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10 Steps
to Buy a Used Car |
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Step 5: Conduct a
Through Walk-Around |
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A physical assessment of the vehicle is absolutely paramount before the
purchase. Take your time and be thorough with your examination. While a private
party may let you take the car to your own mechanic, a dealer may not be so
obliging, insisting that his own mechanic perform the inspection. Don't let
this stop you from doing some inspecting of your own. Again, if the seller
objects or tries to belittle you for your effort, walk away. An honest seller
should stand behind every used car he sells, and there are plenty of good
individual sellers and dealers out there.
Look for the following warning signs:
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Engine and
Transmission: |
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The engine should idle smoothly without surging or sputtering, and accelerate
from a standstill without bucking or hesitating. When you accelerate up a hill,
you shouldn't hear any pinging or clunking. The car should be able to keep up
with highway traffic without endless downshifting
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Chassis: |
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It is very important to check the
undercarriage. The bodyline will tell you if the car has been in an accident or
not. |
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Signs of Repainting: |
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Open the trunk, hood and doors. Look for paint specs or over spray, a telltale
sign all or part of the vehicle has been repainted. Now walk around the
vehicle. Are all the body parts the same color?
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Tyres: |
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If you don't get a good set of
radial tyres, try to decrease the price by Rs.2, 000/- per bald tyre. Look at
the wear and tear. If it is not even then keep a Rs1000/- aside for the
alignment that needs to be done. |
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Signs of Poor
Alignment |
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Check the tyres for wear. Uneven
tyre wear—balding on the sides or in the middle—could indicate the need for a
front-end alignment or a more costly repair to a suspension component. |
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Battery: |
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If the battery is not new, decrease the price of the car by Rs.2,000/- for a
new battery, which you will have to buy to run the car. Check to see if the
battery is reconditioned or not.
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Comfort
Equipments: |
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Check air conditioning for proper operation.
Make sure heater and fan work properly. Drive car long enough for engine for
warm up.Check operation of defrosters. Make sure all power options work. |
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