Are you going to be buying a used car in the near future, but you are not quite sure what you should be looking for when you check it out? Here are some tips for how to inspect a used vehicle when you look under the hood.

Check The Oil

One of the first things you should do is look at the engine oil. You want to make sure that the oil is at the proper levels, which indicates that the previous owner at least had an oil change done prior to the sale. 

However, you also want to look at the quality of the oil and the color and consistency. It is a big red flag if the oil on the dipstick looks milky colored since it is an indication that there is a problem with the head gasket and coolant is getting into the oil. If the engine oil is dark, it is likely oil and needs to be replaced.

Check The Coolant

Next, you should take a look at the coolant levels and color. Make sure that the engine is off and that the vehicle has cooled down before opening the cap to the coolant. Much like the oil, you are looking for the oil to be its proper green color and not milky. If so, this is a sign that oil has gotten into the coolant. 

Check The Radiator Cap

Look at the radiator cap and the overflow tank under the hood. You should only see coolant inside these two areas, since there may have been oil that got into both areas if there was a leak. If there was a leak and it was fixed, the previous owner may not have cleaned these two parts out properly and there would be evidence of oil in them.

Check The Transmission Fluid

You want to look at the color of the transmission fluid since the color of the transmission fluid will tell you about its condition. Pink transmission fluid is what you want to see since it indicates that the transmission is clean. Dark transmission fluid with an odor means that the internal components of the transmission are bad, and you'll want to stay away from buying the vehicle. 

These are just a few things that you should be looking for. Consider having a mechanic look at the vehicle if you want to be sure everything is okay. Visit a dealership to look at used cars, including used Hyundai cars.

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