How to Use a Borescope Camera to Inspect a Used Car

Learn how to use a borescope camera to inspect a used car. Detect hidden engine damage, leaks, rust and costly problems before you buy. A borescope camera is one of the most underrated tools for inspecting a used car’s roadworthiness before purchase.

Unlike a torch, a flexible inspection camera allows you to see inside engine bays, behind dashboards, inside chassis rails and other confined spaces where expensive problems often hide.

Whether you’re buying a used 4WD, family SUV, or work ute, a borescope camera can help identify coolant leaks, accident damage, corrosion and wiring issues before you hand over your money, making it one of the best car inspection tools for used cars.

What Is a Borescope Camera?

A borescope camera (also known as an automotive inspection camera) is a flexible camera mounted on the end of a narrow probe that allows you to inspect areas of a vehicle that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Most modern automotive borescopes feature adjustable LED lighting, waterproof camera probes and either a built-in display or smartphone connectivity.

Unlike a standard inspection mirror or torch, a borescope lets you photograph or record hidden defects inside engine bays, chassis rails, dashboards and other confined spaces without dismantling components.

Typical features include:

• Flexible waterproof camera probe
• Adjustable LED illumination
• HD image or video recording
• Smartphone or dedicated LCD display
• Magnetic, hook and mirror attachments
• Rechargeable battery

Looking for different models to suit your purpose? Explore these automotive borescope cameras (paid link).

Why Professional Vehicle Inspectors Use Borescopes

When carrying out a pre-purchase inspection, I don’t want to rely on guesswork. A borescope allows me to inspect areas that buyers and many sellers never see.

Rather than removing engine covers or dismantling components, I can quickly inspect behind turbochargers, under intake manifolds, inside chassis rails and around hidden coolant hoses for evidence of leaks, corrosion or previous repairs.

A borescope is particularly useful for:

• Finding coolant leaks hidden behind engine components
• Inspecting wiring damaged by rodents
• Checking for oil leaks underneath intake manifolds
• Looking inside chassis rails for rust or accident repairs
• Photographing defects for inspection reports

If you’re inspecting a vehicle yourself, combining a borescope with an OBD2 scanner and paint thickness gauge provides a much more thorough inspection than relying on a visual walk-around alone.

Where to Use a Borescope During a Used Car Inspection

Engine Bay

Don’t just look for active oil leaks.

Use the camera to inspect underneath hoses, around turbochargers, behind timing covers and below the intake manifold, where leaks often begin long before they become visible from above.

Also check for:

• Dried coolant residue
• Fresh oil around the gasket joins
• Chafed wiring looms
• Loose vacuum hoses
• Missing clips and fasteners
• Rodent damage
• Broken clips
• Wiring damage
• Oil leaks
• Coolant leaks

If you suspect coolant loss, a cooling system pressure tester is the next tool to confirm the source of the leak.

Under Intake Manifolds

Check for:

• Oil seepage
• Coolant staining
• Corrosion

Behind Engine Components

Inspect:

• Heater hoses
• Freeze plugs
• Hidden coolant pipes

Inside Chassis Rails

Chassis rails are one of the most overlooked areas during a used car inspection.

By feeding a borescope through factory access holes, you can inspect for:

• Internal rust
• Packed mud from off-road use
• Corrosion
• Previous Accident repairs
• Weld repairs
• Water accumulation

Hidden rust often develops in areas that are difficult to inspect without a borescope. Water leaks around the windscreen, firewall or dashboard can trap moisture for months, leading to corrosion that isn’t immediately visible but may cause expensive structural or electrical repairs if left unchecked.

On four-wheel drives that have spent time on beaches or river crossings, corrosion often begins inside the chassis long before it becomes visible externally.

Behind Dashboard

Useful for finding:

• Water leaks
• Wiring repairs
• Heater box damage

Wheel Wells

Check:

• Rust
• Suspension damage
• Hidden accident repairs

What Problems Can a Borescope Detect?

Professional Inspection Tip

During pre-purchase inspections, I rarely use a borescope to search for one specific fault.

Instead, I use it to confirm suspicions raised during the initial inspection.

For example:

• Uneven tyre wear patterns may indicate suspension damage, so I’ll inspect inside the wheel wells and chassis rails for accident repairs.
• Coolant staining may lead me to inspect behind the engine, where hidden hose leaks commonly occur.
• Fault codes relating to misfires or boost pressure may prompt a closer inspection around turbochargers and intake plumbing.

Using several inspection tools together provides a much clearer picture of a vehicle’s condition than relying on any single tool alone.

Limitations of a Borescope Camera

A borescope is an excellent inspection tool, but it isn’t a magic wand.

It cannot diagnose every mechanical fault or replace professional testing equipment.

For example, while a borescope can help locate coolant stains, you’ll still need a cooling system pressure tester to confirm an active leak. Likewise, combustion gases inside the cooling system require a combustion leak tester rather than a camera.

Think of a borescope as a tool that helps you see hidden problems, not one that diagnoses every issue on its own.

Borescope vs Inspection Mirror

Comparison table.

Common Mistakes

• Buying probes that are too thick
• Ignoring IP ratings
• Using poor lighting
• Forgetting to record images
• Not inspecting chassis rails

Do You Need a Borescope?

Recommend one if:

• Buying used cars
• Inspecting 4WDs
• DIY servicing
• Mobile mechanics

Conclusion

A borescope camera is one of the best investments for anyone inspecting used cars, particularly modern vehicles with crowded engine bays and hidden components.

Combined with a tyre tread depth gauge, OBD2 scanner, paint thickness gauge and cooling system pressure tester, it helps uncover expensive faults before they become your problem.

Using the essential private car buyer’s checklist and spending a few minutes inspecting hidden areas with a good borescope camera (paid link) could save you thousands in unexpected repairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a borescope see inside an engine?

Yes, in some applications. A borescope can inspect cylinders through spark plug holes on suitable engines and is also useful for viewing inaccessible engine areas without dismantling components.

Are automotive borescopes worth buying?

Yes. A quality automotive borescope can identify hidden leaks, corrosion, damaged wiring and signs of previous repairs that are difficult to detect with the naked eye.

Can a borescope detect coolant leaks?

Yes. It can help locate coolant stains, leaks and damaged hoses hidden behind engine components.

What’s the difference between an endoscope and a borescope?

A borescope is designed for mechanical inspections, whereas an endoscope is typically associated with medical applications. Automotive borescopes are built to withstand oil, grease and workshop environments.