How to test a used car
Sachverstand2 @ Geocities.com,
02.11.1997
Index
Guarantee
Preface
What about reliability?
What about price?
What about further costs?
Epilog
GUARANTEE
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS TEXT IS COMPLETE, CORRECT, USEFUL OR
UNOFFENDING TO YOU IN ANY MATTER. ALL YOU DO AND WILL DO IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. SO
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND LEARN, from the good and from the bad, AND DO NOT DREAM OF
ANY LIABILITY OF MINE FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND/OR OMISSIONS.
Preface
Buying a used car is usually a job for an expert, this means an expert for the respective model and
year of construction. Nevertheless, most cars consist of similar parts, mounted and working in
similar ways, so that someone who knows 10 cars and their possible defects by heart might well
know, search and find at suitable places for smaller and bigger defects.
Reliability
Each car has its reliability. Usually, a not-handicrafted, workshop-maintained machine contains
the least maintaining errors and the most new spare parts. You might say that a brand-new car
has the highest reliability - yes, that is right, and the many exceptions and monday-built cars proof
this.
We mostly prefer the reliability of the propulsion system, as this is the most complex and without it
working a car never is worth anything. Next to this, we have a look at the brakes, the wheels'
support and, at least, the overall comfort.
You should know that a leaky door or a outworn driver seat can be done by you with few car design
knowledge and few risk. You might also do without a radio or air conditioning. But you should be aware
that there are parts on a car you do not know by name, maybe you'll never see neither can fix and that are substantial for your car's safety.
As this is an HowTo, I will tell you the names, the easy tests that can be done without removing any
cover, the results you could obtain and how important and expensive they may come.
Economics
Every car has its price, even it might be negative. The task for us is mainly to see what this car owns,
what spare parts it needs and how much we will have to pay for this. Not even now, when buying a car, but
later, when the car is in use, you have to follow its demands, otherwise it won't follow yours.
Once we have seen that we can rely on this car and it is in good condition overall (for reliability
check), we will go on and search bigger and minor failures (to reduce the price). Keep in mind that
good seeable failures are more accepted by the owner than unvisible ones. Each failure reduces the
price. Of course this is a case of negotiating.
Buying from private persons
This is the better way to obtain a used car, because they usually are satisfied with a price that covers
their costs. These people do not know exactly what they can obtain for their car, so they tolerance to the
too much as often as to the too many. You will have heard about cars, bought quite inexpensive and
running for years as often as cars for high prices with low performance over all.
Usually, the price first named by the vendor is the highest that can be demanded.
Buying from professionals
They know that you will not come by every day and flame them. They know how to make a car shine that
inside doesn't shine at all. They know the minimum effort to make a car go so that it will survive just the
first 1000km you ride it. And they live from their business, adding their live costs onto the price.
On the other hand, they can fix small defects for you. Is it worth it?
What about realiability?
From the outside
Experts can feel reliability. They smell it when they walk around the car.
They see small paint errors and the way these are treated: left rusting or coloured by rust inhibitor paint
or fixed by a lacquer pen.
They see the joints between the metal sheets and if they are all the same width or not (accident or
wear).
They see the rubber sealings around the windows and the paint spots on them and can tell that a
body part has been changed for some reason.
They see black exhaust pipes (which may indicate use in town, with possible wear at the gearbox
and the clutch, the steering and the tires, or high gasoline consumption) or brown
exhaust pipes (with use on highway, maybe more than the tachometer does count).
We try all the locks after having asked for minor maintenance to come. If one doesn't work, this reduces
our trust in the vendor more than the useability of the car.
Inside the engine
Than they open the motor cover. They see too few of oil or other liquids; rusted battery
poles; low tension
fan-belt; ancient spark plugs; oil leaking out of the engine; damaged rubber
hubes; deformed, cracked
or rusted body parts; a new generator, shining brightly; lost bolts; rusty
clutch cables; unfitting auxiliary parts; and so on.
They look at the ignition cables and wonder how these will do with lots of moisture on them.
They open the oil refill cover and see if the oil color is black as usual; containing shining metal parts; or
white because the cylinder-head gasket is shortly before its terminal breath (and so the engine).
They take a glow at the drive shafts and its homocinetic elements and look forward to hear wear at
these when driving.
They look at the steering, at any loose bolts and its clearance.
They look at the tires, for usual, even wear at the outside casing and improper wear at the sides.
The tires show how and where the car has been used and what it meant to the vendor.
They look at the electrical wires and if they are in manufacturer's or any other condition.
Technicians do not look at the identity number, but we should do.
After a close look on the exhaust system we can control the damping. The car is
seesawed at every corner to see if it comes to rest with one swing over (good) or more. The more is the
worse, the car will shove to the curves' outside and will have less acceleration (well then...) and deceleration
(oh dear!).
