2nd hand car

[bananasiong]

Hi,
I'm getting a 2nd hand car. But I hope not to get a bad car which I need to spend money for servicing it, 2nd hand car, you don't know the previous owner.
The one I'm going to get is around 5 - 6 years old car. What should I check regarding this car?
the condition?
the mileage?
the history?

Any advice?

Thanks

 

[ericgibbs]

Hi,
I'm getting a 2nd hand car. But I hope not to get a bad car which I need to spend money for servicing it, 2nd hand car, you don't know the previous owner.
The one I'm going to get is around 5 - 6 years old car. What should I check regarding this car?
the condition?
the mileage?
the history?

Any advice?

Thanks

hi,
The condition is a fair guide.
The mileage meter could have been 'clocked'
The service history maybe falsified.

Take a friend who has some knowledge of car mechanics with you when looking around.
Some organisations, like the AA or RAC will assess the car for a small fee.

DONT pay up front, take it for a road test.

 

[Space Varmint]

Hi,
I'm getting a 2nd hand car. But I hope not to get a bad car which I need to spend money for servicing it, 2nd hand car, you don't know the previous owner.
The one I'm going to get is around 5 - 6 years old car. What should I check regarding this car?
the condition?
the mileage?
the history?

Any advice?

Thanks

WHo are you buying from. A dealer?

 

[bananasiong]

Thanks eric, I'm going to check that car out these few days maybe.
Space Varmint, yes a dealer who is the brother of my friend.

Thanks

 

[3v0]

The best buys are cars that people do not want because they are not stylish. Little old lady cars are a good example.

You can find a low mileage, professionaly serviced, execlent condition car like this for much less money then a more popular car. But you have to put you vanity in a drawer.

FWIW: As soon as you narrow you search to a specific car or model you limit the quality of the deal you can get.

 

[Space Varmint]

Thanks eric, I'm going to check that car out these few days maybe.
Space Varmint, yes a dealer who is the brother of my friend.

Thanks

Well he may be a friend but we are talking about your hard earned money. I would take 3v0's advice. Dealers know every trick in the book where as a previous owner just wants to sell his or her car usually as is. I would trust my findings (MECHANICAL EVALUATION) much more so with a previous owner. You should find a much better deal price wise as well.

 

[jpanhalt]

You can check on-line for maintenance problems with specific cars. For example, Honda is a good car, usually. However, the 2000'ish Accords (plus or minus) have terrible transmissions and other problems. There was even a class action lawsuit that requires Honda to replace the transmissions for free. Honda doesn't tell anyone about it, though. A Honda dealer almost charged me >$5,000, until I found the lawsuit and brought it to his attention. Had to go through the Honda distributor in California to get the matter settled eventually.

Consumer Reports and probably other publications have maintenance repair histories available for various model of cars.

Finally, never buy a used sports car, particularly one with an automatic transmission, unless you know what you are doing and are prepared to do a lot of repairs.

John

 

[arrie]

Also, look at the pedals, that's give-away number one of how much the car has actually worked.
To see whether it was a racers car, if they have not replaced the tires.
Hard cornering usually leaved chafe marks just over the rim of the tire, the wall's side.
I would also have a credible institution check the vehicle over, specifically engine and gearbox. We have the AA, not that one, automobile association. They charge a small fee, and will even tell you of unseen accident damage.

Oh, and if you're buying in the UK, make doubly sure the crew from top gear did not have the vehicle for a test.

There are more tips, but I'll have to find the right books for them.

 

[HiTech]

Use the Internet to locate used car buying tips/guidelines. Also look up the make and model of vehicle to see if there were specific recalls or problem service issues. For example, enter the brand/model followed by TSBs/Recalls. It may provide links to tech svc. bulletins which you can then inquire if any of them were performed to that vehicle.

https://www.alldata.com/ is an excellent web site but does require registration/fees for some of their in-depth services.

 

[HarveyH42]

Unless the friend's brother is the owner, wouldn't count on a great deal. Might steer you away from the lemons, maybe be a little kind with the fees, but he'll have certain rules to follow, and doubt he will let you cut into his commission check too deeply, and most definitely not dig into his own pocket. Your down payment, will most likely cover what the dealership paid for the car. The 'Zero money down' means higher payments.

I'd have to a agree that if you look around, you can find better cars and prices off the lot, but you need cash and know what too look for, as it usually an as-is sale, no warranty or recourse. When you buy from the owner, you have a lot of room to bargain over price. You get to talk with the owner/driver of the vehicle, see their home, and how they maintain it. You get a much better idea what to expect from the vehicle. Most aren't going to lie to you, because you know where they live. Usually not too hard to tell if they are selling a car or a story, doesn't feel right, shop somewhere else...

 

[Space Varmint]

Also, look at the pedals, that's give-away number one of how much the car has actually worked.
To see whether it was a racers car, if they have not replaced the tires.
Hard cornering usually leaved chafe marks just over the rim of the tire, the wall's side.
I would also have a credible institution check the vehicle over, specifically engine and gearbox. We have the AA, not that one, automobile association. They charge a small fee, and will even tell you of unseen accident damage.

Oh, and if you're buying in the UK, make doubly sure the crew from top gear did not have the vehicle for a test.

There are more tips, but I'll have to find the right books for them.

Wow! Those are some good tips arrie. That's some stuff I never thought of.

