Roger and I banged on the used-car buyer's checklist some more and
it's reached a state of near-completion. This is a draft of what I
intend to post up to rec.autos.tech later this fall, so please ignore
the DON'T SEND US MAIL paragraph if you have any comments.
--
Lawrence Buja
southern@ncar.ucar.edu
--
This is a used-car buyer's checklist consisting of four parts:
Page 1: Checklist part 1: General procedures and questions.
Page 2: Checklist part 2: Exterior/interior examination.
Page 3: Checklist part 3: Engine running and test drive
Page 4. A sample Bill of Sale.
Very little technical knowledge is actually needed for 90% of the
items on the checklist. However, you will get the most out of it if
you (or the friend you bring along) know your way around the inside of
an engine bay. You can read and fill out the first part in the
comfort of your home before you go to see the car, then fill out
second and third when you are there checking the car out. If things
go satisfactory, then fill out the fourth.
The whole idea of the list is to systematically highlight some areas
to check out in a car you are looking at to buy from a private
individual. It also tries rationally raise some pointed questions
that you might not think of in the limited time you have to examine
the car. This is of particular use when you have fallen under the
seductive spell of your dream car and your normally razor-sharp
intellect has been reduced to the mushy consistency of slightly
over-ripe melon.
The checklist is picky to the point where only a relatively new car
will come through unscathed. And of course, any flaws that you have
uncovered can be used to justify that insanely low cash offer that you
are about to make for the car. By the time you are done running
through the checklist, you'll probably know more about condition of
the car than the owner does.
Origins of this list go back to a checklist originally posted to
rec.motorcycles and further tuning was conducted by members of the
british-cars e-mailing list for use when looking at used (and
sometimes very used) British sports cars. Thus, you'll notice that
some of the questions will be slanted in that direction and towards
that level of technology.
DON'T SEND US MAIL: We don't want to get a ton of mail saying "Change
this line or Modify that question or What are Dogs or Please send me
a copy." If you think something should be changed, do it. But please
don't send us mail about it. If you've got a change or addition that
you think is important based on your first-hand used-car buying
experience, post it up to rec.autos.tech for all to see. And, of
course, any requests for hard copies of this list will be gladly
accepted if properly submitted on the back of a 20 dollar bill :-).
WARNING: I've posted the checklist in the form that I use it: 132+
characters wide, complete with tabs and control-L's. In this form, it
nicely fits onto 60 line pages when laser printed in either profile
configuration (enscript -fTimes-Roman11 -FAvantGarde-DemiOblique11)
with a Times-Roman11 font and no print headers or in landscape
configuration with what ever font you normally use for 132 character
wide outputs. If you need to reformat it to fit it to your
application, be my ghost.
Enjoy...
--
Lawrence Buja and Roger Garnett
southern@ncar.ucar.edu garnett@theory.tc.cornell.edu
Part 1. The british-cars Used Car Buyers Picky Mechanical Inspection
Checklist [ Tape Ad Here ]
------ First Phone Contact
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Phone: (h)
Address: (w)
Date:
1. Can you describe the car and its condition? 4. Does it have Overdrive or
Turbo? Does it work?
2. Does it run well? 5. What special features or
options does it have?
3. How is the: 6. Why are you selling it?
Body? 7. How long have you owned
it? ...had it for sale?
Paint? 8. Is it currently registered
and licensed?
Rust? 9. Where is the car located?
Interior? 10. How many miles does it
have on it? (12K/yr)
Tires? 11. What problems have you had
with the car?
Engine? 12 What work does it need
done on it now?
Brakes? 13. How much are you asking
for it?
Shocks? or What's the least
you'll willing to take for it?
------ Some Questions to Ask Yourself
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why am I buying this car? | Do I want to work on the
car more than driving it?
What do I intend to do with it? | Am I willing to pay a
premium because someone else has
Will it be my commute vehicle? | already done most of
the serious work on the car?
What service and support is locally available? | What is the most that I'm
willing to pay for this car?
Will I be driving it year-round or summer only? | What is the least that I
think that the car can be had for?
|
------ Suggestions:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Read some of the "How to buy Used Cars" books available at your library.
They provide useful strategies
and cautions that go far beyond the scope of this list. Also, review this
list carefully before using it.
2. Always inspect the vehicle in the broad daylight, never in the evening or at
night.
