INSPECTION CAMERAS

Some parts of your car are tricky to see, which is where a borescope comes in. Discover which of the seven we tested passed its screen test

- Craig Cheetham

WHETHER you're a seasoned mechanic, an enthusiast or perhaps a classic-car owner wanting to check a car's structural condition, a borescope inspection camera is a useful addition to your toolkit.

Modern vehicles are packed with complex components and have tightly packed engine bays, making it hard to see into every nook and cranny. With a borescope, you can easily inspect hard-to-reach areas such as behind engine blocks, inside suspension turrets, or deep within the dash – places that would otherwise need major disassembly just to look at.

If you're working on an old car, you can see inside box sections, look closely at floor areas and body seams, or use the cameras to determine wiring issues or spot blocked drainage channels.

How we tested

THE first test was to inspect the inside of a suspension turret on a car that has received a corrosion advisory for that area on its previous MoT test. The second looked inside an engine's upper cam cover to see how much of its operations were visible.

As well as what was shown on screen, we also evaluated the seven cameras' features, build quality and battery life, the sturdiness of the cables and price.

Draper 31758 Endoscope Inspection Camera

Price: £42.50 Battery: DC charger USB-C LED/screen brightness: Yes/yes Rating: ★★★★☆ Contact: toolstation.​com

THERE was a stand-out winner in this test, not only because it's a bit of a bargain, but also because it has the clearest screen, the longest cable and a lithium-ion battery with the ability to operate for five hours. The Draper has adjustable LED and screen brightness, variable contrast settings, the ability to rotate the image through 180 degrees and an IP67 rating, which means it can be submerged briefly in water.