This article of mine was featured in TIMES OF INDIA, HYDERABAD EDITION on 10 oct’2005. I am sure it will be useful to all wonderful mouthshut readers. Due to space restrictions I have to edit it a bit.
To buy a Pre-owned car, all it takes is a paper, pencil, telephone, inquiring ability and of course money. So simple.
The first thing you should decide is your utility with the car and budget, before deciding which car to buy. Knowing what we want makes things easy.
Once you decided which car to buy, start making calls to the buyers from the ads published in leading newspapers to short-list the cars by asking the following queries, which will help you save time.
Number of owners of the car.(Single owner is most preferable)
Vehicle Insurance, Comprehensive or Third Party?(Comprehensive is preferable)
Whether the Seller is owner of the car or a dealer?
Odometer reading of the car?
Whether it’s a Bank/Finance Company seized vehicle?(The clue is, most seized vehicles doesn’t have Comprehensive Insurance).
Price of the car.
Once you have short-listed and placed them on paper, its time for physical and technical assessment of the car. Never accept a dealer’s/sellers asking price as one from which he will not budge. Detailed inspection of the car may well reveal flaws that can be used as bargaining points.
Having established that the car is properly documented, next task is to make a careful inspection of car’s interior as well as exterior condition.
The best way is to get it checked by an experienced Auto Professional once you found that the car seems sound and suitable. The following checks will prove to be very useful for this purpose for the car buyer who has no specialized knowledge of this field.
Odometer: On an average most cars cover about 10000-15000 K.M/Year. You can calculate for the car you are looking for accordingly from the year of its manufacture. Important thing to remember is that there is a possibility of Odometer tampering irrespective of a mechanical or electronic odometer.(Professional advice needed).
Engine: A well maintained car’s engine should start instantly and should be smooth in acceleration when it attains normal operating temperature. Most importantly it should not generate undue or specific noises and should not emit sky blue or black smoke from the exhaust when idling or accelerating.
Body: Look for body damages under the bonnet and around the car to rule out whether the car has met with any accident or not for structural damages. Look along each side of the car’s body for any ripples caused by an impact. (Professional advice needed in identifying structural damages).
Paint: Look along each side of the car for poor paint work. A noticeable color difference or patchiness in the bodywork color is an indication of re-spraying, which in turn is sometimes a sign of crash(can be minor or major).
Clutch: It should be smooth in its operation. When releasing the clutch, the car should move gradually without uneven jerks or shuddering. On a test drive, if the engine revolutions rise without a corresponding increase in the car’s speed indicates the clutch is slipping and needs a repair.
Gear Box: Mostly the condition of the gearbox can be inspected during test drive. But you can listen for any uneven bearing noise during idling, by engaging and disengaging the clutch. Since the input shaft of the gearbox is always engaged when the clutch is not in operation.
Cooling System: The easy way to check for cooling system leakage is when the engine is cold. Check for blue, green or red colored coolant stains and leakage at the radiator, hoses. Also check for the proper functioning of thermostatically operated radiator fan. It should not function continuously nor it should work continuously.
Brakes: The brake pedal should feel firm when it is pressed down to apply the brakes full on. It should not be spongy. Check for any brake fluid leaks. For car equipped with an ABS(Anti-skid Braking System), Auto professional assistance is needed.
Steering, Suspension & Power Train: By turning the steering to extreme right and left check Drive Shaft and lower arm boots for cracks & cuts. Turn the steering wheel gently from side to side to check the free movement of the steering. Check for wil leak in power steering.
Tires: See that all tire treads are equally used. Look for uneven wear and tear, cracked side walls. If found faulty, take the estimate from a tire shop. Also check for smooth running of the car on the existing tires during test-drive.
Battery & Switches: Today’s technologically advanced batteries readily show the condition of the battery by displaying the signs on the see through ‘eye’ located on the battery. Check for proper functioning of all electrical illuminations, inside as well as outside of the car including instrument panel.
Air Conditioning: Operate the air conditioner and check for proper cooling, uneven noises from the A/c compressor.
Gizmos: All cars are equipped with some electronic or electrical gizmos such as Defogger, Rear View mirror heaters, Power windows, Central Locking, Stereo, Power antenna etc. Check every unit for its proper functionality.
Test Drive: Lastly the test drive is what determines our decision-making. Insist with the seller that you need atleast 3-5 K.M test drive to carry out the required checks. Test-drive the car not only to check the car’s mechanical condition, but also to make sure that you feel at home behind the wheel.
Make sure that the clutch operates smoothly and progressively. If the engine revolutions rise without a corresponding rise in speed of the car(manual gearbox), the clutch is slipping and requires attention.
Apply brakes fairly sharply at the speeds of about 30 K.M-50 K.M to check that the car stops in a straight line(find a safe place to carry this check). If it does not, brake work /steering/suspension repair work may be needed. For ABS(Anti skid Braking System, an Auto Professional can help you).
Test each gear on the over-run and see if the car jumps out of gear. If it does, get an estimate for the cost of repair from the authorized service station. Drive on different gears to check for the same and also for uneven bearing noises from the wheels.
Check that the speedometer and mileage recorder is working. At the end of the test-drive, park the car on clean ground and look for oil leaks from the engine or gearbox.
Also see that the car is operating under normal working temperature. The cooling temperature needle on the instrument panel should be less than half or half. If showing more, then there is something wrong with the cooling system of the vehicle and requires attention.
Promise of Warranty from the Dealers/Showrooms: Ask the seller firmly, what kind of warranty he is giving. What are the parts covered under the warranty. Whether the Labor charges are also inclusive on that warranty. Insist on giving everything in writing signed by Authorized Signatory. Also check out what will be the car cost without Warranty. If needed, is the seller is ready to discount the warranty amount from the car’s price if we don’t need it. Decide according to your convenience.
So isn’t it simple to buy a Pre-owned car with all this guidance? With patience, common sense and sound information we can be wise in choosing the right car. Which will help us not to regret later. So don’t be desperate and hasty in buying a Pre-owned car. Take your time and follow these checks. It pays. And its value for your hard earned money.
Happy Motoring!