3. A clean piece of cardboard placed under the engine/trans after the
test-drive will help show fluid leaks.
4. In some states, older non-titled vehicles may be titled with just a bill of
sale. Other states may
require an additional security bond to be posted. Use extreme caution in
either of these cases!
5. A general guide to reading exhaust smoke:
Black smoke = unburned fuel Valves bad or out of adjustment? Carbs
out of adjustment?
Blue smoke = burning oil Accelerating: Piston rings bad?
Decellerating: Valve seats/guides bad?
White smoke = burning coolant! Bad head gasket? Warped or cracked Head
or Block?$$
----- Tools To Bring:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Essentials: A cynical, mechanically-minded friend, Your standard tool set,
Voltmeter, Compression Gauge,
Tire gauge, Flashlight, Magnet, the 2 different spark plug
sockets, spray lube, clean rags
Clipboard, pen and hi-liter to use with a photocopy of this
list, some cash, drivers license
and copy of your insurance showing you are covered driving the
sellers car.
Optional: tow rope, starting fluid, jumper cables, timing light, ramps,
jack (floor or scissors), mirror,
coveralls, rags, gas can, oil, duct tape, wire, repair manuals,
misc.fuses, calculator
------ Additional Post-Checklist Questions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Owner? Names/nums of previous owners? | What new/aftermarket parts
are in the car? Receipts?
What regular maintenance was done? Records? | Was it ever used for
towing?
What gas milage have you been getting? | Has it ever been crashed,
burnt, stolen, hit or rolled?
Oil change interval? Type of oil used? | How was the car generally
driven? On highway or in town?
Are there any repair or gas milage records? | Are the engine,
transmission, steering, differential original?
How old are the tires? Battery? | (if not, why not?
origin and receipts?)
Has it passed emissions recently? Where? | Do you have any books about
the car or the engine?
What bodywork has ever been done? Why? Receipts | (repair books, owners
manuals, history or general
Any mechanical work recently? Where? Receipts? | interest, parts
catalogs, club newsletters)
What work remains to be done or corrected? | Any interesting history?
Has it ever been raced?
Are there any missing parts? | Are there any tools that
come with the car?
Do you have any extra parts or wheels for it? | Do you know of any parts
cars or good parts sources?
Part 2. Exterior-Interior Examination. (Don't
start the engine yet.)
---------- OWNERSHIP VERIFICATION:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name on title: Name on registration: Model/Year on
title:
VIN on title: VIN on registration: VIN on dash:
Mileage on title: Mileage on odometer: VIN on door:
Price on title: Asking price: Do all these
agree and seem right?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK Not-OK OK Not-OK
IS THE CAR READY TO SELL: ___ _____ Current registration?
Plates? Emissions?
___ _____ Do body numbers match those on title? ___ _____ Title ready for
transfer? Any liens?
___ _____ Do body numbers match registration? ___ _____ Title in sellers
name?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXTERIOR WALK-AROUND: ___ _____ Are bumpers dinged?
Rusty? Loose? Level?
___ _____ Is anything obviously broken? ___ _____ Any of the trim or
hubcaps rusty or missing?
___ _____ Car sits level? (view from all sides) ___ _____ Find bottom of
trunk/side wells. Rust? Holes?
___ _____ Paint OK? Panels same shade? Cracks? ___ _____ Raise/lower the top.
Condition? Does it leak?
___ _____ New paint? Why? Any body ripples? ___ _____ Rubber parts and
seals condition? Cracked?
___ _____ Any rust on body? Fenders? Sills? ___ _____ Gas tank & fill hose
OK? Rusty? Patched?
___ _____ Any Bondo? (check with magnet) Why? ___ _____ Jack? Spare tire
filled? Jack points good?
___ _____ Any fender dings or misalignment?Why? ___ _____ Tires: Tread? Bulges?
Cracks? All the same?
___ _____ Door/hood dings? Misalignment? Why? ___ _____ Rims: Bent? Rusted?
Cracks? All the same?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNDERSIDE: ___ _____ Constant velocity
joints and boots OK?
___ _____ Anything broken? Bent? Welded? Why? ___ _____ Camber? Caster?
Tire wear even?
___ _____ Any underbody/floor pan/trunk rust? ___ _____ Front end loose?
Pull on side/top of wheels.
