How to Buy a Used Car

Below is a clear, proven step-by-step routine that will help you avoid getting burned when buying a used car and save you money on a professional inspection. It's also a good idea to print this document and follow it on site. Don't change the order of the steps described below, or it may end up costing you more. Keep in mind that this guide assumes you already have some experience with cars. For a complete beginner, it won't be of much use when choosing a vehicle. What should you bring to inspect the car? - A compression tester - A small magnet wrapped in a cloth. With this simple tool you can find areas filled with body filler. Place it on a body panel and it should hold on only weakly. - A small flashlight - A small mirror - Rags, for wiping your hands or kneeling on when you have to crawl under the car - Two kinds of screwdrivers: Phillips and flat-head - A spark plug socket - A small set of wrenches in sizes 8, 10, 11 and 12 mm Now let's get to the inspection and the order to follow. Start with the paperwork. Look at the vehicle title and registration documents. Pay close attention to the registration date and the model year. Check the year against the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Also remember that on imported cars the production year is marked on the glass and the seat belts. Next, compare the body number (VIN) under the hood and somewhere inside the cabin, for example near the front passenger seat, with the engine number. They must match. Next, inspect the body. The car must be completely clean for this, since the inspection is pointless if the car is dirty. To do it properly, crouch down near the front right corner and look carefully along the whole right side of the car for any dents or scratches. Do the same on the left side, then inspect the hood and roof the same way. This viewing angle reveals almost any tampering with the original car. It's also a good idea to repeat the process from the trunk end, and look closely for differences in paint color between individual panels. Anything that raises even the slightest suspicion, check it with the magnet right away. If it falls off, there is body filler underneath, guaranteed. Use the magnet to go over the rear pillars from top to bottom. If the rear fenders have been replaced, there will always be filler there. Examine all the panel gaps very carefully, because they are an indicator of the car's rough past. A factory gap has a consistent width along its entire length. Pay particular attention to the gaps between the front fenders and the windshield frame. Do the same with every gap on the car. Also look at the mating surfaces, such as those of the trunk lid, hood and doors, and check how well they line up with each other. Watch out for stickers and lettering on the car, which are often added specifically to hide defects. Lately, accessories such as fender liners, plastic side skirts, spoilers, moldings and similar items are also used for this. Next, check the doors. They should close with a single, light push and sound the same each time. If they don't, it's reasonable to suspect that the body geometry has been compromised. If you have doubts, the only definitive answer is on a frame-straightening bench. There is also a way to check by hand: you will need to take the car to an open area and use a piece of string. But keep one thing in mind: if you miss a change in the body geometry, you will be stuck with the problem until you sell the car. So the advice is simple: if you notice even the slightest change in geometry, walk away from the purchase. Next, paint and everything related to it. If the car has been touched up or fully repainted, you can tell by the following signs. Look for traces of paint on non-metal parts such as plastic and rubber trim and side skirts. The paint color under the rubber seals should also match the body color. This is easy to check: just peel back the rubber a little and you will see the car's original color. Now on to the heart of the car, the engine. Open the hood. The engine should sit perfectly level. If it doesn't, that is a sign of body repair. Body repair is also easy to spot by checking the body bolts. They should show no signs of having been turned, and the adjustment slots should not show any marks from saws or similar tools. Look at the area around the headlights too. As with the body, there should be no signs of tool marks. Headlights are often removed to gain access to the body during repairs. For the next step you will need the flashlight to examine where the bumper and the frame rail mount. If there are creases in the metal or traces of paint on these parts, the car has been pulled on a frame machine. All right, you can close the hood for now. Rust: no car is immune to it, since nothing is perfect. It usually starts in the wheel wells and on the rocker panels, under the rubber seals. Pay attention to every part that may be exposed to corrosion. A proper corrosion check is only possible with a lift or a ramp. When inspecting the underbody in detail, don't be shy, because you may be the one driving this car. Poke the floor firmly with a screwdriver, since in some cases there is no point in continuing the inspection. Pay close attention to the jacking points, and make sure there are no weld marks or repairs on the rear frame rails, and of course no signs that a tow hitch was installed. It stands to reason that a car with a tow hitch has probably had a hard life and a worn engine, which is why sellers remove the hitch before selling and try to disguise where it was mounted. Interior inspection: The interior should be as clean as the exterior. There should be no defects such as torn upholstery or seat covers. Check how firmly the upholstery holds on the roof and the doors. Then move on to the seats, especially if they are modern power seats. Start with the driver's seat, since it has taken the most load. The seat should not be sunken in too much, because it also has to provide side support. The seatback should not wobble from side to side. Next, look at the steering wheel. Where your hands go it will be smoother than elsewhere, which is understandable, since we're not buying a new car. But here is an interesting point: uneven wear on certain parts of the wheel can tell you the car has high mileage. Check the lights and the left steering column stalk