Tips When Buying A Second-Hand Car

People often get confused and frustrated when buying second hand vehicles. Enterprise gives tips on how to making this daunting and time consuming task just a little bit easier and definitely more bearable.

When buying a used car always be keen to observe. Look at the cars in the day time. It is harder to spot defects in the dark. You may also want to take someone along to help choose.

How does the car look? Do you like what you see? We more often than not want to take a closer look at cars that we find attractive on the outside. Nevertheless, a closer inspection is always necessary.

§ We begin with the size of the car. Think about your needs, your budget and your lifestyle. Is it big enough or small enough for you? Does it meet your specifications?

§ Check that the spare wheel and full wheel replacement kit are there.

§ Take a close look at the bodywork, the paint and the texture. The Look out for any scratches or dents on the car. Touch and feel the car. Don’t forget to check the windscreen as well.

You will need to get into the vehicle for the second step. Inside the vehicle use your sense of touch, smell, sight and hearing to conduct your quality assessment. Test everything!

§ Use your eyes; observe your surrounding. A car that is well taken care of will be relatively pleasing to the eyes!

§ Inhale…..smell. Most odors are there to stay so do take special care to sniff around.

§ Touch the accessories and see how they work. Is the driver’s seat comfortable? Can it be adjusted?

§ Turn on the radio, listen…..are the speakers in good working condition? Are the knobs working, easy to turn? Any unusual noises? A constant drone is a distinct indication of worn out speakers and a definite indication of neglect or mishandling by the previous owner.

§ Subject the windows to test. Continuously open and close them. Adjust the side mirrors.

The final step will be to drive the car. This is an essential part of the buying process and regardless of the prevailing weather conditions you must always test drive. Before you start the engine, check to see if it is still warm. It may have been started earlier to conceal starting problems it may have.

You will need to take the car on test for at least 2-3km.

§ Sample as many driving positions and conditions as possible. Choose a course that you would normally use and one that you know well. You don’t want to spend your driving experience getting lost! Uneven roads will be able to give you the stop-go-maneuver effect which is essential when test driving. Don’t forget the highway though to maximize on the speed and stability of the car on the road.

§ Reverse-drive and park. This is an excellent way to check on the gears. A trouble free automatic car should smoothly shift. If the car has a manual gear box confirm that the clutch operates smoothly.

§ As you drive feel the car under you- does it shake or jolt? We strongly recommend that you do take a peek under the car.

§ Check the air-conditioning and the operations of defroster, heater and fan. Ensure that these are working. You don’t want a car you will be huffing and puffing in!

§ Take time and listen to the motor for any odd sounds. Do you hear anything out of the usual purr of the engine?

§ How balanced is the car? Leaning too much to one side perhaps? Avoid a car that has wheel alignment problems. You don’t want to be spending any extra money fixing this! Check the tires for uneven tear as well.

§ Now, relax and take a nice long drive. Are you enjoying yourself? Like the feel of the care? Is this is it?

You are almost ready to make your decision now. We recommend you do one more test.

§ Open the oil filler cap. It will go a long way in giving the mechanical condition of the vehicle. –any smoke when uncovered? Look at the underside - Is it corroded, does it have water or sludge?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions you almost certainly will want to and should move on! All these are indications that the engine probably overheated and a gasket failed.

As a final point of used car buying, compare and contrast what you have viewed. This way you will be able to tell why you let go of a particular car with no regrets.

Importantly do remember to always check on the paperwork of the car. Is everything in order?

When you do finally make a choice we recommend that you have a qualified mechanic check out the car. You never know what you may have missed that may ultimately cost you even more. It also helps take the emotion out of the purchase and ensures that you make a logical buy!

Happy Motoring!

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