 

[Mickster]

Other telltale signs to look out for are quite worn/polished steering wheel & gear lever knob. Pedal rubbers can normally be easily changed.

Check for a sagging driver's seat padding.

Check the driver's seatbelt condition...is it very polished or quite fluffy.

Check the bumpers for screw holes...may have been a taxi.

Regarding the tyres... rub your fingers/palm back and forth across the tread. Along with what arrie mentioned about chafe marks on the sidewall, you are also looking for 'Feathering', where the tread feels smooth in one direction and rough in the other. This is usually a result of hard cornering, poor wheel alignment due to something (track rods/suspension arms) being bent or worn, or worn suspension bushes/track rod ends.

If the engine has been warmed up prior to your visit for a test-drive, it is possible that the vehicle may have a cold-starting problem either with the engine itself (Diesel glow-plugs especially) or the starting/charging system.

HTH.

 

[arrie]

I think our Malaysian friend can now almost buy a car.

Good luck.

Feel free to ask some more, as it seems we have quite a bit of knowledge to share here, or some of us have been bitten by the "let-me-rip-you-off" shark.

Come to think of it, I've never bought a brand new car, I kinda believe in second hand, that way you don't take the big back-hand as initial price plummets quickly.

 

[Space Varmint]

I think our Malaysian friend can now almost buy a car.

Good luck.

Feel free to ask some more, as it seems we have quite a bit of knowledge to share here, or some of us have been bitten by the "let-me-rip-you-off" shark.

Come to think of it, I've never bought a brand new car, I kinda believe in second hand, that way you don't take the big back-hand as initial price plummets quickly.

arrie, you kill me !!! Me either.

 

[HiTech]

Gee Arrie, you left out a whole bunch of other issues he should be aware of when purchasing a used vehicle:

1. A correct amount of blinker fluid.
2. Well greased muffler bearings.
3. High gauss neodymium fuel line.
4. Chassis mounted sacrificial anode.
5. Unsweetened battery juice.

**broken link removed**
The recommended service interval for blinker fluid is every 20,000 blinks or February 29th, whichever occurs first. Note that left-handed blinker fluid is not interchangeable with its right-handed counterpart; fluid manufactured for the UK market may not be used in vehicles manufactured for US drivers. Do avoid spills onto sensitive electronics since it risks symptoms of, now it works, it doesn't work, it works, it doesn't work.

 

[Space Varmint]

Gee Arrie, you left out a whole bunch of other issues he should be aware of when purchasing a used vehicle:

1. A correct amount of blinker fluid.
2. Well greased muffler bearings.
3. High gauss neodymium fuel line.
4. Chassis mounted sacrificial anode.
5. Unsweetened battery juice.

**broken link removed****broken link removed**
The recommended service interval for blinker fluid is every 20,000 blinks or February 29th, whichever occurs first. Note that left-handed blinker fluid is not interchangeable with its right-handed counterpart; fluid manufactured for the UK market may not be used in vehicles manufactured for "US drivers. Do avoid spills onto sensitive electronics since it risks symptoms of, now it works, it doesn't work, it works, it doesn't work.

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain"

 

[arrie]

Yip, HiTech, at his best in comic mode.

How did you come up with that!

 

[AllVol]

Yip, HiTech, at his best in comic mode.

How did you come up with that!

Serious tips for serious folks:

There are several ways to identify the lemon from a dependable used car, and you have to get your hands dirty to check them.

1. Take off the radiator cap, and inspect the fluid. Actually stick your finger into the coolant. It is a uniform clarity or color? There should be no sign of rust or oil. Smell it. It should have a slightly sweet smell, if they use proper coolant in Malaysia.

2. Pull out the oil dipstick. It should be a nice tan or brown color, but that's no guarantee, since the oil might recently have been changed. Again, run the dipstick between your thumb and forefinger, then smell, feel and visually inspect the oil there. There should never be a gritty feel, or any acidic odors.

3. If the car has automatic transmission, pull out the dipstick, and repeat the steps for oil. The color should be bright red or pink, but recently changed transmission fluid will be that. Odor is the key to good or bad transmissions. A smell of burnt cork should make you run, not walk, to the nearest exit.

4. Lastly, start up the engine in neutral. Listen for any unusual noises coming from the engine. Make sure the oil pressure gauge is in proper range, or that there is no engine warning light on. After letting the engine warm up a few minutes, mash the accelerator pedal down about one-fourth way, and leave it there for about 30 seconds. Look toward the back of the car for any blue smoke coming from the exaust. Check again when you release the gas pedal. If the owner/dealer comes running with his arms waving, follow the exit strategy found in step 3, because you're about to blow up an already stricken engine.

If all seems okay, repeat steps 1, 2 and 3.

Couple these precautions with other good ones above, and you might wind up with a servicable automobile.

Good luck.

 

[Space Varmint]

Yip, HiTech, at his best in comic mode.

How did you come up with that!

What? The curtain thing? I know you have seen the Wizard of Oz.

Oh, you probably mean all that wacky stuff he put up. You might say he threw a monkey wrench in it.

 

[HiTech]

I forgot to add:

Engine Scrub
**broken link removed**


The famous Flux Capacitor!
**broken link removed**


... and the most deceptive tactic used to temporarily improve a worn engine is the Piston Return Spring.
**broken link removed**