How to Check Out a Vehicle Before you Buy it

Need a new ride because your old one's shot? There are good cars out there for little cash, if you can do a little simple inspection work. Paying cash means no car payment (Whoopie!)

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Rag or two
• Kneepads
• Penny

1. Check out the dash, first. Try the blower motor, heat & AC and radio. Make sure the speedometer and gas gages work. Note the mileage while you're at it, since mileage is an important factor. Make sure the lights and horn work, but don't test the horn while someone's head is in the engine compartment. If everything works, the car is worth moving on to the next area for inspection.
2. Open the hood. Check to see if the area is relatively clean. Dust is okay, but if the under hood area is soaked with oil or fluid, proceed with caution. Check to see how dirty the oil is. If it is thick and black, it hasn't been changed frequently enough, and you may be about to buy someone else's headache. If it's relatively clean, run the engine long enough to reach operating temperature. Check the fans, heater core and radiator. Greasy film and fog on the inside of the windshield indicates a clogged heater core, an expensive job on most vehicles. Watch the gage in the dash once the engine warms up, and make sure there is no overheating. While the engine is running, check the color of the exhaust. If there is a lot of dark smoke, the seals on the valve stems or rings may be worn out, making this car a "no." If the exhaust is light or non-existent and the engine sounds smooth, then so far so good.
3. Drive the car up a hill, around a hard curve and get on the highway if you can, to get an idea of how the car performs under different conditions, how the transmission shifts and whether there are any speed-related noises while driving. Make a hard stop to check the braking, and feel for pedal pulsation on ABS systems, which indicates that all is functioning well. Listen for noises. Pinging and knocking may be caused by using the wrong grade of gas, a simple problem corrected by tanking up with a higher octane.
4. Stop the engine, set the brake and look under it. Put a penny in the tread to determine if the tires are worn out, and look for tiny cracks that indicate dry rot. If Lincoln's head is in the tread, there's time left for these tires. Check for leaking fluids, cracks or holes in the CV axle boots, excessive brake dust or missing converter or muffler.
5. Use your weight to bounce one corner of the car. Worn out shocks will make a car bounce two or three times, before settling. Those in good order will stop the car after one bounce. If most everything checked out okay, consider the overall condition and don't be afraid to offer less. You can get an idea of value at Kelly Blue Book's website and add or detract based on what you feel the car is worth. There are also car checker services that will do all this for you for around $50 -$75. I got a 1987 Nissan Pickup truck for $400 because it stalled periodically and the owner didn't want to pay to fix it. A Noid light let me know that the ignition coil module was failing, an item I got from the junk yard for five dollars. (I had tools & experience and was in the right place at the right time.) Unless your ego is pretty big, and you have to have new and flashy, not having to make payments is sweet. You can have liability only on a paid for car or truck, MUCH cheaper, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Cars with less than 75,000 miles or less than three years old are the best used car investment, providing better value at less cost since they will require less in repairs. Older cars that have been maintained are plentiful, too, so don't overlook that "for sale by owner" car. Some imports, like Acura, Honda, and Toyota hold up very well, and have much longer life expectancies for both the engine and drive train, the two biggest expenses.
• Wash off oil or fluid you come in contact with during your check prompltly, since they contain petroleum distilates.