Please help...used car question??

Question

I'm going to look at a used car this weekend that someone in the paper is selling. What questions should I ask and what things on the car should I pay close attention to minimize the chances of buying a lemon? Also, if there is no warranty, what protection do I have if something goes wrong with car after if I buy it?

Answer 1

Best advice I ever got was to take anything you are serious about to a mechanic you trust and pay him to check it over and point out the problems to you.

No warranty= no protection; and even a limited used car warranty doesn't give you much protection. Usually only covers Power train and major problems with a big deductable for a short time.

Answer 2

You want to know the milage for a start high milage is not always a bad thing, if it was driven carefully, and had regular service. however don't be taken in by very low milage either that is not good on a motor it means it has set up and could develop leaks in the gaskets, and valves can stick. Look underneath the vehicle for wet or discolored spots. Look over the engine compartment for any sign of leaks. Check the fluid levels before and after you test drive it. If the person will not let you test drive the vehicle, then I wouldn't think about buying it. When you test drive it, turn on everything the heater radio headlights, and whipers at the same time. This will test your charging system, if it dies with all this on you have a problem in the system some where.
What you can expect as far as any waranty will depend on the honesty of the person, you are dealing with. No one can guarantee you won't have trouble with a use car, but an honest person will let you know anything that is wrong with the vehicle up front.

Answer 3

First is the general condition. Stand back and have a good critical look, then look inside the same way. Is the front drivers seat or steering wheel worn? Next look at the mileage or kilometers. Average is 12,000 Miles or 20,000 km per year of age. You want half that if you want a good car that will last you without your hand in your pocket all the time. My opinion is that condition of a car is very largely determined by the distance travelled along with general well cared for looks. You really need someone to check that it hasn't been in a bad accident. Signs of this are badly fitting panels and colour mismatches. Look under the bonnet and underneath the car and see if there are any oil leaks and that everything looks clean and tidy. Take the oil filler cap off and see that all looks sparkling clean when you look inside at the valve gear, the colour of clean oil, not burnt or black. Check the oil is clean and to correct the level.
Your best warranty is a good critical look at a car. If anything looks suss, don't listen to the seller telling you it's nothing. Go look at the next one. Take your time!

Answer 4

This is a womans perspective if you don't have a mechanicall inclined man to go with you..... Open the hood before you start it. Pull the oil dipstick out. It should be on the full line and clear. Notice any leaking in the motor compartment. Check for dings and dents in the body that could turn to rust. The windshield should be free of chips, fish eye cracks and other breakage.Turn the key to bring all the warning lights on. Those give you an indication of what could come on in a breakdown. Start the car..make sure it pops right off, no hesitation..rough idle?...listen for ticking noise with the hood up.
Let it run for a bit...then look underneath it for leaks, liquids or even exhaust vapors.Pull the Transmission dip stick out after it's been running for a few minutes, smell it. It should be red clear fluid and not smell burnt. Check the depth of the tread of the tires, you need to have even wear and be able to catch your fingernail on the depth(1/4 inch is a safe depth).Get in the car and open the door all the way...make sure it doesn't catch or drop(that can be bad hinge pins) Fiddle with all the knobs in the car to see what they do and if they all work. From the power seats, windows to the wipers and stereo. Check out the cigarette lighter(that will tell you if it has been owned/operated by a smoker, if so, check for burns) The glove box should have the owners manual. Hold your foot on the brake for 10 seconds and see if the pedal maintains pressure(a falling pedal could mean master cyclinder problem or air in the brake lines that need bleeding). Put it in gear with your foot on the brake...no clunking noise and should go into gear smoothly, with out a big jerk. Take it for a drive. Get after it. It should not have any hesitation or pinging/knocking noise from under the hood. Hit the brake...it should not pull one way or the other. No grinding noise or shaking. Check out the cruise control...all should apply and be easy for you to understand. As you are going down the highway...take your hands off the wheel. It should stay straight, road permitting. If it pulls either way, the alignment and struts could need attention. If it is 4 wheel drive, make sure you test out that feature on a dirt road/parking lot. The front tires will spin in 4 wheel drive..check your marks/ruts.
I hope this gives you the upper hand for there are a lot of women taken advantage of...because they don't know.

Answer 5

I would suggest you take it to one of the shops that specialize in pre-buying inspections. They don't do repairs so they have no vested interest in finding anything wrong. You pro ably can't get any kind of warranty from the seller. I would not recommend an after market warranty as they have terrible reputations for not paying up when you have a claim.