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Engine Compartment Inspection

4:42
25:38
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How NOT to buy a Skid Loader!

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What happens here

Carefully inspect the engine compartment. First, pull out the oil dipstick to check the engine oil. It should be relatively clean and not overly dark or gritty. Smell the oil for any burnt odor, which indicates overheating or severe engine wear. Also, look for any hours recorded directly on the oil filter, as this can indicate consistent maintenance. Check the condition of the air filter and look for its manufacturing date; an old or dirty air filter signifies neglect. Inspect the battery for its manufacturing date to determine its remaining life, as batteries can be expensive to replace. Finally, examine the entire engine compartment for any oil leaks or spills, which could point to failing seals or gaskets. Check the integrity of all hoses for rust or cracking, especially high-pressure lines, as damage here can lead to leaks or a loss of power over time. A cleaner, drier engine compartment is generally a good sign of diligent maintenance.

Goal: Assess the engine's health by checking oil quality, fluid levels, filters, and hose conditions.

Tools and materials

  • Air Filter N/A — Checking condition and manufacturing date
  • Battery N/A — Checking manufacturing date for remaining life
  • Belts N/A — Checking for cracking and wear
  • Fuel Filter Bobcat — Checking for recent replacement
  • Hands N/A — Feeling oil, checking hoses, removing caps
  • Hoses N/A — Checking for rust and cracking
  • Nose N/A — Smelling burnt oil
  • Oil Dipstick N/A — Checking engine oil level and quality
  • Oil Filter Bobcat — Checking for maintenance records

What they say

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oil. Okay. See how that looks. Cold. It's cold. Yeah. Hadn't been started. You You'd rather not have it be started. And that looks like sniff it as well, too. I can't smell, but Yeah. Right. You always smell burned out. So, sni So, sniff that oil for the burnout. Here, let me smell it. I I do want to smell that. Here. I knew you were going to do that. I knew it cuz I wanted to do it to Alex when he was doing I'm like, it was so hard not to. Thank you not to do that. I'm like, "Oh, God." Was everything it took me? So, that oil smells fresh. And that oil, how long ago was that changed, Alex? Recently. Okay. And and the hours should be on your oil filter. We have a whiteboard that we keep all our hours. Yep. But you It's nice to see them if they're somebody wrote on Magic Marker and and you know, they've been doing maintenance on it. Yeah. You just take a look at everything you can. Now, look at the rust. Yep. You see that? That means that this machine is a little bit older. And look at the hoses. Look at the hoses right here. You can see that there may be some cracking on them. What is your thoughts on cracking hoses, Timmy? Uh, depends on how easy they are to get to. You know, you can see where they go and you could probably crank them. Like these ones, you see them cracking. Yeah, they're weathered on the top. Yeah, just weather checking, which tells me that those only got a couple more years left in them at best. So, yeah, especially if they're a high pressure hose. I don't think a hose should scare you though. No. Oh, no. But it should be an indicator. Bargaining tool. A bargaining tool and an indicator of the true age and health of the piece of equipment, right? You know, another thing too to look for is is the tag on it. You want the tag on it because that serial number should be there cuz that gives you the ability to look it up and to know what you're looking for on that piece of equipment if there's been any major overhauls or redoss. And as we look at this one, what are you seeing, Alex? Uh, I would definitely, you know, pop the air filter off again, check the date on the battery just because they aren't cheap. You know, check the fuel filter, see if that's been replaced recently. And then overall, how oily and leaky is the machine? Is there oil? You know, this one is dusty where usually the dust will stick to the oil and kind of make like a barrier. This one, you can tell

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