Hey guys so its a question we have all heard, and so many answers have been given. What do I look at when buying a used car. There are many categories to put your observations into. So since this has been such a broad topic I have decided to go ahead and make a post and video of buying a used car using my own expertise from used car inspections and personal experience to make the process easier and focus your buying power towards a good investment for yourself.
Being the mechanic i am i always take close attention to the engine or drivetrain but in buying a used car there are some main things you look at. These categories are for my experience and perspective are EXTERIOR/INTERIOR;UNDER THE HOOD; UNDER THE VEHICLE; LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT; and the final thing is the ROAD TEST. a thorough inspection is the best way to get idea of what your buying and what to figure out what needs to be addressed in the future.
EXTERIOR, the exterior of the vehocle is obviously what you see all the time. you want to be looking for any signs of collision damage. body panels fit and gaps are even to see if repairs if done are good. cars with major accidents or signs of body stress you usually want to stay away from or not spend the high dollar on. signs of body damage for the obvious are scratches dings dents, but you need to look at the gaps of bumpers and front and rear panels if something isnt ligning up and it seems to be in the proper mounting location its a sign of colllision damage. other things to look at on the exterior is the glass condition . for example is there cracks or chips in the windsheild or are there scratches on the side window. and the weather stripping for dry rought or damage. then check for any kind of flood damage that would be a dead sign of walk away , to many issues with flood vehicles finally check all lights on outside of vehicle for operation
INTERIOR , the interior of the vehicle is a place that your going to be spending some quality time with the car. now i know i mentioned the weather stripping earlier in this post but you are going to want to open all the doors. make sure that your doors close and latch with no issues and seal against the weather stripping. even the trunk and rear hatch ,trunk,or tailgate. sometimes a simple penetrating oil will lube up squeaky doors and such. after this your attention should be sure all the other equipment functions as in windows roll up and down without major hesitation. also make sure that all the buttons work such as rear defrost, heat controls, dimmer switch, wiper switch function and so on you get the idea make sure everything works switch wise skip nothing. The carpet is important in most cases most drivers dont take good care of it so it gets stained but thats not the end of the world in my eyes. also detailers these days can do a really good job.but seat condition is important to because repair is kind of expensive for those but doable. most things like this you will be able to really detect things for your self i always suggest feeling the carpet for dampness near the passanger front compartment as it could be a sign that the hvac unit or heater core is leaking or draining in to the carpet soaking into the pad underneath worst case scenario. also just make sure all the interior lights are functioning.
UNDER THE HOOD. now were getting to the meat and potatoes of the used car inspection you can tell a lot obout the car and how it was treated by checking all the fluids and condition of the engine . main thing you have to check and is straight forward is the hood latch and release if your in the hood then it obviously releases and you know that works but make sure that the hood closes and latches shut . Than you start your visual inspection of everything checking for leaks and so on. next thing i check is brake fluid most cars never flush this and beleive me its important if its black its been neglected horribly, if its greenish then that s ok but needs to be changed brake fluid is supposed to be a goldish new oil color this can present brake systems issues in the future if neglected. than transmission fluid is supposed to be a light pinkish color when new but it verys for many reasons if its black and burnt this is a bad sign. and then there is our favorite freind ENGINE OIL oil should be clean honestly if it was cared for and proper change intervals. next is powersteering fluid and this should be red as in most systems use ATF fluid but not all . it should be free of contaminates. then coolant should be checked and this can vary as there are a few different systems and colors manufacturers use these days. but should be free from sludge contaminates. windsheild washer fluid should be filled to make sure functon works and bottle has no leaks. air filter is a good sign of owner appreciation as in its one of the most commonly things changed along with oil intervals. make sure serpentine and drive belts are not dry roughted and if they have more than ten cracks per inch it is time to change those out. Do check all the radiator hoses and vacuum lines for craking and signs of needing replacement. also while the key is off make sure the fans spin freely for trouble free operation. and check the radiator for any signs of leaking . usually a white heavy deposit has been left behind in these instances. last thing after your underhood inspection is complete than scan engine for codes and see if anything comes up because sometimes the bulb for the light goes out.
UNDER THE VEHICLE inspection time!!!!!! tires are far by one of the most important things on a car than can dramatically affect the way it handles and turns . tire pressures should always be checked to see if the previous owner cared enough to do so. the under inflated tire will show signs of the sides wearing out. a over inflated tire will show signs of the center wearing out faster.
tire wear pattern is a great way to visually see any other problems with alignment. the rest of this varys on your skill level of vehicle maintanence. if you are not informed enough i suggest talking the owner to let you bring it to a qualified technician to inspect the vehicle. so the rest of th e list is going to be brief . under the car should have the brake bad checked (under 4mm) needs replacement, then the rotor or drum condition to see if they are flat or need to be replaced, next check parking brake assembly is functional. then all lines and hoses under the car such as brake lines and fuel lines. transmission mounts and engine mounts for wear . and always check for damage. the exhaust system should be intact these can usually cost you some money to get repaired. then anything that relates to suspension and drive-line as oil and fluid pans are intact. check the level in manual transmission and differentials for wear and fluid conditions. axle cv boots should be intact otherwise will most likely need replacement. suspension struts,ball joints,wheel bearings, shocks,springs, tie rods should all be checked. like i said these usually take some time to check so its a good idea to get the vehicle to a qulified person who knows the vehicle and things to look at properly. but they are easily looked at.
LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT this is something i always look at to see if water has been leaking through the tronk or hatch seal. also i make sure the jack and spare tire tools are there and that there is a small tire. other than that you did the rest of the look at the interior inspection.
