Under the hood...

    Well I now have the car in the shop and I open the hood for the first time.  Pulling the hood release tells me if the hood is aligned by the way it pops up.  If it jumps up with a smooth pull of the release lever then everything is ok.  If it sticks before pooping up, I lube or adjust the latch assembly if necessary, or sometimes I have to align the hood.  I then use the hood prop or the hood struts (look like shock absorbers) to hold the hood up. I check the struts for their ability to hold the hood level. If one has a leak the hood will sage on one side. Inspection of the underside of the hood for tuning and other information is helpful. If its not there, I assume that the hood was replaced from a previous accident. 
    I now grab the cooling hoses and squeeze them while listening for crunching noise.  The crunching sound tells me that the fiber reinforcement in the hose is rotten and the hose must be replaced. Also I inspect for bubbles or soft spots on the hoses.  Inspecting the ends of the hoses for leakage or crystallization of the antifreeze tells me that the hose and possibly the inlet or outlet may also be pitted from corrosion on the engine. If the leak or corrosion is on the radiator side then there may be a split or damaged inlet or outlet of the radiator. Plastic radiators have a tendency to split or just degrade into crumbly peaces while brass or copper radiators are usually damaged by over-tightening of the clamp. I then install a cooling system pressure tester and apply air pressure to the system. I reach down and move the water pump pulley if accessible to check for a leaky water pump seal.  Most engines operate under 13 to 16 lbs of pressure. I check for leaks and tighten all that seem to be leaking, making sure that I do-not over-tighten it. The standard clamps that are on the foreign cars are usually a duel wire clamp and they have a tendency to cut into old hoses especially if the there is oil soaked into the hose. 
    Then its time to check the radiator cap for cracks in the rubber gasket and the condition of the valve that allows the cooling system to suck antifreeze from the overflow tank back into the radiator.  Remember as the engine heats the antifreeze, it expands and after it exceeds the pressure rating of the cap it flows into the overflow tank.  When the engine cools, it creates a vacuum in the cooling system, and antifreeze is sucked from the over-flow tank to the radiator. This balance keeps air from entering the cooling system and preventing the air from causing corrosion and rust. Either of them can clog the radiator or damage the water pump seal not to mention eating holes in the engine block or soft plugs (freeze plugs). Lastly I check the coolant for freeze protection and boiling point. Freeze protection depends on your area that you drive in and the boiling point is the same for all engines. I do-not adjust for altitude. I thought that was the last thing but the last is to check or trash in front of the radiator.