The engine bay of a used car from Japan: what can be seen, and what can't

A listing usually has one photo of the engine bay, taken from the front with the bonnet (hood) up. It shows that there is an engine. It rarely shows what I'd actually look at.

What I look at under the bonnet

When the dealer lets us open the bonnet, these are the things I look at:

• Oil leaks. Where oil is getting out, and how much.
• Coolant leaks. Water or coolant where it shouldn't be.
• Odd noises, once the dealer's staff have started the engine.
• Strange repairs. Work that looks like it's been done in an odd way.
• The radiator core support, the panel across the front that the radiator sits in, on cars where it can be seen.

None of these is a verdict on the car. They're what's worth photographing and asking about. For accident repairs and what a Japanese listing's "repair history" line covers, see repair history and flood cars.

What we can't tell you

• What's inside the engine. In my view, used engines vary a lot, and you can't tell what an engine is like inside just by looking at it. You'd have to open it up. We don't take anything apart.
• Anything we couldn't see. If the dealer doesn't let us open the bonnet or start the engine, we mark it as Not verified in the report and say why. Covers and the layout of some cars also hide parts of the engine bay.
• How the engine runs. We don't connect diagnostic equipment and we don't drive the car. The dealer's staff start it, and we can't tell whether it had already been warmed up. See engine start videos for what to watch and listen for.

We don't tell you whether to buy.

If the engine bay is what you're unsure about, tell us, and we'll ask the dealer to open the bonnet and photograph what can be seen.

Send us the listing link

Photos and questions for the dealer

1. Photos of the engine bay from both sides, not just from the front
2. Close-ups underneath the engine, as far as can be seen without lifting the car, for any signs of oil or coolant
3. A short video of the engine starting, and whether it had already been run that day
4. Any record of work on the engine. Whether the dealer will show records varies from dealer to dealer (see what a Japan car history check can tell you)

A Remote Check is where we put these requests to the dealer in Japanese for you.

Written by Yoshiaki Sagara, a paintless dent repair and detailing technician in Japan. He looks at cars for overseas buyers through Ninja Desk Japan. About us

Send us the listing link