ROAD TEST this is pronbably the most crucial thing about searching for a used car and should be done properly to make sure your not being dumped someones problem.
first thing i do is start the vehicle cold. you want to check the idle is it operating normally or is it off. let the engine get to operating temperature and shut it off and then start again to see if i starts again just as easy. now that this check has been dine drive the car and check the engine and transmission for concerns. check the engine for hesitation or abnormalities. same with the transmission is it shifting good? steering is it smooth operation turn the wheels lock to lock and see if any noises are heard or weak power steering pumps. as your driving ask yourself is the car stable does it bounce a lot or is it comfortably stiff and if it has air suspension is it functioning without warning lights.do all the gauges function normally? and this is also when i check for excessive wind noise. if its a manual transmission make sure the clutch has good engagement and doesn't slip. and almost impor5tant of all is make sure the brakes work properly and dont hang up or have any issues
this is the best information i have dulled down enough to not be a novel. lol so i really hope this was informative and can use this as kind of a check list for you when your shopping that new to you car.
im JoeTheAutoGuy and i should have a video soon on this on the channel but this i a good way to look at it now and get some bearing on what you should be doing during test drives
code readers are getting cheaper and can help out a lot when looking at cars to check for problems
UNDER THE HOOD. now were getting to the meat and potatoes of the used car inspection you can tell a lot obout the car and how it was treated by checking all the fluids and condition of the engine . main thing you have to check and is straight forward is the hood latch and release if your in the hood then it obviously releases and you know that works but make sure that the hood closes and latches shut . Than you start your visual inspection of everything checking for leaks and so on. next thing i check is brake fluid most cars never flush this and beleive me its important if its black its been neglected horribly, if its greenish then that s ok but needs to be changed brake fluid is supposed to be a goldish new oil color this can present brake systems issues in the future if neglected. than transmission fluid is supposed to be a light pinkish color when new but it verys for many reasons if its black and burnt this is a bad sign. and then there is our favorite freind ENGINE OIL oil should be clean honestly if it was cared for and proper change intervals. next is powersteering fluid and this should be red as in most systems use ATF fluid but not all . it should be free of contaminates. then coolant should be checked and this can vary as there are a few different systems and colors manufacturers use these days. but should be free from sludge contaminates. windsheild washer fluid should be filled to make sure functon works and bottle has no leaks. air filter is a good sign of owner appreciation as in its one of the most commonly things changed along with oil intervals. make sure serpentine and drive belts are not dry roughted and if they have more than ten cracks per inch it is time to change those out. Do check all the radiator hoses and vacuum lines for craking and signs of needing replacement. also while the key is off make sure the fans spin freely for trouble free operation. and check the radiator for any signs of leaking . usually a white heavy deposit has been left behind in these instances. last thing after your underhood inspection is complete than scan engine for codes and see if anything comes up because sometimes the bulb for the light goes out.
UNDER THE VEHICLE inspection time!!!!!! tires are far by one of the most important things on a car than can dramatically affect the way it handles and turns . tire pressures should always be checked to see if the previous owner cared enough to do so. the under inflated tire will show signs of the sides wearing out. a over inflated tire will show signs of the center wearing out faster.
tire wear pattern is a great way to visually see any other problems with alignment. the rest of this varys on your skill level of vehicle maintanence. if you are not informed enough i suggest talking the owner to let you bring it to a qualified technician to inspect the vehicle. so the rest of th e list is going to be brief . under the car should have the brake bad checked (under 4mm) needs replacement, then the rotor or drum condition to see if they are flat or need to be replaced, next check parking brake assembly is functional. then all lines and hoses under the car such as brake lines and fuel lines. transmission mounts and engine mounts for wear . and always check for damage. the exhaust system should be intact these can usually cost you some money to get repaired. then anything that relates to suspension and drive-line as oil and fluid pans are intact. check the level in manual transmission and differentials for wear and fluid conditions. axle cv boots should be intact otherwise will most likely need replacement. suspension struts,ball joints,wheel bearings, shocks,springs, tie rods should all be checked. like i said these usually take some time to check so its a good idea to get the vehicle to a qulified person who knows the vehicle and things to look at properly. but they are easily looked at.
LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT this is something i always look at to see if water has been leaking through the tronk or hatch seal. also i make sure the jack and spare tire tools are there and that there is a small tire. other than that you did the rest of the look at the interior inspection.
ROAD TEST this is pronbably the most crucial thing about searching for a used car and should be done properly to make sure your not being dumped someones problem.
first thing i do is start the vehicle cold. you want to check the idle is it operating normally or is it off. let the engine get to operating temperature and shut it off and then start again to see if i starts again just as easy. now that this check has been dine drive the car and check the engine and transmission for concerns. check the engine for hesitation or abnormalities. same with the transmission is it shifting good? steering is it smooth operation turn the wheels lock to lock and see if any noises are heard or weak power steering pumps. as your driving ask yourself is the car stable does it bounce a lot or is it comfortably stiff and if it has air suspension is it functioning without warning lights.do all the gauges function normally? and this is also when i check for excessive wind noise. if its a manual transmission make sure the clutch has good engagement and doesn't slip. and almost impor5tant of all is make sure the brakes work properly and dont hang up or have any issues
this is the best information i have dulled down enough to not be a novel. lol so i really hope this was informative and can use this as kind of a check list for you when your shopping that new to you car.
im JoeTheAutoGuy and i should have a video soon on this on the channel but this i a good way to look at it now and get some bearing on what you should be doing during test drives
code readers are getting cheaper and can help out a lot when looking at cars to check for problems
No comments:
Post a Comment