How To Buy A Used Car Part Two-The Test Drive

How To Buy A Used Car Part Two: The Test Drive Schedule the test drive for a time when there's no rush. If it's bad weather,reschedule. Take a little notebook,write a quick check list based on this article,and make notes. When you approach the car's owner,be friendly,polite and courteous. Do NOT try to "beat them down" to get a better deal on a test drive. Ever. While you have every right to ask direct questions,you have no more right to insult their car than one of their children. Fluids Open the hood and look at five big areas. Oil dipstick,coolant,power steering fluid,radiator cap and brake fluid. Oil: Golden brown,light tan,a little dark,or even dark brown to light black are fine. The oil is just doing it's job. A tar color or tar like consistency is not good. Check the dipstick for level and color. Then check the oil cap on top of the engine (on most models) for anything that resembles milky crud autel ds708. If it has a thick film of milky crud,that's engine sludge,you're done. Coolant: Check the coolant reservoir for level. Most sellers pay attention to this. But a few don't. Remove the radiator cap if it's accessible. If you see crud on the cap,you're done. Power Steering and Brake Fluid: Check for the level. In the case of power steering,check for any heavy leakage around the hoses. If the power steering hose is saturated with oil,this could be a sign of a more expensive repair in the times ahead. Gas release: Open the hood and the gas cover release to make sure they're in proper working order. I also take this time to put $5 of gas in as a goodwill gesture. Most folks will not have a car buyer as studious as you,and it's nice to reimburse folks for an expense. Transmission Fluid: Restart the car. If you know where the transmission dipstick is (and it's a damn good idea to find out),check the level and color. Does it have bubbles? If the fluid is very dark brown or black,or smells burnt,it could be a sign of future transmission issues autel maxisys mini. Final Oil Check: Turn the vehicle off and again,check the oil. If it's not between the marks (too low or too high),or if the oil cap is milky brown,you're done. I've dealt with more than a few cars that had their oil caps wiped clean before the test drive. Last Inpsection And First Decision After leaving the gas station,see if you can find a nice open parking lot or area where you can do a few  figure 8's'. CV Joints: Lower the windows and turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. Drive very slowly and see whether you have any clicking noises'near the wheels. If it does,you will likely need to have the CV axle replaced on that side. Now turn it all the way to the right side and repeat. The turns should be click'and noise free. Decision Time: By this point,you should have a pretty good idea whether your next step is towards purchase or home sweet home. If you're blowing it off,thank the owner politely and leave promptly,without engaging in any further discussion whatsoever. ("It's not what I had in mind.") Show them the gas receipt as a goodwill gesture and thank them. If you're ready to move forward,it's time to schedule a professional inspection.
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20 Oct 2015