Hints and Tips
ADVICE HOW TO CHECK A 2nd HAND CAR
Some Advice on How to Check a Used Car
When checking out a car check not just its body-work but its mechanical condition and safety.Always assess the car in daylight and take it for a test drive. Listen for unusual noises, screeches, knocks, rumblings, high/low pitched whines etc. Get a feel for how responsive it is; how it drives and brakes. If it is not as responsive as you might think, it may have worn or unsafe shock absorbers, breaks or some other fault. Check for abnormal clutch travel and jerkiness when depressing it. Also check for clutch ‘whirring’ before it engages. All unusual noises and feelings regarding the clutch may indicate that there may be a problem such as it being worn - an expensive replacement job.
Check the ground underneath the car for oil leakage as it may indicate a worn gasket or even engine cracks or other damage.
If you are not confident about your ability to detect whether the car you are interested in is as good as it looks and sounds, try to take someone with you who knows how to check a car to give it the once over.
If a car has been in an accident, it may be unsafe. Sometimes, two damaged cars are welded together to create a new one. These are known as 'cut and shunts' and are almost certainly unsafe. If you suspect a car has been involved in an accident there are companies which can tell you, for a fee, whether a car is an insurance write-off.
Use An MOT Checklist As your Prompt To Check Out A 2nd Hand Car
The MOT Test is split in to six main areas:Lights
Are they all functioning and do your headlights meet regulations regarding their dipped and beam settings? Check your front and rear lamps etc, headlamps, headlamp aim, stop lamps, rear reflectors, direction indicators, hazard lamps, rear fog lights. Also check for stone chips, cracked glass and that dipped, full beam and fog lamps are working.
Steering and Suspension
Is it shaky or juddery on normal driving surfaces? If so it may indicate wheel balance, wheel tracking, wheel rims etc are faulty/damaged and that the car steering system has been damaged by a kerb or other impact. Listen for wheel humming, knocking or a high pitched sound. This may indicate wheel bearing or other problems. Spongy, squeeky or noisy suspension may also indicate worn shock absorbers. Check shocks visually for rust and seal deterioration. Check physically by leaning on each of the 4 corners of the car and bouncing them gently to get a feeling for each shock absorber. They should quickly settle down thus showing their damper effect. Check under the bonnet for rust, deterioration, intensive weathering etc. Steering Control, steering mechanism/system, power steering, transmission shafts, wheel bearings, front suspension, rear suspension, shock absorbers.
Tyres and Wheels
Check out all 5 wheels on your car including the spare for uneven wear on one side, side wall damage, cracking and legal limits. Most tyres can be easily checked by running a finger inside the grooves until you come across the safety bar across the groove. If this is at the same level as the wheel surface the tyre may be illegal and should be replaced. A tyre depth of 1.6mm is the legal minimum requirement. Check tyres are inflated making sure they are not damaged. Whilst the spare tyre is not part of the test it is to be advised that a correctly inflated and legal tyre / wheel should be carried. A sign of a poor car handler is often the replacement of known tyre brands with cheaper unrecognisably named imports or retreads. Check both the outside and inside rim of wheel hubs to detect damage or denting. Inspect the jack and wheel brace making sure they are there. If locking wheel nuts are fitted, ensure locking key is safely stowed away in the car.
Brakes
It is critical to your safety that the brakes on your car are safely and regularly maintained. Excessive break pedal travel, slewing to one side when braking, excessive handbrake travel all may indicate worn or faulty brakes. Examine also for cracked rubber linkages, rusty brake pipes underneath the car, at wheel brake junctions etc. Check brake fluid levels under the bonnet in their reservoir. Check brake warning lights light up when the ignition is triggered to check them. ABS warning system/controls, condition of service brake system, condition of parking brake system, service brake performance, parking brake performance are all areas to check out.
Seat Belts
Check your seat belt mountings, adjustments, condition, operation, position for all front and rear seats. A seat belt that does not work could be a very expensive item to replace.
General
Check out your windscreen for stone chips, bad scratches and worn wiper blades. Also that your windscreen washers are working. Check all you mirrors are adjustable and functioning. Check that your horn and hazard lights are working.
Look under the car and physically shake your exhaust system to check for rust and likely replacement. Feel the exhaust ‘blow’ when the car is on to check for regular engine turnover and performance. Irregular engine beat or excessive exhaust shake may tell you the engine is not performing effectively. Excessive noise could indicate an exhaust leak. The least this could indicate is that your car may need tuning; at worst it could be clapped out!
Check under the bonnet to ensure that the engine oil reserves are topped up correctly and that there is no evidence of an oil leek on the internal bodywork or engine. Check the fan belt for wear and that it appears to be at the correct tension.
To check for rust look at the car body join seams. Look inside the engine compartment, under wheel arches, in the well of the boot, under sills, door frames etc.
Check for past vehicle damage by looking at the bodywork and paintwork from an angle. Doing this will help uncover hidden dents and panel ripple. Uneven or slightly different paint ‘looks’ could indicate where damaged or new panels have been re-sprayed. Do not be afraid to ask the seller "What accidents has the car been in and what damage resulted?"
Ensure every lock including the boot lock is working and that if you have a car with remote locking that at least two keys and their remote key fobs are provided to you. Inspect car keys for wear and condition. If worn, these should be replaced as a worn key will quickly wear out a lock barrel causing the lock to jam.
Compass Vision Ltd
Tel: 0141-402-7978
Fax: 0141-775-3767
