Buying A Second Hand Car > Reviews (18)

As a car-maniac, I have things to suggest before you go out there buying a second hand car.

1- If you are buying it directly from the owner :
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* Check the car's papers. They will show you records of any accidents, outstanding penalties or taxes or ay legal matters alike.

* Ask for the maintenance log the manufacturer provided. Thus you will be able to see if the maintenance was carried out according to the periodical schedule.

* Check the upholstery, especially the driver's seat. If it is worn, flattened or warped, odds are that the odometer has been readjusted.

* If the odometer reads low and the seats are OK, check the pedals. Many tricksters correct the upholstery, polish the dashboard but usually forget to change the pedal pads. If the pads are worn, the car has clocked much more than the odometer. If the pads are too new, see the pedal arms to find scraped paint and worn parts due to a foot rubbing against it.

* Check the panel and fender joining areas. If the gunk and silicone mastic sealant in between is not covered by the car's color or if it is uneven (i.e. clumps, gaps etc.) even if painted over you can be sure that it was applied hastily after an accident.

* Check for overspray under bumpers, within wheel wells etc. If you see overspray, the car has been re-painted.

* Rock the car sideways. If it does not stop after 2, max. 3 rocks, the shocks need to be replaced.

* Bounce the car up and down from both ends. If the car utters squeeks and keeps bouncing, the shocks need to be changed along with other parts (linkage parts, bushings, etc.)

* The engine may have been steamed and washed at the local garage. So you may not be able to see if there are oil leaks etc. For that, if possible take the car to a lift and check around the oil pan's gasket for signs of sludge. If there, the car is leaking of oil.

* Pull the dipstick and examine for froth or jelly-like substance (no matter the color) If there, the head gasket has given way and coolant is seeping into your oil. The same applies for the oil cap.

* Sniff the oil on the dipstick. If it smells of TOO MUCH of gasoline, the car needs to change the piston rings. Stay away from that car.

* Ask someone to floor the accelerator while you watch the tailpipe. If the exhaust billows unusual smoke, the engine is in trouble. Especially if the smoke is blue, walk away. The engine is burning oil.

* Do several kill and starts to the engine. If fails too frequently to stop or start, the ignition and timing systems require repair.

* If a rear wheel drive vehicle, do a thorough high speed test drive. If any whailing sound is there, you need to change a couple of gears in the differential.

* If a forward drive vehicle, try a few sprint take offs (dragster style) If the car veers to any side, the wishbone bushings and linkage on that side are defective.

* Do some hard braking. If the car does significant veering, the same as above in a sprint applies.

* Check tyres for uneven wear.

You may have a problematic alignment in hand; even worse, a car involved in a heavy accident where damage-induced problems with the chassis could not be corrected.

* Dismantle and check the pollen filter (if applicable) from the air conditioning duct and see if there is any mould or algae anywhere in the system. Even a faintest trace means that you have much more inside which will cause unbearable stench and allergic problems when the system is activated.

* Test each and every electrical system; from the power windows to the stereo. these are the systems which give way soonest and the most forgotten to be checked.

* While the engine is running, without touching the clutch, gently push the shiftstick into 1st gear. If it engages, you need a new clutch. If the vehicle is an automatic, shift from P to N without stepping on the brake pedal. If the vehicle skips more than normal the pressure regulator is faulty.

* Take one of the spark plugs out. If you see them black and sooty, white powder on the bottom of the screwset, the engine fouls frequently. A timing, ignition or fuel supply problem or several of them at once is at hand.

* Forget about the tailpipe to see if the end muffler is new. Check the secondary muffler and the catalytic converter. They are most neglected parts of the system and will give away how the vehicle was driven or abused / neglected all together.

* Check the undersides for bumps, damage and rust. If a really big bump or damage is there, odds are that the general alignment of the vehicle is disturbed.

* Turn all all lights and put on the emergency flasher. If the failure is not a mere bulb, then you have a greater problem at hand.

*** For diesels;
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* Check the fuel filter for water by opening the discharge valve.

* If possible, use a flexible metal probe as a dipstick by wrapping a piece of clean swab onto it to check the diesel fuel tank. If you come accross any pink slime, that is colonised bacteria. If the slime is brown or green, that is algae. Odds are the fuel lines are already infested by that creature of God and you will end up with a clogged fuel system, thus a conked out engine in the middle of nowhere.

* Ask someone to start the engine while you watch the tailpie. A plume of black smoke is OK for the first start. But if it goes on puffing black, you have a faulty feed system. If the smoke is white, then you have faulty injectors. If the smoke is blue, you have an oil burner...

*** For all types :
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Drive the vehicle at a highway at the slowest lane as you frequently shift up and down. If the gearbox starts to whine and whir, odds are you have a dead gearbox filled with grease oil so the noises are disguised until the unfair quack sells it to some poor innocent unsuspecting person. Don't be his prey.

2- If you are buying from a second hand dealer (i.e. Honest Tex) :
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Do all above and ask the happy chatter box to provide you with a warranty a year more than what he offers. (If he offers any at all)

If all above sounds too much and excruciating, go to a dealer and grab a brand new vehicle. That is what I do... Loans are very cheap nowadays and almost anyone can afford a new car in certain ranges...

Good luck...