I’m a mechanic: Two clues to look for when buying a used car that show if a vehicle was serviced by a previous owner

A PROFESSIONAL mechanic has shown how vital it is to be as thorough as possible when buying a used vehicle.

The auto technician noted that checking a used car’s fluids and asking for its maintenance history will help ensure that a potential model is a good buy.

Fluids are easy to find under the hood of your car, says mechanic Andy of Royalty Auto Services (@royaltyautoservice) in a video clip on TikTok.

Andy started by stressing how important it is to first check that the hood releases smoothly before diving into checking the fluids because it could indicate other issues with the car.

He then says to lift the hood and check for any fluids you can see.

Andy begins accessing the vehicle’s oil with a dipstick.

The end of a dipstick has two lines, the lower one indicates that your oil is one-quarter full, and the upper line indicates that your oil tank is full.

Andy suggests carrying a cloth with you to clean the wand before inserting it back into its holster.

Driving with adequate oil levels is vital, as the fluid gradually becomes contaminated and turns to sludge as it accumulates miles.

This sludge will wreak havoc on your engine as it will not be able to lubricate the moving parts of your engine.

Water wands usually have a bright yellow or orange handle to make them more easily identifiable.

Other fluids near the dipstick include coolant and brake fluid.

Coolant and brake fluid levels should be between the full and low marks on the reservoirs.

Coolant prevents a car’s engine from overheating, while brake fluid helps transfer movement and force from the brake pedal.

Driving continuously with low brake fluid can eventually lead to brake system failure.

Finally, Andy recommends requesting documentation of a used vehicle’s maintenance history, which will help you verify that the previous owner took care of the car.