Tips To Buy an Old Car
It is always a gamble buying a used car form an unknown person . But you are spending your hard earned money and you need to do check a few things before buying a used car. You can buy a used car from the trade-ins or from advertisements in the classified. There are some brokers who help you look for the car keeping in mind your budget and charge you some percent brokerage .
Here are a few things to keep in mind while buying a used car :-
• Always check the number on the engine and the chassis with the number provided to you in the papers.
• Take the car for a test drive and make sure you drive it in all the conditions. Reverse, twists and turns and fast and slow.
• Check the brakes by applying them suddenly.
• Check the car body in good daylight.
• If the car is five years old then check the car properly for any kind of rust . Look for the rust along the sides, the bumpers and the bottom of the car and the doors.
• If you see a rust look on the paint means that the corrosion is quite strong. If you hear a cracking noise while pressing the panel then that means that there is corrosion.
• Look around the car for any kind of paint touching up , it could be an indicator of a collision and also shows how well the car was taken care with regard to the scratches .
• Open the Bonnet and check the engine of the car.
• Check the hose pipes and the belts and see that they are not too hard or too soft.
• Check all the parts under the bonnet for any kind of rust and leakage.
• Make sure all the containers which store the oils and the coolant and the fluids are well kept and have no leakage .
• Check the boot of the car and see that it is in good condition. Check that there is no rusting and no water entry in the boot due to holes.
• Look inside the car and make sure that upholstery is not stained , ripped or faded.
• The music system must be put on and checked .You should see all the channels and the options in the car are in a working condition.
• Switch on the air conditioner and make sure it cools well and all the knobs are working .
• The odometer tells us the millage the car has covered . The millage and the time tells the age of the car .
• The oil filler should be checked and made sure that there is no residue and there is no brown coolant. If this exists then don’t go for that car .
• The dipstick should not have a burnt smell.
• A very important and expensive part of the car is the timing belt. Make sure that the belt is ok.
• Check the tires of the car. The tires should be equally worn. The alignment could be bad because of the a spoilt steering or a tire frame damage. Also check the spare tire in the boot and make sure the tread is the same.
• Try to check under the car if possible.
• Try to take a friend who has a good automobile knowledge . If you do not have a friend there is no harm taking a mechanic along whom you can pay for his services.
• Do not be in a hurry to pay the price mentioned. The person selling the car would certainly ask for more than the value of the car. You should also make an assessment after checking out the car and put forward your price .
• Make sure you take all the original papers and the registration of the car and have all the details of the payment on a legal document.
Keeping the above views in mind you might be able to get a good deal while purchasing an old used car.
Robert Smith writes for www.toyotaplace.com He is a freelance content contributor and likes to write about various spheres like Social Media, technology trends and his secret favorite – cars and automobiles. He is a keen observer and contributor for various auto forums and the online auto space.