vanagon inspection service

 
vanagon inspection service in seattle
 

Let’s get everything in working order.

Whether your vehicle is brand new to you or you've owned it for 40 years, being deeply grounded in its current state is critical. To help with that process, we have designed custom inspection services for all the vehicles we work on—Vanagons (water-cooled only regardless of conversion type, if any), 2WD or Syncro, Manual or Automatic.

Our Inspection Service is designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of the current state of your vehicle. We spend up to 4 hours inspecting every system, including a substantial test drive to gather qualitative data and get an overall "feel" for the van. Following the test drive, the technician evaluates the vehicle system by system.

At the end of the inspection process, you will have a very detailed picture of your vehicle. Our service writing team will review the report with you in detail, spending as much time as you'd like - some customers spend 90 minutes, some spend 10 minutes; it depends on the van and you. You can schedule some work immediately, plan some out for the future, or just sit with the new knowledge you have. Regardless, you will have a complete roadmap for the next 5-10 years of ownership and a realistic picture of the investments you need to make relative to your goals.

We can do 2-3 of these weekly; they are unavailable as a "buyer's inspection.” They tend to need to be scheduled 2-4 weeks in advance. 

COST

  • $440 for all mechanical inspections - 2WD, 4WD, Subaru, etc.

  • Additional $110 for camping systems inspection

get an inspection
 

included in inspection

    • Signs of smoke at start-up and while driving

    • Alignment issues

    • Steering looseness

    • Suspension feel

    • Various brake tests

    • Proper shifting of gears

    • Ease of shifting

    • Clutch pedal play - condition of clutch tested for signs of issues

    • Proper idle

    • Acceleration

    • General ride report

    • Even wear - cracks or damage

    • Proper tire pressure

    • Removal and inspection of rear drums, drum shoes - check for proper wear (adjusted properly)

    • Hydraulic wheel cylinders

    • Brake hardware

    • Emergency brake - adjustment and condition of cable

    • Brake and fluid Inspection

    • Condition of fluid - water content, debris, and color

    • Front brake pads - calipers and rotors

    • Front-wheel bearings

    • Front suspension components - upper and lower control arm bushings, ball joints, and tie rod ends.

    • Steering rack, boots, and mounts

    • Front suspension - check all suspension components for signs of failure

    • Check for leaking seals - governor and trans output shaft seal

    • Check fluid level and condition

    • Shift through all the gears.

    • Fluid level of trans axle and condition

    • Output shaft seals and CV axle shaft seals

    • Linkage adjusted and lubrication.

    • Transmission mount

    • CV boots and clamps

    • All fuel lines are inspected (we only use the best quality Good Year hose; no braided hose is used here)

    • Supply lines, return lines, injector supply lines, and all clamps

    • Fuel pump mounting

    • Coolant pressure test (any leaks in the system will show with this test)

    • Coolant level

    • Proper coolant utilized (we do not use phosphate coolant)

    • Coolant hoses, hard pipes, and all clamps

    • Coolant distribution and thermostat housing

    • Verify the proper function of the radiator fan coming on and at the correct temperature.

    • Verify that the coolant warning light is working properly.

    • The sign for hard pipe failure is to remove the rubber hoses from the hard pipe - we suggest doing this procedure when the cooling system must be opened to avoid the burping process.

    • Check oil level and condition.

    • Verify that the proper filter is being utilized (important)

    • Check for oil leaks - rear main seal, crank pulley seal, push rod tube seals, head gasket leaks, etc.

    • Inspect all belts

    • Hoses

    • Spark plug wire condition

    • Cap and rotor inspection

    • Spark plug inspection (this gives a lot of information if they are well-worn)

    • Fuel mixture reading test taken.

    • Leak down and compression test to determine the overall condition of the motor

    • Emergency brake function

    • Lights

    • Flasher

    • Horn

TESTIMONIAL

'We knew we wanted a Westy, but we had no idea where to start. We called Peace Vans, and even though they don't sell vans, they were incredibly helpful walking us through the process. Harley even toured us through their entire shop, showing us different examples of vans, pointing out features and things to be on the lookout for (rust!), and giving us an idea of price points.

That visit empowered us to test drive different vans, and when we bought ours just outside Portland, our first stop (after an inaugural camping trip!) was Peace Vans for an inspection. As new owners, we wanted to have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical systems and what our service priorities were. Peace Vans spent a tremendous amount of time with us reviewing their report, and we were able to take care of the urgent service items while also planning a road map for the next several years.

We've owned our van for 3 years now, and thanks to the information from the Peace Vans inspection, we haven't broken down once! These vehicles are vintage, but that's not a reason why they can't be reliable and mechanically sound.' - Kellie and Matt, Seattle, WA