Mechanical Visual
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Last Update: March 12, 2003
Part 3: Wholesale Certification Minimum Standards

Mechanical Visual

 

Tires
Standard:

  • Tires must be of the same make, model, and size.
  • No out of round conditions, flat spots, visible broken belts, or excessive camber-toe wear.
  • No plugs or damage on tire walls.
  • Tread depth should be better than 4/32 across the tread.
  • Tread depth must be documented.
  • Verify and adjust tire pressure (including spare) to the specification listed on the tire.

Acceptable Damage

  • Minor scuffing

Unacceptable Damage

  • Cuts, gouges, or tears
  • Bulges or structural damage
  • Uneven tire wear
  • Sidewall plug repairs or vulcanized sidewalls
  • Recapped tires
  • Insufficient tread depth

Recommended Test Procedure:

Visually verify that all of the tires are the same make, model, and size. Make sure no damage can be seen on the surface or sidewalls of the tire. Run your hand over the tire to check for feathered edges or flat spots. An uneven tire wear pattern may indicate suspension, steering (front tires) or structural damage. Additional inspection may be required. Check the tread using a depth gauge and document it on the inspection checklist. All tires must have adequate tread depth (4/32). Measure and adjust tire pressure (including spare) to the specification listed on the tire. Always record this condition on the condition report. Tires are a safety item, and therefore, should be inspected carefully.

 

Brakes
Standard:

  • The master cylinder should be full and the fluid should be in good condition.
  • The hydraulic system should have no leaks, cracks, or exhibit any signs of significant deterioration.
  • Rotors, drums, calipers, and brake hardware should be free of significant defects.
  • Rotor thickness should be more than the minimum thickness stamped on the inside of the rotor.
  • Rotors should not have excessive lateral runout or lack parallelism enough to cause pulsation.
  • Calipers must not stick and should slide freely.
  • The brake pads should have a minimum of 50% material left and should measure to 5/16 inch or more.
  • Drums should not be out of round enough to cause pulsation.
  • Drums should be above the minimum thickness standard stamped inside the drum.
  • The brake shoes should have a minimum of 3/16 of the lining left.
  • The parking brake should maintain the vehicle in its parked position.
  • The parking brake should release without excessive difficulty.
  • The bake system should not pull, clunk, scrape, squeal, grab, or exhibit premature lockup.
  • A.B.S. must be operational (if equipped).

Recommended Test Procedure:

The master cylinder should be inspected for contamination and should be topped off with the proper fluid. The hydraulic system should be visually inspected for leaks, cracks, or any signs of significant deterioration. Only the right front wheel should be removed to thoroughly inspect the brake system if there are no brake problems detected during the test drive or automated braking test. If a brake problem is detected, then all wheels must be removed for further inspection. The rotor and drum will need to be checked for minimum specifications with an appropriate measuring tool and should be checked for cracks, significant scoring, uneven wear, parallelism, and excessive runout. Disk brake pads should be inspected and should have 50% or more material left, which should measure 5/16 inch or more. There should be no significant uneven wear of the brake pads or shoes. It is important to verify that the caliper slides free on its mounting fixture, so that the pads will wear evenly. All drum brake mounting hardware should be inspected to ensure each piece is in its proper position. The brake shoes should have 3/16 inch or more lining left. Now, it can be verified that the drum brake adjuster screw assembly (star wheel) is free by adjusting the rear brake shoes to specification. The parking brake should be adjusted correctly, should maintain the vehicle in position, and should release with minimum effort. Verification of the A.B.S. system should be done by watching the lamp turn on with the ignition key in the run position and verifying that the lamp goes out after starting the vehicle.