Behind the steering wheel
Now, if we have found nothing that says: do not buy me, you'll regret it!, it is time to take place behind the
steering wheel, and close the door. Place seat and mirrors as comfortable as possible
and breathe the car while you check the clearance and smooth operation of the hand brake,
the pedals, the gear box lever (!) and the performance of the radio. Especially the clearance of the
brake and its tightening after being actuated some times is of interest.
Also try to pull off the steering wheel. It is no good if you succeed in this, but better now than on any
highway.
Look at the rubber plates on the pedals. Does their wear match with the tachometer reading?
This shall be our working place for many hours to come. Will it satisfy?
Now it is time to start the engine, with the door and cover opened again. We do this by ourselves
and see if it works. If there is a trick we will be told by the vendor, and we will see how this works.
After the engine has started, we get outside again and look at it and listen to it. Any squealing,
grinding or rattling will have its reason. Either we can detect it and see what effort is to be
taken to fix this, or we cannot detect it and play Russian roulette.
It would be nice if someone would get into the car now and put in all gears with the clutch actuated.
There may be new, very interesting sounds.
On the road
Now it's time for a ride. We ride ourselves. The vendor may come with us, and if he suspects
difficulties in your driving performance (as you should already do!), he may tell the way we go.
The way should take some km in the city, to check the clutch and the gearing at all and geting used to
the steering and braking characteristics, and some on the highway, just to control stability and high speed.
It should contain a short hard pavement to hear any rattling.
By the way: Right after beginning to move the car, at pedestrian's speed, would be a good time to
try the brakes first time.
Does the car run straight on? Does it brake straight on? Does it come
up to straight direction when the steering is not actuated? Do you need any force to keep it
on track?
Does it walk out of of curves? Does it make any sound, roaring up with the motor
rpm or speed? Is the steering wheel straight together with the steering? Do you dislike
anything? Now, at the vendor's second home, it's a good time to mention all these in a
friendly manner.
After coming home, a second walk around the car and a second look at the engine will give us time to
think about this.
Decision of reliability
All that we have done so far is getting an overview over this car. We do not seek any faults hidden deep
in the engine's technical secrets. We've just looked to everything and seen whether it seemed to work. And
we've looked at the vendor the same way. This is because in most cases a car kept in good condition is
in good condition.
If we disliked it, we will not buy it.
The examination showed so far whether to buy it or not. So, if we will not buy it for unsatisfying reliability
or intensified wear, we will show this without attacking the owner. |
Otherwise, we might do good by sleeping over it and taking an expert to the car next time, maybe only
asking him on the telephone what parts on this model should be paid high attention to.
There is only money to exchange if the owning certificate is in reach and has the right number and tires
and additional parts on it. |
What about price?
The price should be the market value of this model and year of construction, with expected repair costs
subtracted. This is where we start.
If the car is in pretty good shape, we may add. If the car is worn according to its life (in time and km), we
might wish to subtract. Bear in mind that the vendor uses to like his car and may not catch at the first go
why it is worth less than he thaught.
Then we fix the price with the vendor, and ask the key and papers and money exchange modalities. If
these are too complex, we do not buy the car.
Always set up a treaty of purchase. You can get printed forms with carbon paper from the AutoClubEuropa
offices or any other good car club (are there some?)
What about further costs?
You will see that every car will take a deep gulp from your monthly budget. Make a rough
estimate of the costs to come, e.g. tax, insurance, gasoline, maintenance, repairs, breakdowns. Make
sure that it was the ingnition cables and not the ignition box that was to be replaced soon, and keep in mind that a set
of tires takes DM 150 from the junkyard and not necessarily DM 1500 from the dealer.
Remember to have the money for these at hand when the invoices come or are likely to come. If you
cannot pay them, you cannot ride, and it's just nonsense to own a car that does not work.
I have set up the costs on the green Volkswagen Polo my girlfriend got as a present. She rode it one year, then the motor got stuck.
| item | cost (DM/year) | comment |
|---|
| Purchase | 0 | gift |
|---|
| Tax | 270 | DM30 / 100ccm |
|---|
| Insurance | 1300 | 125% |
|---|
| Tires | 300 | small and cheap |
|---|
| Gas | 2040 | 8l / 100km, DM 1,70/l, 20000 km/a |
|---|
| Oil | 100 | it used much |
|---|
| Coolant | 20 | as usual |
|---|
| Brake pads | 100 | as usual |
|---|
| windscreen wiper | 20 | absolutely necessary |
|---|
| cleaner and color | 40 | as usual |
|---|
| disposal | 0 | luckily |
|---|
| Total | 4170 | or DM 0,21/km - a very inexpensive car! |
|---|
Epilog
You see that the purchase is only the beginning of a long way with many ups and downs. I still hope that
this text will help to make your first car more affordable and that you'll spend nice time in it.
Bear in mind that any time you have to rely on your car's safety systems could be the last time you need
them. Any car can be replaced, your legs can not.
Aviod the words
be written onto your gravestone.
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