With my wife going back to college and the weather always being nice in San Diego, we broke down and got a car. We got an awesome 2001 Nissan Sentra. Has a moon roof, which is sweet. Something I thought I'd add is all of the things I checked when I bought the car that some people may not know to look at when they buy.
Always check the following:
- Exterior of the car, paint chips, fading, rust
- Look at the glass and make sure there are no chips
- Look at the molding around the doors and make sure it isn't torn
- Look under the car and see if there are any holes in the muffler or if the undercarriage is rusty
- Check all of the electronics: Lights, radio, wipers, remote entry(if avail)
- Make sure the tires have good tread on them
- Look behind the tires and make sure the axles look good along with the A arm, check the boots around the axle, accordion looking black rubber
- Look at the engine: check belts, hoses, and overall shape, listen for any noises when it is running
- Open the oil cap and look to see if it is clean inside
- Ask if there has been any replacement or alternator, timing belt, starter, and if the oil was changed frequently...rule of thumb is change every 2k-3k miles
- Put your hand near the exhaust and see if you feel air puffing out, this will let you know if it is blocked
- Ask if it has passed the smog inspection
- Check the shocks by pushing down on the bumper and releasing quick...if the car bounces more than once then the shocks are bad.
- Make sure the AC works
- Watch the temperature gauge when the car is running, make sure it doesn't get too hot
- When you drive the car see if it pulls to one side of the road or the other, this can suggest alignment problems.
- Get a background report on the car like Carfax
- When the car is shifting(if automatic) feel if it shifts hard or soft, if hard that can suggest transmission issues
No comments:
Post a Comment