Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Visual and Physical Underhood Inspection

Perform a careful visual and physical underhood inspection if performing any diagnostic procedure or diagnosing the cause of an emission test failure. This can often lead to the cause of a problem without further steps. Use the following guidelines for performing a visual and physical inspection:
^ Inspect all the vacuum hoses for the following conditions:
- Any pinched hoses
- Any cuts
- Any disconnected hoses
^ Inspect all of the hoses beneath the following components:
- The air cleaner
- The A/C compressor
- The generator
- Any other engine accessories
^ Inspect all wires in the engine compartment for the following items:
- Proper connections
- Burned spots, and chafed spots
- Pinched wires
- Contact with sharp edges
- Contact with hot exhaust manifolds

This visual and physical inspection is very important. The visual and physical inspection must be completed carefully and thoroughly.