How To Do a Used Car Walk Around

22-Dec-2011

 You are aware that you won’t get the best condition when you are buying a used car. But that doesn’t mean you should settle on just any car, even if it is the cheapest find. Inspecting the car is highly necessary especially if you are planning to buy a used car. Besides, these do not come with a warranty. Once you bought it, it will be your sole responsibility. Inspect the car and do a “used car walk around.” A “used car walk around” is a physical inspection of the car to see if its condition speaks for its price. Below are some things you should do for this:

1. Take note of the dents on the car’s body. There should be no additional dents when you come again to buy the car.

2. Open the door and close it. If it shuts not cozily, then suspect that the car must have been in an accident and the damage on the door was not fixed well or not fixed at all.

3. Inspect the door latched and hinges. These are usually rusty or damaged.

4. Take note of the scratches. Many scratches on used cars are normal. But deep scratches could mean that the car is rusting beneath the paint. Scratches undercarriage could mean accident damage or abusive use.

5. See if the tires are uneven. If they are, the car must be suffering from alignment problem, which could be very dangerous for you. Take note of the tire information on its side. You want to make sure the tires won’t be swapped when it’s time to buy it.

6. Check the headlight by turning it on. Does it seem cloudy? That is a sign of moisture inside, which sooner or later would result to a need of headlight replacement.

7. Check the windshield. It should be smooth and not even a small crack should be obvious on it. You don’t want to spend extra to replace the windshield.

8. Open the engine compartment. Ask someone to start the engine and listen to the sound. If there is a constant vibration, the engine mount must have a problem. Check the oil, too, by pulling out its dipstick. Wipe the dipstick off with a rag and insert it again in the tank. See if there is any dirt or anything on the dipstick besides oil. Any unusual elements could be signs that the tank is damaged from the inside.

9. When the engine is running, look at the sound and smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. If there is a rattling sound coming from the exhaust along with the engine sound under the bonnet and if the smoke coming out the exhaust is black and cloudy, then you should stay away from the used car.

10. Look at the car’s paint at different angles. At one angle, it might be looking nice and smooth. Try to look at it at a different angle and maybe you’ll see some cracks.

11. Poke all cables in the engine compartment. See if they are firmly connected.

12. Get under the car, if you can. The important parts of the car like chassis, shocks, and brakes are all located under the car. Are there any rusting or unusual fluid stains on any part? Those are just few signs of potential damage.

It’s always recommended and highly advisable that you let a professional car inspector or mechanic thoroughly inspect the car on the day you are about to buy it. But despite the help of this professional, never fail to check the car yourself, too. You can never be too sure when buying something as valuable and as useful as a car.


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