Autoscope of Plano, Dallas, and Park Cities – BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche Service & Repair

Installing an Escort 9500ci on a Porsche at Autoscope Dallas Park Cities is carried out by our Master Technician Mike Cole. Mike is installing the latest Escort radar and laser defense system, The Escort 9500ci, which implements laser “shifting” technology and all-band radar protection to ensure speeding tickets will never bother you again.  A great feature with the Escort is the database of red light cameras and speed-based cameras that comes preloaded into the system. Do not worry about this technology becoming outdated because you can always update it to have the latest information on speed traps. To install this system, Mike has to first strip the front of the Porsche in order to get to the front bumper apron so he can cut a hole in it and bolt in the main receiver. On either side of the main receiver will be  one laser shifter. Mike will also bolt in another laser shifter above the rear license plate for protection from behind. What a laser shifter does is when a radar gun is pointed at your car it can not get a lock because the shifters bounce the radar’s waves in different directions.  He will also be installing a control panel in the dash of the Porsche and a GPS receiver in the rear. After this install, the Porsche will be virtually invisible to all radar guns and speed traps.

Check Autoscope.net for the completed installation on the  Escort 9500ci on a Porsche at Autoscope Dallas Park Cities.

Having the proper alignment is key to road safety. A bad alignment on a car can cause many problems leading to costly repairs or even accidents.  Signs that you may have a bad alignment are: Unable to maintain a straight line, and uneven wear in tires. With a bad alignment, you can ruin a new set of tires within 500 miles because it may be causing extreme wear on a specific part of the tire. Many things may cause your alignment to be off. If you hit a curb or run over a speed bump to fast, you might  distort the car’s alignment. 

Autoscope recommends that you have your alignment checked at least once every six months especially if you are driving on rough patches of roads.

New tire ruined by bad alignment

Autoscope recommends that you check under your hood periodically. Squirrels like to make shelters underneath the hood because it is warmer than it is outside. A sure sign you have a squirrel problem are the remains of acorns. It is not just squirrels you need to look out for though. Birds and other critters like to build nest in your engine compartment as well. Having any type of debris near your engine is potentially hazardous and needs to be removed.

Why do you need weights? 

Weights are added to a tire to counteract the tire and wheel unbalance. The worse the disturbance is, the more weights are needed to counteract it. 

Can you put to many weights on your tires? 

Yes, Autoscope recommends no more than three ounces in weights for each tire. 

Why would you need more than three ounces? 

Too Many Weights installed on a wheel to correct an imbalance usually indicates a more serious problem.

If you have to put more than three ounces of weights on your tires to try and balance them out you may have an underlying problem such as a bent rim or even water inside your tire. Both problems will lead to an uneven ride.

Why should you have your car waxed?

A car that has not been waxed or not been waxed properly leaves its top coat vulnerable to acid rain, pollution, insects, bird droppings, radiant energy, ultraviolet energy and whatever else the city can throw at you. With a good wax, you can prevent dulling and scratching saving you from costly repairs in the future.

When do you know you should wax your car?

A good way to determine if it is time to get your car waxed is if rain water no longer beads up on the hood.

Does it matter if the paint is old?

No, you can wax any car to help protect it.

Do you get a car waxed right after a new paint job?

No. Autoscope reccomends waiting a year before waxing.

Does Autoscope provide a wax service?

Yes. Autoscope provides a full detail for your car. It includes conditioning your leather seats along with waxing and polishing the finish. Autoscope has professional detail personnel.

The Hawk Eye at Autoscope

 At Autosope in Park Cities Dallas we use the Hawk Eye™ to align your car’s tires. The Hawk Eye™ is a high-definition digital imaging alignment system. It uses multi dimensional modeling to collect accurate alignment measurements. With this system Autoscope can decrease the amount of time it takes to align tires on your vehicle.  Along with the Hawk Eye™, Autoscope uses WinAlign® alignment software. This enables us to  receive the largest amount of vehicle specs in the industry.

MERCEDES-BENZ SL ENGINE AT AUTOSCOPE IN DALLAS TEXAS

Mercedes-Benz Master Technician Dan Gould works on a  Mercedes SL engine at Autoscope in Park Cities-Dallas. After completely removing the engine from the Mercedes Roadster, Dan will remove and replace damaged head gaskets. A common engine problem with the early SL models is the engine sealant called Hylomar. Although it worked great when it was new, the Hylomar wears down and cracks over years of expanding and contracting under heat and pressure.  Autoscope’s master technician Dan works to remove the timing cover to make a more thorough inspection of the engine. He will reseal it with a new Mercedes-Benz sealant that is resistant to the heat and pressure caused by the engine. This sealant will last much longer than the Hylomar extending the lifetime of the Mercedes SL engine.

Why do I need a brake fluid flush?

Why is flushing important? Conventional glycol-based brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water. This is important, in order to keep condensation in the brake system from causing corrosion. However, eventually, the fluid will absorb all the moisture it can hold, reaching its point of saturation. Several things can happen at this point. Unabsorbed moisture can begin to collect in the system, causing corrosion in critical areas; the water can cause seals to swell and deteriorate, further contaminating the fluid; and the boiling point of of the fluid drops beyond recommended levels. This means that under high-heat braking conditions, such as during hard braking or repeated brake application while descending a mountain, the fluid will start boiling sooner, which will reduce braking performance. The pedal can begin to feel spongy, and as braking efficiency drops, it takes longer to stop the vehicle.

Most maintenance schedules that do specify it recommend changing the fluid every two years or 30,000 miles. If you live in an unusually humid climate, it’s better to plan on doing it every year. However, your eyes can tell you when the time has come. Fresh brake fluid is transparent and has a slight amber-colored look. As the fluid absorbs moisture, it takes on a darker, cloudy appearnace, which tells you it needs changing.

On this vehicle, the front wheels are not aligned to the rear thrust line. This can happen from normal wear and stress, whether your vehicle has adjustable or non-adjustable rear suspension.

To steer straight ahead, you would have to steer the front wheels slightly to the right.

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