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#1
04-12-2012, 05:20 PM
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30 point Check list for used car buying.
I am not a car mechanic but gained this knowledge by experience. All you need is OBDII reader that you will plug in to the car OBD plug (practice on your own car) to check for codes and faults, and a regular voltmeter.
Any one can do it, I know a woman who did understand almost all from the list below, she was able to do it by practicing on her own car. I am sure i missed something but this is good for start. Also keep in mind there is no car that is perfect even a new car will have some imperfections. . Check list for used car buying. 1. Plug in OBDII code reader. It should say: no DTC codes present and no faults stored. 0/0 zero codes stored in the memory. If monitors are not ready (flashing circles) that means there was “Check Engine” warning “On” and it was just reset, also OBD code reader will tell you if there is anything sitting in the car computer (O2 sensors swapped for example). If you find anything that means obviously that you don’t have to waste your time there. If car computer tells you that all is OK, please proceed to a simple 30 point inspection described below. 2. Car needs to be cold (not driven for at least 1.5 hrs). Open radiator cap, (for this to work liquid level should be close to the top, ask owner to top off) and start the car, there should be no bubbles coming out from radiator. Car must be cold or not driven for at least 1.5-2 hours. If bubbles are coming out that means head gasket is compromised. If antifreeze shoots up in the air it means head gasket is blown, the higher it shoots up the worse is the head gasket problem. If no bubbles no “fountain/gazer” head gasket is OK. The idea behind this is that IF there is a crack in a head gasket then cooling liquid will slowly (that’s why car needs to sit for at least an hour) leak in to the engine block. When you start the car with radiator cap open, combustion gases will quickly force liquid out from the engine block and you will see a small fountain. 3. When you ask owner to start the car, have a second person check for smoke at the tail pipe immediately after start., while you checking the radiator fill pipe as per #2 above. 4. Lift the oil dipstick while car is running should be no smoke coming from the dipstick pipe. This indicates that piston oil rings are OK. 5. Engine must be dry all over no leaks; wet engine means it was previously overheated. 6. Check all fluid levels. 7. Check for radiator leaks (boil over) at the expansion tank. 8. Check for noises after initial start up, at low and high rpm. 9. Check radiator cooling fan operation by leaving engine running. Fan will turn “ON”&”OFF” at about 90C. 10. Cars with “liquid fan clutch” lightly pull one of the fan blades by hand to see if there is any play. 11. Check radiator hoses integrity at clamping points. 12. Check A/C operation by turning “ON” at low setting (about 18C) and checking condenser piping. If it will produce light frost on the pipe (Summer Time) or gets a lot colder then the environment that means AC is working properly. 13. Check heater for leaks by setting heater lever to “Hot” that means interior heating coil is open 100% to coolant flow and leave it like that fully open. If there is a leak you will see drops of coolant liquid on the floor carpet usually close to gas pedal from central console. Or in some cases on the passenger side of the central console but same from the heater vents and on the carpet. 14. Check battery voltage while engine is running on idle should be 13.9-14.5VDC, this will indicate that alternator is working properly (must be above 13.5 VDC) 15. Check for gasoline smell and engine oil burning smell at the engine compartment. 16. Check under the Engine should be all dry no oils drops, transmission needs to be dry as well. 17. Check exhaust flex pipes and Cat Converter cases while some one accelerates. Should be no noise, no exhaust leaks. 18. Check CV boots all must be flexible and dry, no cracks. 19. Check CV joints (when driving) by slowly turning in circles with steering hard to the right and then hard to the left. Should be quiet. If knocking/crackling noise is present that means CV joint is bad usually ($220 per side to repair) 20. While under the car check for brake hoses, ball joints, steering for all rubber boots integrity. 21. Check undercarriage integrity (especially for trucks) should be no cracks and frame should have no cracks, no welds. 22. Check shocks/struts should be dry. If wet, needs replacing. Push hard on the front and release quickly if car bounces more then one time (1.5), that means shocks are gone. Bounce once (only upward after you release) shocks are good. 23. Check all lights: Head lights, Fog lights, taillights back up lights, turning signals and hazard lights. All should be firm sitting in place and when touched should be no movement. When any rear or head light or bumper, or other exterior parts are moving or loose, that means there was a hit. 24. Check bumpers same as above should be sitting very firm on the body and all gaps should be the same. 25. Windshield vipers 26. Windshield washer pump. 27. Fog lights 28. Check voltage when all lights are on, and all music equipment (especially Sub woofers if applicable) the voltage Should be still above 13.2 VDC. That will indicate that alternator can take the load and all wiring is done right. 29. Check all power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, sun roof . 30. Check all the gaps between panels (hood & fenders, rear door &sides, side doors and body) should be all equal gaps. If gaps are different that means it was damaged previously. If all gaps are the same that means all OK. Test Drive: Check Automatic transmission shifting. Has to be smooth (no noise no impacts, no jolting), by selecting lowest gear and the manually switching to higher gear. After that stop and drive slowly increasing speed to say 60Km/hr, let it shift automatically until transmission will shift to the top gear all should be smooth. 1.Check Low gear selector 2-high-4-High 2-Low 4-Low (if applicable) 2. Check interior heater (see #12 above), radio, instrument cluster, warning lights ( with ignition off). . 
