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NEW OR USED? (2)
Used car checklist
When buying a used car, it is crucial to make sure
that it is in sound mechanical condition. If you do
not know much about cars, take someone along who does.
- Always ask for service records to ensure the
car has been maintained properly.
- Check the vehicle thoroughly for rust. The most
obvious places are the doorsills, window and headlight
surrounds, under the carpet inside the car and also
in the boot.
- Check for signs that the car may have been in
an accident. Are some parts resprayed? Are there
odd welding seams?
- If a car has been poorly maintained, it can usually
be quickly picked up. Look under the bonnet and
check for frayed wiring, an oily engine bay, cracked
hoses and corroded battery terminals.
- Remove the radiator cap and start the engine from
cold. If bubbles surface on the water, it could
indicate a defective cylinder head gasket.
- Check the windscreen for cracks and chips. A windscreen
can be very expensive to replace.
- Standing behind the vehicle, ask the salesperson
to start the engine. Blue/grey smoke might indicate
worn valve guides or valve-stem oil seals. If there
is a lot of smoke, the engine may need an overhaul.
- If the black deposit in the car’s exhaust
is wet, the engine is using oil. A dry black deposit
is fine on a car running on unleaded fuel. Leaded
fuel will result in a white deposit if the engine
is tuned properly.
- Listen to the engine with the bonnet open. Remember
that not all engines idle smoothly (even when they’re
new), but strange knocking or whining sounds must
be investigated.
- Always test-drive the vehicle with the radio switched
off. Check the workings of the indicators, wipers,
fan, gearbox, pedals etc. Also make sure the car
accelerates smoothly, and that there are no misfires.
- Inspect the tyres carefully. If the tyres are
very worn, you must replace them, and this can be
expensive. Unevenly worn tyres can also indicate
defective shock absorbers or suspension damage.
- Check the CV joints. If the protective covers
are worn, the joints are perhaps also worn. When
driving a front-wheel drive vehicle slowly, turn
full lock in both directions. If the joints are
worn, they will make a clicking sound. (Rear-wheel
drive cars with independent rear suspension have
CV joints on the driveshafts.)
Hot tips
Look out for the phrase, “This warranty
does not cover consequential damages.” This
means that if one component fails, and subsequently
causes another to fail, the warranty does not cover
the second item.
Also take care of ads that say “voetstoots”.
This loosely translates to “as is”, and
means that you have no recourse to the seller if things
go wrong. Inspect the car carefully for potential
latent (hidden) defects.
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