Buying cars was deemed to be a luxury and status symbol in earlier days. However, today it is a necessity. Cars make a lot of things easier and of all they save your valuable time. Buying a brand new car is an expensive affair and not everybody can afford it. So what is it that you could do? Used cars are the answer. Hesitant about if used cars are well conditioned and function properly. Well, there is a solution for that as well. When opting for used cars, irrelevant of whether you’re buying it in an auction, or at a used car lot or from a known friend, you could assess the car’s condition and its performance using the following options:
1. Paint Meter:
Paint meter is a device that helps you detect whether the car’s paint is the original factory tape or if it’s garage paintwork. This device also detects if the metal of the cars body has been replaced. In case it is, you could ask the sales man why it was replaced; was it due to an accident or just to give it a new look. Many dealers who sell used cars never hesitate to lie as their only aim is to drain every penny from the customers. Therefore using Paint meter will give you a clear idea of whether or not the car is in good condition.
2. Check for the Warranty:
It is always advisable to check for the warranty period of the car and this can be easily done as the driver’s side door will have a small label with the manufacturing date on it. This way you could ascertain the actual warranty date as a warranty period usually starts from three months after the manufacturing data. Also you need to be aware that some manufacturers allow transfers of warranties will some don’t. So please call the company and check if the warranty is transferable and is valid or not.
3. Check the Oil Cap:
Whenever you are examining a used car, open the oil cap and look at the cap carefully. If you observe there is a thick black sludge on the cap, it indicates that the owner never bothered to change the oil at all or maybe he has but not very often. Hence, it is not a good option to buy such cars. Sometimes instead of a thick black sludge you might observe a goop which is caramel coloured. This again indicates that the anti-freeze is seeping into the engine and this is not at all good for the engine. Yet again it is not a good option to buy such cars.
4. Cold Start:
Every time you consider a car to buy, always ask for a cold start, which means that the engine is at rest for about 12 hours, even better if 24 hours and then you start the car. Thus is done because a lot if problems can be easily identified such as loud clanking or scraping sounds. These sounds would disappear when the engine heats up. Also when you do a cold start if blue smoke is emitted it indicates that the car is burning oil and if there is anti freeze, you would observe white smoke. Either of this is not a good sign. Therefore, it is better to get the car checked by your mechanic.
Thus, buying a used car is a gamble and by following the above routine it will only let you ascertain that you are making the right choice. Buying is a used car can be light on your pocket, but only if you have not ended up getting a “lemon”.
Patricia Clark is a published author and has written many books and articles. She always loves to explore different things and chooses different topics to write on and this is deemed to be the secret to her success.
