension.

Mercedes Factory Air Bag Suspension

 

 

About Factory Air Suspension

Factory or original equipment manufactured (OEM) air suspension is a system that auto manufactures use to replace a regular coil spring. The systems have been around for a long time, and contrary to popular belief are very efficient. This can increase the suspension’s firmness and rideability for sportier driving, or softer for a more comfortable ride.

In these systems the vehicle is equipped with a small air pump and valves. When the car needs to go up, the air pump pumps air into the system via air lines and the pressure raises the car. When the car needs to go down, a pressure relief valve opens and lets the air pressure out thus lowering the vehicle.

Failure and Repair

Next we will talk about damage and failure. Over time, these bags will wear out. It’s typically not the rubber, but the internals that limit the travel of the suspension. These are called bump stops. This is a rubber bushing that will bottom out on rubber and not on the bag or the mounting components.There is the potential, although very unlikely, that the bag could get torn. Another way they can fail is the air bag can start leaking. The air bags are crimped with a metal band and these bands could fail over time and allow air to escape.

The leveling sensors are another thing that can fail. Each wheel has a sensor that tells the vehicle’s computer how low or high the car is sitting. Sometimes these fail, typically there will be a warning light on the dash that says something is wrong.

Other things that can fail are the air line, connectors, pumps and fittings. These components can be tested by a authorized shop such as Meister Werks European and Import. We are located 1 block south of The Renton Landing, across the street from Boeing in Renton, WA. Call 425.254.0627 or E-mail today for a quote today!

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Detailing Serivces

Buffing 3-1

Meister Werks offers detailing services. From simple details to full clay bar, polish and wax – We can do it! At Meister Werks in Renton, WA, 1 block south of The Renton Landing on Park Ave N.

Detailing

Buffing 2-2Detailing your car is the best way to protect your vehicle’s paint and interior. Keeping it clean and detailed will increase resale value when you decide to sell or trade in your vehicle. Also protecting the finish can protect the paint from excess dirt build up which, over time, can lead to scratches and corrosion problems down the road. Interior detail will also protect your upholstery from excess dirt build up, stains and excessive wear.

Meister Werks can also detail the sap and road grime from your paint using our clay bar method and make it feel like glass when done. A polish will remove swirls, hard water spots and haze from your paint. Once that is done a thick coat of wax will help protect your paint from the Pacific Northwest weather. We recommend getting this done every 6 months to maintain your car appearance.

Buffing 1-3A thorough interior detail will protect your upholstery and dashboard from the summer heat and winter cold. A deep carpet clean will remove dirt and pine needles from your carpet making it look brand new. On cars with leather we use a conditioner that will keep your seats plush and soft and prone from cracking.

Call 425.254.0627 or email us today for a quote or to make an appointment.

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Wrong coolant issue

This is a prime example of what the wrong antifreeze in your car will do. The triangular shaped ducts are for coolant to run through your engine. As you can see it is extremely corroded and this one specifically is completely clogged. This ended up warping the head due to lack of cooling to this cylinder. The bottom right photo is what it should look like.

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Using the Correct Coolant / Antifreeze

Using the correct coolant /antifreeze in your car seems like a frivolous and unnecessary thing to worry about. However in most European cars this is not the case. You must use the correct type in your vehicle or else damage could occur over time. Putting the wrong brand in can lead to component failure such as clogged radiator / heater core, water pump failure and blockages in the cylinder head and engine block.

As you can see from above the wrong coolant was used in this engine and lack of coolant flushes over time will result in this kind of damage. In this instance, it completely clogged the coolant ports that flow into the cylinder head causing the head gasket to fail and warping the head. A simple cooling system flush at Meister Werks every 50k would have solved this problem. Also using green prestone or over the counter products you find at the gas station is the wrong antifreeze. Specifically this car needs G13 or pink antifreeze. VWs and Porsches need the same thing. BMW uses proprietary blue antifreeze, early VWs use Blue G12 and some Mercedes use a special yellow antifreeze / coolant.

If you have any question about the type you need in your car, feel free to E-mail or call us at 425-254-0627 and we can suggest the correct type for your vehicle.

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