Buying A Used Car: Pre Purchase Inspection Guide

Check the documents

Check for dents and scratches

Check the tires

- eg1. “1206” – means that it was manufactured on the 12th week of 2006 –
- eg2.”0114″ – it means first week of 2014.
Check the mileage

- Compare the mileage on display and the average mileage a year.
- Check the wear and tear, make sure that it’s appropriate to the declared mileage.
- Check the title, the service records or get the vehicle history report to compare the recorded mileage and the displayed mileage.
- Check the car’s tires. If it shows 20000 mi or less it should have the original tires.
- Check number alignment. Make sure that it should not be crooked, contain gaps or jiggle.
Check the fluids

- Look at the engine oil fluid using a dipstick and a piece of cloth. Brown/yellow tinted is an indication that it was well maintained.
- Check the brake fluid . Yellow tint is good. Condensation may turn it reddish it ‘s still fine.
- Check the coolant fluid. Look into the pressurized reservoir. Lime green color for a properly maintained car.
- Transmission fluid. It is reddish for properly maintained cars. If there are creamy residue floating, that means there’s an issue.
- Check the power steering fluid. It is red or clear if it was properly maintained. Any color aside from this means there’s an issue.
- Check the battery. Corrosion around the battery can cause problems specially during winter. Make sure that the hose and belt ar still firm. Make sure that it is not worn and brittle. Feel them so you can gauge if it will last long or may give out soon and start leaking.
Check the engine

- Step on the accelarator and the break at the same time.
- Set it to drive and step on the gas all the way down while holding down the break.
- A well maintained engine will not die. When it does, that means that the engine has issues.
Check the interior

- Check the windows, the door locks, air conditioning and the sound system.
- Check the buttons that control the side mirrors, signal lights, wiper blades and the cruise control button.
Check the electrical ciruit

- Place the test lead to the battery, make sure negative is place to the negative pole and positive to positive.
- Take note of the result.
- Then remove the negative test lead and test the engine. Take note of the result. If it shows the same numbers then you do not have an issue.
- You have to do it again this time the engine should be turned on.
- Do the test while the engine is running. Make sure that you get the same result or close.
- A difference of .4 of a volt or more is an indication of a grounding issue.