with the help of a person you bring along, so you don't have to keep jumping in and out. Then check the wipers and the right steering column stalk, paying special attention to all the washers fitted to the car. After that, go through the windows, especially the power ones. Then move on to all the extra features the car offers, such as heated seats, power mirrors and air conditioning, and test everything thoroughly. Finally, don't forget to check under the floor mats. If it isn't dry, something is leaking, either the heater core or a seal. Now for a detailed inspection of the suspension, running gear and brakes. The first thing to check is that there is no play in the wheels or the steering wheel. Lift the front wheels off the ground, lock the steering wheel, and try to move the wheels in two different directions. If there is play, take the car to a repair shop. Next, inspect the boots on the joints and the whole steering system. If the car is front-wheel drive, check the CV joints on the axle shafts too. Squeeze the boots with your fingers to check that there is grease inside and that the seal is intact. Then inspect the wheels for cracks or dents. Look over all the tires. Uneven wear is evidence of damaged body geometry. Then check whether the shock absorbers leak, and whether the bump stops and dust boots are in good condition. Checking that the shocks work is very simple: push down on any fender and see what happens. When they work properly, the car should rise, drop and rise again, just three movements! If the car bounces more than that, the shock absorber is worn out. Next, look carefully at all the brake hose mounts and all the cylinders, and check them for leaks. Then check the brake pad thickness. It should be the same on both sides. If it differs, the brakes are not working properly. Engine off. With the engine off, it should be completely dry and clean. But not freshly washed! A modern steam wash can give an engine a shine and polish. So look closely for oil leaks. Examine all the hoses carefully, since they should not be cracked. Pull the dipstick and judge the condition of the oil. If it contains fine metal particles, the crankshaft bearings are badly worn. If the oil is fresh and very thick, don't assume everything is fine, since it may have been added to mask problems. Open the oil filler cap and look at it closely. It's a good idea to scratch it with a screwdriver, and if rust shows up, the engine has overheated in the past. There should also be no buildup of black sludge inside the filler neck, otherwise you can conclude that the engine's lubrication was neglected or that the wrong oil was used. The flashlight will be useful again here to look at the engine's internal parts. If the engine is healthy, they will be a golden color. Take care when checking the cooling system, and check that all the hoses have kept their elasticity. Now it's time to start the engine. First, study the instrument cluster and check that all the indicators work properly. On modern cars built in recent years, the cluster also has diagnostic system indicators. Sellers sometimes deliberately, or simply out of ignorance, misinform buyers about various warning lights. So read the owner's manual carefully, since it describes everything in detail. Turn the ignition on without starting the engine. Many different lights should come on, but watch the oil pressure warning light. If it doesn't come on, the oil level is fine. Check all the lights that relate to important systems in the car. They should go out within 3 to 6 seconds after startup. About 3 to 4 seconds after that, you should hear a click, which signals that the glow plug voltage has dropped. Now start the engine. All the red lights should go out immediately, except of course the parking brake light. By the way, this is a good moment to check the parking brake: release it and apply it again, and see how the indicator on the dashboard responds. Wait another 10 to 15 seconds and shut the engine off. Then turn the ignition on again without starting the engine. If the heart of your car is in good shape, the oil light should not come on. If the light comes on right after the ignition is switched on, the conclusion is obvious: the engine is worn. Engine running: Start the engine. While it is still warming up, you have time to open the coolant reservoir cap. Check whether bubbles rise to the top. If they do, the head gasket is blown. Then carefully open the oil filler neck. Not much exhaust gas should come out of it, otherwise the crankcase ventilation is faulty and there are defects in the piston rings. Next, inspect the engine for oil or coolant leaks. Listen closely to the sound of the engine. There should be no mechanical noises. The engine speed should also not fluctuate at idle. Once the engine has warmed up, ask your helper to press the gas pedal firmly, while you check the tailpipe for oily spots. To do this, just hold your hand near the pipe. If there are a lot of spots, the piston rings are badly worn. The exhaust system is also easy to check: take a rag and plug the tailpipe with it. A healthy engine should stall after a few minutes. Check the exhaust smoke. At idle you should see almost nothing. When you press the gas pedal, it should turn a very faint bluish-gray. If the smoke is black or any other color, something is wrong with the car and it needs repair. Once the engine is warm, measure the compression through the spark plug holes. Remove the plugs and look up the correct figure for your specific make and model. Driving the car: Now pull away and immediately notice how the gears shift. They should shift smoothly, easily and crisply. If you lift off the gas and hear a whining sound, the gears are worn. A grinding noise when shifting points to a problem with the synchronizers. A whining sound can also mean the differential or final drive is worn. Evaluate the clutch too. It should work just as well at low revs as at high revs. Also, when you press the clutch pedal, you should not hear the release bearing. Try driving on a straight stretch of road and let go of the wheel. If the car starts to wander, it's likely that the body geometry has been compromised. If the car doesn't wander but the steering wheel is turned to one side while driving straight, the verdict is simple: the steering wheel has slipped one spline on the steering column.