Jonelle2

Im trying to help somebody with buying an used car....And used cars usually need some type of repair.
What are important things i should look into before buying the car?

24vcossiemat

do a reg check for a start, to see if its stolen, written off etc, first impressions are crucial i find, if you go and look and the car just doesn't look right walk away, check the chassis number with the reg doc, and vin plate. secondly take a small magnet with you, by placing it on arches sills etc you will see if the car is full of filler. Have a look underneath if possible for signs of rust. also lift the boot carpet to see if the floor is nice and straight. rear end shunts can kill a car. look under the bonnet at the inner wings for signs of accident or corrosion. whilst under the bonnet, check the oil, water, power steering and brake fluid levels, then take off the oil filler cap, it should be nicely coated in oil, if there is what looks like mayonaise then the head gasket is gone. can sometimes be the same in the water tank. looking at general condition of the engine bay can tell you how well a car is looked after. I can tell by eye if a car has had paint, but most used cars have, if the job is good i wouldn't worry but slightly lifting window rubbers from paintwork will show paint edges. look from the back to the front as close to the back panel as possible, this will highlight any trolley damage to the wings and doors etc. have a look through the wheels to see if the brake disks are badly worn. try to bounce the car up an down, if it just keeps going up an down then shockers are had it..
Right, down to driving the thing. a well serviced car will almost certainly start first turn of the key. have someone behind the car when it starts, look for blue smoke, if there is then walk away, however, old performance cars can give a puff or two on start up. once started listen to the engine, if it doesn't sound right it probably isn't. before driving away, put the car in 3rd or 4th gear and try to drive away, if the car stalls then the clutch is fine, if it just drives away reving then the clutch is slipping, make sure it accelerates nicely through all gears and doesn't crunch, thats a sign the syncro is gone, I sometimes get to mid rev range and take my foot off and on the throttle, if it jumps out of gear the gearbox is shabby. make sure the brakes work fine, get on a nice straight road, and hit the brakes, making sure theres nothing behind you when you do, if the brakes are fine it will brake totally in a straight line, if it vears off then they will need some attention, during your test drive let the engine warm up, prefferably in some standing traffic, make sure its not overheating an the fan cuts in. lastly, check all switches, air con works, all lights etc. if all this is fine then you have a good car. #
However, the majority of these things are negotiable in the price if you know it needs work, if they don't wanna haggle and its to expensive, then walk away, there WILL be another one out there. all this seems a lot to check, but once you know what your looking for then you will fly through this check list in a short time. my granada i spent 2 hours with the seller before i bought it, if they wanna sell it they will wait. if you can't do this then take someone with you that knows a thing or two about cars. don't just turn up and drive the car and hand over the money, you may regret it. good luck mate

24vcossiemat

there is lots more checks you can do but i could be here all day, like putting the car in full lock to see if its goes knock knock knock, this is a sign of wear on drive shafts ball joints etc, go over a few drain covers to see if you get any knocking on the suspension, this can be worn bushes. however, if your going to spend 100 to 1500 quid on a normal used car i'd expect some problems, but if your spending upwards of that then i'd be wary of problems, the last thing you want to do is buy a car for 8 grand and have to put a new engine in it. if the car is under manufacturers warranty and you find a few things wrong, make sure the service history is right then you can take it to the dealer and get these things done for free.