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The inspection of a used car engine begins with first with a visual inspection of the engine, engine compartment and underside of the engine. At this point you have not yet started the engine and it should be cold to the touch. If the engine is hot this means the car was running recently and could potentially be a subtle indication of a problem.

When shopping for a used car you want to inspect the engine when it is stone cold as this will give you the best insight to the actual condition of the motor. A warm engine will always start and run easier than a cold engine. This means that a car that is difficult to start or displays symptoms of wear on cold start up may appear to run and start smoothly if the engine has been warmed prior to your arrival to inspect the car.

When visually inspecting the engine you are looking at the general condition as a whole. Specifically you are looking to see any signs that the vehicle has been tampered with or signs that a problem exists.

Where to begin when inspecting the engine of a used car
Begin your inspection of a used car engine by looking for oil leaks inside the engine compartment and especially on the underside of the engine. Also, you can often gain insight into the oil leakage of a car by looking on the ground underneath where the car is regularly parked. Our mechanic advises that as a general rule a car will be leaking oil if it has not been maintained properly or driven excessively hard in the past.

In addition to oil leaks you should also look for coolant leaks in the cooling system and radiator of the car. Look at the radiator and the hoses that connect the radiator to the engine for green or white stains. Radiator coolant is green and will leave green stains where slow leaks exist. If the radiator coolant comes in contact with high heat engine components it will turn white often. Additionally there is an overflow reservoir that connects to the radiator which should have radiator coolant in it. This reservoir has a full line mark which you can check.