___ _____ Any rocker panel or wheel well rust? ___ _____ All shocks & struts
damp OK? Any leaks?
___ _____ Are main frame members rusted? Dogs? ___ _____ Exhaust
pipe/cats/muffler solid & original?
___ _____ Disks grooved? Brake pads? Any leaks? ___ _____ Tailpipe: Grey=OK,
sooty/oily/greasy=Not-OK
___ _____ Turn, push/pull driveshaft by hand. ___ _____ Anything hanging
down, taped or wired up?
___ _____ Any movement or slop? U-joints OK? ___ _____ Any non-stock
suspension mods?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNDER HOOD: ___ _____ Heater hoses stiff?
Cracked? Patched?
___ _____ Anything broken? Patched? Leaking? ___ _____ Vacuum hoses stiff?
Patched? Capped? Missing?
___ _____ Is engine clean? Any rust? Stock? ___ _____ Is emissions equip
original & working?!$
___ _____ Has it overheated? Paint blistered? ___ _____ Are catalytic
converters original & working?$
___ _____ Check fluid levels. Look for leaks. ___ _____ Distributer, cap,
rotor, and points OK?
___ _____ Check fluid condition with flashlight ___ _____ Wiring harness
appearance? Any new elec.tape?
___ _____ Any play in main crankshaft pulley?!$ ___ _____ Open fuse box. Any
missing? Any wiring hacks?
___ _____ Any play in any of the other pulleys? ___ _____ Any non-stock engine
modifications?
___ _____ V-Belts cracked, frayed, worn smooth? ___ _____ Remove grounding
cable, check for shorts.
___ _____ Radiator corroded? Hoses cracked? ___ _____ System polarity:
+ or - ground?
___ _____ check coolant, run finger inside ___ _____ System voltage:
___________ volts
radiator neck to check for oil. ___ _____ Battery age/voltage
______/_____ volts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERIOR/ELECTRICAL: ___ _____ Steering play? Does
shaft move at all? Why?
___ _____ Anything broken or torn? ___ _____ Brake pedal feels
right? Smooth?
___ _____ Carpets OK? Underlayment condition? ___ _____ Clutch pedal feels
right? Smooth?
___ _____ Rust, rot or water under the carpets? ___ _____ All gauges/controls
work? Stereo? Tape?
___ _____ Any wiring hacks under the dash? ___ _____ Headlights high/low
work? Lenses OK?
___ _____ Seats dirty or torn? Look under cover ___ _____ Tail and side lights
all work? Lenses OK?
___ _____ Do both seats adjust? Seat heaters? ___ _____ Brake lights all
work? Any broken lenses?
___ _____ Dash cracked? Headliner torn/dirty? ___ _____ Turn signals all
work? Any broken lenses?
___ _____ Windshield cracked? Chips? Scratched? ___ _____ Windshield wipers &
washer work?
___ _____ Windows all open & close? Any cracks? ___ _____ Heater, defroster,
AC, and fans work?
___ _____ Mirrors all present and adjustable? ___ _____ Safety equipment
(seat belts, horn work?)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS:
Part 3: Engine running and test drive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK Not-OK OK Not-OK
START THE ENGINE YOURSELF: ___ _____ Oil Pressure:
idle_______ 4000 RPM_______
___ _____ Do all idiot lights go on/out right? ___ _____ Volts/Amps:
idle_______ 4000 RPM_______
___ _____ Are all the instruments working? ___ _____ Exhaust
condition/noises? Pressure even?
___ _____ Does it start easily when cold? ___ _____ Cap pipe with
clipboard. Any exhaust leaks?
___ _____ Does it run smoothly when cold? ___ _____ Any deposits on
clipboard? Does it smoke?
___ _____ Any odd engine noises when cold? ___ _____ Now pull forward.
Check for leaks on ground.
___ _____ Any odd lifter or valve noises? ___ _____ Do you have any gas?
Does gauge really work?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEST DRIVE (Allow 30-40 minutes) ___ _____ Accelerates smoothly
from dead stop?
___ _____ Test the foot and hand brakes first! ___ _____ Are there any
hesitations/flat spots?
___ _____ Relax, drive a bit to get used to it. ___ _____ Does the power seem
right? Hill test.
