WHAT TO CHECK WHEN BUYING SECOND HAND

CARS
Though these tips are not directly related to entrepreneurship, I post it here
anyway because I find it very helpful especially for first time car buyers. Buying a
second hand car can be quite challenging, especially if your not familiar with car,
engines, parts and all its accessories. These guide will show you how and what
to look at when inspecting your prospective car.

How to Buy a Used Car from an Individual

This is a summary of what you’ll need to know to buy a used car from an
individual. You can use many of these hints to assess a used car at a dealer as
well.

Steps

1. Try not to make your inquiry call during dinnertime. Don’t call too late in
the evening or too early in the morning.
2. When calling the seller to inquire, have a list of questions ready. Verify the
make, model, year, mileage and general condition of the vehicle. Ask why
the vehicle is being sold. If the answers to your questions are satisfactory,
schedule an appointment.
3. Be on time for your appointment. If you have to reschedule, call to make
arrangements.
4. Examine the pedals and drivers’ seat for wear. While odometer tampering
is not as common as it once was, this will give you a good estimation of
how much the car was driven.
5. Check the tires, especially the front, for wear. If they are worn unevenly,
the car will need front end work. Alignment, shocks, tires, tie rods.
6. With the car off, jiggle the steering wheel back and forth. There should be
less than one inch of play, and no funny clunking noises. If there are, the
car may need a steering rack or steering gearbox.
7. Check the shocks by pushing the car down three times and releasing at
each wheel. The car should go up, down, and stop. Repeat for all wheels.
8. Examine under the rocker panels on the side of the car for rust. Once rust
starts, it is extremely difficult and costly to stop it.
9. Before the test drive, check the coolant. It should not be brown.
10. Check the floor of the passenger compartment for soft spots (rust), and
the inside of the trunk for holes.
11. When starting, the engine should turn quickly and the car should start
easily.
12. A rough running car can mean any number of things, from leaky air hoses
to plugged fuel filter to old spark plugs. Don’t discount a car just because it
runs rough.
13. When driving the car, the brakes should not shake, grind or squeal loudly.
Some squeaking is normal for disc brakes. The brake pedal should feel
firm but not hard.
14. An automatic transmission should shift solidly. If you are unsure about the
auto trans, shift it manually. There should be little lag between moving the
shift lever and gear changes, and the engine RPMs should change
quickly.
15. A manual transmission should be easy to put into gear, and the clutch
should catch close to the floor.
16. Don’t forget to check the reverse gear!
17. Make sure all electric accessories work: windows, locks, audio systemm,
seats, alarm (if equipped).
18. Check all doors for locking (manual and auto), windows, open them from
the inside, the outside, and closing.
19. Turn on the heater (even if it’s summer) within moments of turning the car
on. How long does it take to provide heat?
20. Test the air conditioning. Put the meat thermometer in the center vent to
check the temperature. 50 degrees Fahrenheit is pretty cold.
21. Test drive the car like you’d normally use it. This includes freeway and city
driving. Keep an eye on the temp.
22. While parked with the engine running, turn the steering wheel completely
in both directions. A squealing noise indicates a slipping power steering
pump drive belt. While this may be fixed by an adjustment, overheating
from friction may have damaged the belt and it may need replacing. There
should be no growling noise; such a noise indicates low power steering
fluid, easily confirmed by inspecting the reservoir. Low power steering fluid
is likely caused by a leaking power steering system, which could be a
simple hose or clamp, an easily accessible seal (in an older vehicle), or a
damaged steering rack, which can be quite expensive to replace.
23. Check the auto trans fluid with the engine running. It should smell sweet
and have little particulate matter. Burnt orange or brown fluid means it
 hasn’t been changed in a long time. A burnt smell indicates a slipping
clutch band, which may require a transmission rebuild to correct.
24. With the hood up, let the car idle with the AC running. Listen and look for
the operation of the cooling fan near the radiator. If there was no
overheating, this should be working fine. Keep your hands clear, as the
fan can start and stop without warning (even if the car is off for a short
period after it’s hot)
25. After the test drive, check the oil with the engine off. Black oil is not
necessarily bad, but it shouldn’t feel gritty. Check under the oil cap; it
should be clean. White foam under the oil cap indicates coolant in the oil,
and expensive engine repairs.
26. Examine the battery. If it looks old, it probably is, but batteries are cheap
and easy to replace.
27. Check the air filter. Dirty or clean doesn’t matter, although if very dirty it
can adversely affect both performance and economy. For a paper filter
make sure there’s no oil in it.
28. Examine the gaps between body panels. Uneven gaps indicate shoddy
accident repair.
29. Consider bringing a small magnet with you. If the body of the car is steel
(some are fiberglass, such as the Corvette, and others such as the Saturn
are heat molded plastic), then a failure of the magnet to stick can indicate
the extensive use of body compound to effect a repair. High quality
repairs, even if bodywork of a damaged panel, generally do not require a
lot of filler. The sound of the panel when lightly tapped with a knuckle can
also be revealing, as can a sighting at a low angle that will reveal ripples if
the paint is shiney. If extensive repairs or damage is confined to an easily
removed panel, your cost of repair may be substantially lower than if inner
supporting panels or primary body structure has been damaged. Proper
painting can be expensive, however, but may be worth the effort for a
special interest vehicle. (As noted above, beware of rust, especialy that
that comes from inside to the outside of the panel.)
30. If the car suits you, make an offer. Have the cash literally in your hand if
possible. If you have cash to offer, you can often get a better deal than if
you need to come back with cash later, as sellers are usually eager to be
done with the hassle of selling their car.
31. If you conclude the purchase, get the signed title from the seller. Also have
the seller fill out a bill of sale, saying that party A (address, phone) sold the
 vehicle to party B (address, phone). If you are stopped by the police on
the way home, this paperwork will smooth the way for you.

Warnings

If you don’t feel comfortable with the seller, the car, the neighborhood or anything
else, you are not obliged to see, drive or buy the car.

source: ww.wikihow.com, photo from kotsemo.com