Tips for buying used or pre owned cars.
Looking for and buying a second hand car is, for most of us, an exciting time, but there are many pitfalls that you should be aware of.
So before you dash off, take some time out to find out how you can eliminate the chances of buying a lemon.
You will most likely have a budget, so do some Google searching as there are a number of sites that offer a free price guide for used cars.
Remember that this will give you a calculated guideline only and much will depend on mileage and condition.
Most cars cover on average 10-12,000 miles per year, so a simple maths calculation should indicate that a car that has done between 40 to 60,000
miles over five years has not had its odometer tampered with. Again this is a guide and should work in parallel with what will be explained below.
Car cloning, i.e. a stolen car with the identity of another car of the same model, colour and make and "cut and shut" which is two halves
of different cars welded together are virtually impossible traps to avoid unless you have it professionally inspected or data checked using HPI or
similar services.
Be cautious of 'Private Sale' adverts. When you phone to enquire and ask, "it's about the car you have for sale" be sure the responses
isn't, "which car are you referring to?"
Avoid auctions unless you have profound mechanical knowledge and even then you will have a limited amount of time in which to test drive
the vehicle in order to expose and complain of any mechanical defects - after you've bought it!
In the do's and don'ts category, never inspect a vehicle in the dark, bad lighting or when it's raining.
This can hide fading paint work, rust and even dents and scratches, so make sure the weather and daylight are in your favour.
Look under the bonnet, a dirty but dry engine indicates that there is no oil leak in that department.
Take off the oil filler cap, a white creamy substance on the underside of the cap indicates water getting into the engine and likewise with
the radiator filler cap, any oily residue there indicates oil in the cooling system.
Both of these highlight head gasket failure and a costly repair. Ask the seller if the cam belt was changed within the service recommendations and if it was, see proof of this or you could be looking for a new engine if it fails on you.
If, for example, you`re looking at a car that's 5 years old and the pedal rubbers are severely worn, the steering wheel is shiny and cracked,
the floor mats are badly worn, then you should question the average mileage indicated by the odometer.
Unlike new cars for sale, there are numerous wear and tear items to check in
a used car. In addition to listening for any odd noises during a test drive, for cars with manual transmission, you can simply check the
condition of the clutch by depressing the brake pedal with your left foot while accelerating. If the engine itself speeds up,
then the clutch is failing.
Check steering play when stationary and, again, listen to the car whilst driving: strange noises are, unless
simply a loose exhaust stay, usually indicative of significant upcoming expense!
