What to check before buying a used vehicle

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It is not always easy to detect possible errors, so it is best to check up to 12 different elements

More and more drivers are choosing to buy a used car, mainly because of the microchip crisis, which is causing significant delays in the delivery of new cars to dealers and consequently a shortage of stock. On the other hand, high fuel prices and the war in Ukraine are having a major impact on the transportation and trade of essential raw materials for engine and body manufacturing, such as aluminum, iron and steel.

This, together with the context of general uncertainty and economic inflation, is causing significant increases in new vehicle prices. All these reasons are:
boost used car saleswith an average age of 10.3 years, which even gives rise to the paradox that more cars older than 15 years were sold in this first quarter of the year than new ones.

However, if you are thinking of buying a used car and at the same time avoiding unforeseen and expensive breakdowns, for your safety and savings, Confortauto Hankook Masters tells us
12 important checks to perform

1.
engine: We must be aware of any trace of corrosion or leakage, as well as abnormal noises during start-up or circulation. It should be checked that it starts correctly both cold and hot and that it does not give off smoke or oil loss. It is important to check the cylinder head gasket and fluid reservoir, as well as the condition of the timing belts.

two.
Brakes: Be sure to test the brakes. There should be no strong vibrations in the pedals or strange noises. If the brakes partially lock up, they may need new pads or the discs may need to be replaced. It is also necessary to check whether the parking brake is working effectively, whether it is a lever or electronic.

3.
Address: To test the direction of a car correctly, turn the steering wheel all the way and pay attention to any strange noises that may occur, as well as that the steering wheel moves smoothly. Check if the steering tends to straighten itself after turning. If not, there may be something wrong with the universal joint or rack. When driving in a straight line, check that the car does not tend to go in a certain direction, otherwise there may be an alignment error.

Four.
Transfer: Here we need to check various components of the system. The clutch should not be too hard or too soft and should make its full stroke silently. For its part, the shifting should be smooth when putting, both cold and hot, without jerks and without abnormal noise.

5.
delay: Another important point is the revision of the suspension. While the vehicle is stationary, press on a corner of the car. If the shock absorbers are in good condition, the car should bounce once. If the car keeps going up and down, something is wrong. Another clear indication of good condition is that the tires wear evenly on both sides.

6.
ties: Check the tire pressure according to the tire pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer and always do this when the tires are cold, as more than 50% of vehicles are circulating with tires without sufficient pressure. Check that the tire tread has a depth of more than 1.6mm (established legal limit), it is recommended to replace the tires if the tread depth is less than 3mm. Check that the tires have no cuts, deformations, damage or other signs of wear.

7.
Exhaust pipe: We must pay attention to the color of the smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, because depending on what it is, it is an indicator of possible anomalies: if it is blue, it consumes oil, which is usually due to an excessive wear engine. If it’s white, it could be from a lack of fuel in the combustion or from condensation in the pipe, which is more common in winter. If it comes out black, you are using too much fuel.

8.
Chassis: It is one of the most important points to make when reviewing a used car. This requires opening the hood and checking the bumper mountings. These should be bolted on each side and should never be welded. The screw heads in the hood, on the top of the fender, should not be scratched. Finally, check the welds on the inside of the door frames.

9.
headlights: Be sure to check all the lights on the vehicle so that they all work at the same intensity and that none are burning out: low and high beam, turn signals, fog lights, brake lights, third brake light, and reverse light. Also make sure none of the lenses and reflectors are damaged.

10.
luminous witnesses: When you switch on the ignition and start the car, check that no indicator light, warning message or warning of a possible malfunction remains on the instrument panel.

eleven.
Air conditioning: Activate the air conditioners to make sure they are working properly. It should not make noise or generate bad smells. It is important not to neglect the maintenance of the air conditioning as this can cause more serious and expensive breakdowns of the vehicle.

12.
Body: Check the absence of dents and corrosion and the good condition of the paint. Also make sure there are no old sheet metal repairs that indicate possible major hits in the past. Finally, open and close all doors, as well as the hood and trunk. Inspect all rubber gaskets around doors and windows to verify their condition.

Source: La Verdad

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