Used Car Buying Pointers

By: Jay Bauder

"Key-Pointers When Buying a Second Hand Car"

Buying a car from an individual or from a local car dealer is
one tedious task if the objective is to purchase a second car
that is still in good running condition. A buyer would never
trade his hard-earned money with just a complete wasted used
car. Whether new or used, when buying a car, it should be
treated with the same importance and value.

There are things to take into consideration before buying the
car and these are:

1. Educate yourself as a consumer 2. Prepare a list of your
needs. Prioritize between the necessities and the wants. 3.
Determine the budget and the kind of car that would best fit. 4.
Make a selection by models and types. Narrowing them will be
helpful. 5. Research both online and offline by dealers. 6. Know
the value of the second hand car in the market. 7. Research the
Vehicle Identification Numbers and history. 8. Take a mechanic
when checking the car whether buying from a friend or a dealer.
9. Never shy away from asking questions. 10. If there's a gut
feeling about it not being good, don't be afraid to walk away.

Bringing a mechanic along is always a good strategy. Make sure
your mechanic inspects the totality of the car, from the history
down to its last screw. It should be parked on a level spot. You
should make certain that it was driven for about an hour. This
should make it a good time to make the inspection. Always make
it on a well lit surrounding and in broad daylight.

How to inspect it thoroughly:

Checking the exterior. Walk around to see if there is damage to
the body. The corners of the car should be shaken and bounced up
and down to see if the shock absorbers are still in good
condition. Make sure that the wheel bearings do not make any
sound when trying to pull the front tires by tugging them. Open
the doors lift the hood and the trunk to see if all the rubber
seals are still in place. This will also tell if there's
anything loose around the hinges. Check for signs of repaint.
There will be difference in the color because shops can never
duplicate the original paint of the car. Ask someone to turn on
all the lights outside of the car and look if all are working.
Cars with only 30,000 miles of travel must still have its
original tires. Beware if you find a car with only a few miles
of travel but has new tires. When the test drive is done, check
the discs of the brakes, this should still be clean and smooth.
Check the windshield for cracks.

Checking the Interior. Though it sounds odd, smell the insides
of the car. Sniff under mats and the carpet. If it smells like
mildew then it's a sign that there is a leak somewhere or that
the car may have undergone flood damage. Switch on the
air-conditioning to make sure that it really turns the whole
inside of the car cold. Next, try the heater. Try out all lights
inside as well and never forget to blow the horn. Also try all
the seat adjustments. The upholstery should still be in good
shape too. There will be a lot more to check and here is where
the mechanic can help the buyer.

Looking inside the trunk. Once more, smell the insides and check
for any signs of leaks. Make sure that some basic car tools are
still present for the new user.

Checking under the hood. Feel the wiring for any cracks or
brittleness. Squeeze the hoses and the fan belt for any cuts and
possible electrical tape patches. Do not take off the cap of the
radiator until its cool enough. The greenish color indicates a
good condition where the coolant is. Beware of stains and
dirty-whitish color on the radiator. Again, let the rest be
checked by the mechanic like the batteries.

Checking under the car. Lie down if you must and use an
emergency light to see the engine underneath. Feel any signs of
residue. Check the pipes and examine any possibility of heavy
rusting.

Do the Test Drive. The owner or dealer should not stop a buyer
from going over about twenty minutes of test drive. This is a
special time to thoroughly look for any problems with the
air-conditioning, heater, steering wheel, brakes, transmission,
and most importantly, the comfort. Feel everything; it's okay to
try it on a hump or a slight bumpy road to really experience the
performance. Listen carefully to check any rattles. Have a pen
and paper, flashlight, gloves, magnet, towel, blanket and even
CD or tape when checking a car out.

About the author:


Jay is the web owner of http://www.new-cars-in.com New Car Loans, a website
that provides information and resources on searching for new
cars, new car pricing, loans, and dealers. You can visit his
website at: http://www.used-cars-in.net Used Car Quotes