Brakes and wheel bearings
Going around the car, the brakes are another area of
concern. When properly adjusted and maintained, the
brakes on a 2002 are surprisingly good despite being
designed in the 1960s, but when they're out of whack,
they can be pretty bad. Check the fluid in the plastic
reservoir, and if it's dark or murky, it's old and
really needs to be changed. If it's clear and clean
looking, then been changed recently. A good brake pedal
should feel firm, and not sink to the floor easily.
Common brake maladies with a 2002 are warped rotors in
front, which cause the steering wheel to shake while
braking, old and internally swollen front caliper
hoses which cause a car to dart in one direction or
another, and poorly adjusted rear drum brakes and
parking brake. Basically, the '02 brake system is
simple and easy to repair if it's not rusted together.
The wheel bearings are not usually seen, but they can
cause a number of noises when the car is moving. The
fronts are easy to replace if you have the right
tools, but the rears can be difficult.
Best way to check is to jack the car up and try to
rock the tire back and forth from side to side. A
little play should be evident in the fronts, but no
play at all equals too tight bearings which will fail
early. The rears should not have any play.
