When buying a used car, you need to make sure you know at least a little bit about its history. The history can tell you a lot not just about the car but the type of person who has owned it in the past. Check for service intervals, and when the all-important cambelt or timing belt was changed. The more you know about the service history of a car, the more you\u2019ll be able to mitigate future, costly repairs.<\/p>\n
Does it have any leaks?<\/strong><\/p>\n Check all the hoses, tubes and pipes in the engine, and if possible, the underside of the car. Leaks can often be hidden, and provide slow burning problems that worsen over time. Piped not doing their job can also affect a lot of components – stay aware from vehicles that obviously display these kind of issues.<\/p>\n Check for corrosion<\/strong><\/p>\n Hidden corrosion can be the arch nemesis of your car and its health. Inspect the wheel arches, the wings and as much of the sills as you can – poking suspect areas. If you finger goes through the rust, steer well clear<\/p>\n How does it turn at slow speeds?<\/strong><\/p>\n Drive the car slowly and make a series of 90-degree turns left and right. Observe how the car steers and the feedback from the road – are there any knocking noises? If there are, it could signify wishbone or anti-roll issues. It\u2019s repairable, but be wary, and make sure you factor this in to the amount you\u2019re willing to spend on the car.<\/p>\n Have the tyres worn evenly?<\/strong><\/p>\n Tracking and balance issues caused by problems to the suspension and the anti-roll system can make the tyres wear unevenly. Even if there\u2019s no outward sign of issues with the internal structure of the car, uneven tyre wear can potentially give the game away.<\/p>\n Check the condition of the fluids<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as making sure you\u2019re checking the levels of the fluid in the car, check the quality of it too. If the oil is brown, black or grimey, it could be an indication that it hasn\u2019t been changed in a long time. Sludge build ups also indicates this, alongside the possibility of overheating problems. Additionally, check the quality of the coolant – dirty or off-colour water needs to be changed.<\/p>\n Test drive the car<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course this goes without saying, but you would be surprised how many people buy a car without scrutinising it or understanding the specifics of how it drives. If you do buy the car, you will of course discover idiosyncrasies you\u2019ll have to deal with – but most major issues can be discovered by taking it on a drive at all speeds and making sure it goes through the gears.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to we have here at Private Fleet a vast wealth of knowledge about the car industry in Australia and how to get the best deal possible. We have access to a huge amount of vehicles that have been traded in – contact us<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n
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