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#3
04-12-2012, 07:14 PM
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That's some handy info. I work in a mechanic shop (not in the back though), I would also suggest checking with the registry with the vehicle identification number (VIN) to make sure there are no leins on the car and the last place it was registered. It will have to undergo an out of province vehicle inspection if it was not previously registered in your province, I'm not sure about other provinces, but I know the Alberta one is quite particular. The registry can also tell you how many previous owners the car had (as long as they were in Canada I believe). And the status of the vehicle, such as if it is a write off and has been, or requires repair (which would also require a salvage inspection if one had not already been done).
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#5
04-12-2012, 09:15 PM
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Take a magnet with you and check the rocker panels , wheel wells, etc for body fill. A magnet won't stick if holes have been filled with body filler.
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#6
04-12-2012, 09:30 PM
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Also, if you can check how much brake pad wear is remaining (it can be done without removing the wheels) check all four, if there is a difference between the front pads or rear pads (if it has rear disc brakes), it could indicate that a caliper is starting to seize (for eg.: the front left brake pads have 5/32" wear remaining and the front right pads have 8/32" wear remaining. If the pads were installed at the same time, which since they come in sets they should have been, the wear should be the same, unless something is up with the calipers). While your checking, you could also visually inspect the calipers to see if they are leaking.
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#7
04-12-2012, 09:44 PM
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Quote:
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#8
04-12-2012, 09:53 PM
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Also, do not rely on an inspection report that may have been supplied by the place you are buying a vehicle from (whether it is a dealer, or independent person) unless it is a place you trust. I've bought a vehicle that came with an inspection, and when I later had it inspected by the shop I took my vehicles into, I found out that the inspection that was provided with the vehicle was false. I ended up having to put about $4000.00 into the vehicle (which I only paid $2500.00 for). There is the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC), which governs pretty much any facility that deals with cars in Alberta, but all they could do is get the shop to cover a few of the items that were required, but because the dealer "tried to appease my demands" (by fixing 2 of the cheapest things on my laundry list of needed repairs for the vehicle to be safe to drive), AMVIC was unable to persue the issue further, and I was stuck with a vehicle that need a lot of work.
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#9
04-12-2012, 10:32 PM
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Quote:
When I said check all four, I meant the front pads and rear pads, but there should not be any difference in the front brake pads or any difference in the rear brake pads. IE, the front brake pads could have 5/32" wear remaining, but they should both have 5/32" wear remaining and the rear brake pads could have 10/32" wear remaining, but they should both have 10/32" wear remaining. Vehicles generally use the front brakes more for stopping than the rear brakes, so the front brakes will tend to wear faster than the rear. Is that what you meant? I hope that I clarified myself? Also, the brake system is a sealed system, if your having to top it up, that means its leaking and you should either check it yourself or have it checked out (learned that one the hard way too... stopping is a very important ability for a vehicle to have  )
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#10
04-12-2012, 10:35 PM
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Linear Mode
