OTC's Automotive Inspection Camera, No. 3880X, comes as a portable, handheld video scope ergonomically designed for the internal inspection of engines without their costly demolition or disassembly. The 5.5mm camera transmits images and video to the large 3.5" high-resolution color screen for optimal viewing of hard-to-reach areas. The camera head includes four built-in adjustable LEDs for optimal viewing from light to dark areas. It also features the ability to record digital still images and MPEG video on the removable SD memory card, and can be viewed on the removable camera display or transferred to a computer.

The Review

Eric Moore, a mechanic at DeMary Truck in Columbus, OH, works in a medium duty shop and is used to doing tough, grueling work such as engine tear downs. Moore hates nothing more when a diagnosis requires a teardown, only to find that the problem is in fact elsewhere. When he received a video scope from OTC to review, he was looking forward to what a modern video scope can do.

Years ago video scopes did not always cut it. Their video was in black and white, they did not sufficiently light up the viewing area, they were hard to view in the right area, they did not record video files and the image resolution often was insufficient. Their most critical Achilles heel was often the diameter of the actual video probe. With the Automotive Inspection Camera, No. 3880X, Moore was pleasantly surprised.

Moore put the tool to work on a job where he had to determine whether or not to remove the cylinder head. "The smaller size allowed us to access right through the glow plug hole," he noted.

Another job required Moore to check the part number on the back of an instrument cluster, to aid with a diagnosis. "The video scope was able to easily view the printed circuit board on the back of instruments without removal of the gauge cluster," he said.

Moore had ideas for a few improvements for the tool. "The addition of a mirrored attachment to view 45 to 90 degrees from the angle of the camera face would help tremendously," he says.

The tool's ability to access spots that were otherwise inaccessible was its key strength, according to the reviewer. "We currently own a similar handheld camera, but the diameter of that camera head prevents us from using it in the manner in which we used this camera," Moore said. "Personally, I would rate this tool a solid 9.5. The ease of use, smaller size for better access where previous products were restricted due the size of the camera head, really puts this tool ahead of the others on the market."

Using a video scope to help sell work

By Craig Truglia, Assistant Editor

The video scope is an essential shop tool because it can see in places where techs can otherwise not easily access. This OTC inspection camera, unlike a lot of others, allows the user to take photos and save them onto an SD memory card. This is a very important feature if techs want to be able to actually show the customer what they've found.

After all, seeing is believing. Would you let your dentist do a root canal unless he showed you an X-ray of what is wrong? Of course not. Your customer is equally impressed by the professionalism of a technician that documents his work.

Thorough documentation not only helps give the technician creditibility, it helps sell big jobs. Want to prove to the customer that their Volkswagen needs a $1,400 catalytic converter? Remove an oxygen sensor, snake in the video scope, and get a snapshot of the deteriorated catalytic substrate.

My all time favorite? Some other shop dropped a washer down the spark plug hole so we couldn't easily remove the spark plug. What better way to prove to the customer why he has to wait longer and pay more than showing him the actual washer?

The potential uses are endless. If you are in the market for a video scope, you need to get one with an SD memory card, like that in OTC's Automotive Inspection Camera.