When you get a new car...

[JPsAccordSE]

Gonna be going to check out a new car in about a week or two, and I was wondering what are some problem areas I should look out for? I know I should check to see that everything works, and the tires and such. Thanks in advance!

[canadianrcist]

check for leaks, rust, that kind of stuff.

[JoshM]

If you know the specific car your looking for, check out Edmunds and see the problem areas that car has. If you're just looking for a general car, check for rust. Push the car to it's limit and check for overheating, oil leaks, etc.


A lot of dealerships have Carfax reports to show to you too.

[lokuputha]

old records: service history, major repairs, so on. Also check how old the tires are...if they are more than 5 years old, get new ones.

[JoshM]

Also check how old the tires are...if they are more than 5 years old, get new ones.

If they are bald looking, get the dealership to put new ones on, or mark $200 or so off the car so you can get new ones.

[xfactortype1]

a long story

check the fluids. like coolant for level and color. is it green. does it have oil in it like chocholate milk color? squeeze the hoses to see if they feel spongy. also notice to make sure the cooling fans come on. check the tranny fluid see if its red or pink like it should be. smell it do see if its burnt. check the oil for the same thing to see if its dirty or low. small things like that can tell you if the car was beat on or neglected. and dont buy the little old lady ownned it story. if you can bring a vaccum guage and hook it up to anywhere on the intake to see if there is a leak. it can also tell you if these problems with the valves. at stable idle the vacuum should be like 17-22mmhg steady. and as the gas pedal is pressed the vacuum should drop as air geets sucked into intake. slight flickering depending on how bad it is could mean looming problems with the valvetrain. and it only takes a minute. dont be affraid to get under the car to check for hidden leaks or even ask to put up on lift if possible. other things like push down on the front of the car to test the shocks and springs. you could also remove the spark plus to check the condition of them. they should have light golden brown and not burnt or oil deposits or white ash. that can tell you condition of engine. have someone get in the car with the hood open and step on gas in park. see if engine jumps around in bay more thn normal. while some movement is normal excessive can mean shot mounts. chewck the power steering fluid to see if burnt or foaming. turn the wheel all the way in both directions to see if the pump squeels too looudly. check the brake fluid for being burnt or low. and also step on the brake pedal to get a feel. it should feel firm and not spongy which could mean a leak or faulty brake booster. and yes obviously take it for a test drive.

if you have the time you should also compression test the engine, but the above can most be done with a little time taken on the lot. i would say tune upp and stuff that im sure youll do anyway.


hope it help as it is what i would do.

later x

[JPsAccordSE]

Thanks guys, thats a pretty good list of things to check for... I forgot to mention that the car is from a private seller, and the car is '93 EX coupe. Wrote that before class, so I was trying to hurry up before the teacher yelled at me.