___ _____ How does car ride? soft or hard? ___ _____ Is it running too hot
or cold? Why?
___ _____ Revs smoothly to red line? flatspots? ___ _____ Drive beside a long
wall. Any unusual sounds?
___ _____ Any unusual engine noises/vibrations? ___ _____ Is it too noisy in
general at highway speeds?
___ _____ Any drive train noises or vibrations? ___ _____ Any noises or
vibrations when accelerating?
___ _____ Any noticeable slop in drive train? ___ _____ Any noises or
vibrations when coasting?
___ _____ Reverse works? Rev.lights go on/off? ___ _____ Any noises or
vibrations when decelerating?
___ _____ Trans shifts smoothly to all gears? ___ _____ Any noises or
vibrations when braking?
___ _____ Overdrive engages/disengages properly ___ _____ Steering action loose
or tight? Parallel park.
___ _____ Turbo engages/disengages properly? ___ _____ Handles OK on bumps,
curves and sharp corners?
___ _____ Any clunks, whines, rumbles, rattles? ___ _____ Bad understeer or
oversteer? Sloloms OK?
___ _____ Clutch smooth? Slippage on hill test? ___ _____ Make two very
tight-radius turns. Any noises?
___ _____ Hand brake works? Test against engine ___ _____ Tracks straight with
hands off steering wheel?
___ _____ Is the low engine speed operation OK? ___ _____ Brakes still work?
Pulls/pulses/drag/noises?
___ _____ Do brakes still work? Stops straight? ___ _____ Having fun yet?
Comfortable? Does it fit?
Have friend get out and watch the car driving: ___ _____ Do the heater,
defroster and AC work right?
___ _____ Tracks straight? (Frame bent?) ___ _____ Are all the
instruments & lights still working?
___ _____ Smokes? ___ _____ Now let it idle a
while. Is temp stable/OK?
___ _____ Wheels wobble? Any noises? ___ _____ Any exhaust, gas or
coolant odors?
___ _____ Leans? General impression? ___ _____ Now pull forward.
Check for leaks on ground.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POST DRIVE: ___ _____ Open hood. See or
hear anything unusual?
___ _____ Does it restart when warm? Why not? ___ _____ Does engine seem too
hot?
___ _____ Check for fluid leaks after shutdown. (Oil, Coolant, Hydraulics,
Trans, Fuel, Differential)
___ _____ Check oil cap and dipstick for signs of water. (Oil off-color,
brown/grey/white or bubbly)
OPTIONAL: 1. Dry: 1____ 2____ 3____ 4____ 5____
6____ 7____ 8____
___ _____ Compression test: 2. Oiled: 1____ 2____ 3____ 4____ 5____
6____ 7____ 8____
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS:
Bill of Sale
Year, make, and model:
___________________________________________________________________
Description:
___________________________________________________________________
License number: _____________________________ State:
____________________________
VIN: _____________________________
Odometer reading: _____________________________
Date and time of sale: _____________ _____________
Seller hereby acknowledges receipt of $______________ in the form of
______________
for full payment of the above vehicle, which is sold "AS IS".
I, the seller, certify that I or we are the current owner of this
vehicle, and have the
authority to sell it. I hereby transfer ownership of this vehicle
described on this
receipt to the buyer. I certify that the Title or ownership of this
vehicle at the
time of sale is subject to no outstanding taxes, fees, liens or
encumberances, other than
those specified on the Title or listed below, if any, and none other,
and that if there
are, the seller will be held fully responsible for their payment.
Buyer hereby acknowledges recipt of the following: the signed
certificate of ownership
transferring seller's full ownership of the vehicle to the buyer; the
current vehicle
registration; various maintenance records; this signed bill of sale and
mileage disclosure
statement; and all keys to the vehicle as well as delivery of the
vehicle.
Fedral and State regulations require the seller to state the odometer
mileage upon
transfer of ownership (Section 392-e General Business Law).
I, the seller, certify that to the best of my knowledge the odometer
reading is _____________
and reflects the actual mileage of the vehicle described herin or
(check if applicable):
____ 1. The amount of mileage stated is in excess of 99,999
miles; or
____ 2. The odometer reading is not the actual mileage.
________________________________
__________________________________
(seller's signature) (date) (buyer's signature) (date)
Seller: Buyer:
name: name:
phone: phone:
address: address:
|