When purchasing a preowned car, crossover, truck, or SUV, you want to make sure it is in tip top shape before you trust it to safely transport you and others. Whether you’re buying it directly from a dealership or going forward purchasing from a private party, one important area to visibly check out is underneath the hood of the vehicle. First and foremost, you should see if the vehicle has any history or paperwork on its maintenance routine and if it’s up to date on oil changes. This is important information so you can be assured that the vehicle has been well maintained.
Depending on the make and model of vehicle, there should be a manufacturer suggested maintenance schedule that will show details such as when the oil changes need to be done. This could range between every 3,750 – 10,000 miles! If a vehicle has been driven over one of these needed oil changes, there is a chance that damage or excessive wear has been done to the engine, which in turn could mean big problems for you in the future. Another aspect of under the hood you should visually inspect is the timing belt (if applicable). Many Volkswagen vehicles do not have a timing belt (instead a timing chain), but other vehicles do, and it is important to know if it’s ever been changed, or if it’s close to the mileage for a change.
Lastly, you should visually inspect the different hoses that could leak or look for signs of an oil leak. You can also smell if there are any leaks like antifreeze, or if you can smell oil burning. These could be some telltale signs that something is not quite right under the hood even if the engine looks clean and shiny!
Here at Thelen Volkswagen in Bay City, Michigan we not only offer a large inventory of quality used Volkswagen vehicles to choose from, but we also make sure that each and every vehicle goes through a thorough inspection to make sure it’s safe and in top performing shape. We encourage you to check out different aspects of the vehicle too! So, stop in today and choose your own used Volkswagen from our lot, and take it for a test drive!
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