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Vehicle
Inspection
With
the engine off, open the hood. If lift struts are used, do they
support the weight, or does the hood want to drop? Look over the
engine compartment, any signs of rust? It is normal to see rust on
the exhaust manifold. Look at the brackets on the engine, surface
rust on a 10 year old car’s plated brackets can mean the car was
exposed to high concentrations of road salt, and could be an
indication as to the cars origin, and that rust may be forming on
other areas less visible. Look also for leaks around the engine
sides. This may a valve cover or other gaskets that needs attention,
It is normal for an older car to have some caked dirt as a result of
oil leaking, but it shouldn’t look fresh and shiny.
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Check
the fluid levels now. The motor oil should be within the marked
range, and not below the “add” mark. It may be dark, but
should still be transparent. Remove the oil filler cap and smell
the underside. It should not smell burnt. This would indicate
that the oil has been overheated; common for an engine run low
on oil. The cap should not have a thick gooey sludge underneath;
that could be a head gasket problem. Dark caked crude means the
oil has not been changed regularly, or the engine ventilation
system is clogged. The brake fluid should be above the “low”
mark. It will be dark after several years. Don’t forget the
power steering level. If an automatic, the fluid normally needs
to be checked hot, and running. Pull the dipstick while the
engine is not running and note the color and transparency. An
automatic transmission in good shape should have fluid that is a
light pink or red and quite transparent. When a transmission is
failing, the fluid can turn very dark and acquire a burnt smell.
Make sure the radiator is not hot and under pressure before you
remove the radiator cap. The coolant should be a light to medium
green or orange. You should not see a scum on the surface. This
could indicate a head gasket problem or a cooling system that is
in need of a flushing. If you can see the tubes below the cap in
the radiator, they should not have a white caked coating,
possibly indicating a clogged radiator. Look at the fins on the
outside of the radiator. They should be sharp and smooth, not
mashed or crumbly. If they are soft and crumbly, usually near
the bottom of the rad, the rad is failing. Green or white stains
here indicate a failing radiator. If an engine driven cooling
fan is used, grab the outer end of the fan blades and try to
rock the fan front to back. Their should not be much play here.
It could indicate the fan’s clutch is failing. Now it’s time
to check the hoses and belts. Coolant hoses should not be puffy
at the ends, near the clamps. If oil is present, the rubber has
been damaged and the hose will fail. The edges of the hoses on
older cars may be getting brittle indicating replacement. The
accessory belts should be taut and not floppy. They should feel
smooth on the underside, not brittle and flaking. Their should
be no oil on the belts.
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