What You Should Know About Buying a Used Car

Purchasing a used car can be quite a hassle, especially if you have no technical knowledge of cars. Taking a used vehicle that you intend on purchasing to a mechanic can be quite time consuming and can be costly if the vehicle that you pick isn't "the one". Having to bring more than one vehicle into a mechanic shop to be inspected and test drive can end up putting a big hole in your wallet, so I've included a few tips that I learned in the automotive industry to help you in choosing that car that's right for you.

Brakes--One thing you should always check is the braking system on your used car. First of all, before ever driving a used car you should pop the hood and check the brake fluid level, this reservoir is normally located on the firewall on the driver side and is usually marked something along the lines of DOT 3 on the cap, don't confuse this with the clutch reservoir on your used car. The clutch reservoir will generally be smaller, so that's a tell tale sign. Check the fluid level and make sure that it's proper, it should also be clear, if it's dingy or dirty colored then that most likely means the seals are failing and you will have to add fluid regularly, it will fail, or you'll have to replace it which can be quite costly. When driving the car make sure you have the window down on your used car and the air conditioner and radio off; this is so that you can hear any potential squealing noises that may occur on the used car in question. If you hear a metal on metal sound when braking then that means it's time for the brake pads to be replaced and for the rotors to be either re-machined or replaced on your used car. When coming to a stop if you feel vibration in the brake pedal that is a sign of warped rotors, they will also have to be replaced as they will wear your used car's brake pads unevenly. This is normally a sign of driving through high water with hot brakes or just general braking abuse.

Transmission--Depending on if you're getting an automatic or manual transmission car there are a few tips to know. If it's a manual transmission when you depress the clutch and put it in gear it should move smoothly into that gear, you should never force it. If this is the case and you get a grinding noise in any of the gears this either means that your used car has either been abused from hard and fast shifting or the clutch system is beginning to fail. Either of which can be expensive. In an automatic transmission car the transmission should go into gear firmly when you initially place it in forward or reverse and should shift smoothly when going through the gears when you come up to speed. A used car automatic transmission should never "clunk" into a gear. Also you should check the transmission fluid on your used car, you should do this while the car is running in park. Transmission fluid should be pink and never have a burned smell, also the dipstick should be clean metal without any burn marks on it and there shouldn't be any bubbles on the dipstick. This could be a sign of a failing transmission, also make sure the level of fluid on your used car is correct, if it's not this could be a sign of neglect.

Rear end or differential--If your used car is rear wheel drive and when you take off from a stop and you hear a clunk sound from the rear of the car this is most likely slack in the rear end somewhere, it could potentially be just worn out u-joints in your used car's driveshaft or it could be the beginning of a rear end overhaul. There should also never be a whining sound from the rear end, this is usually a sign of low fluid and abuse. If the used car you are purchasing is front wheel drive then make sure when you go to take off from a stop that you do not hear a clunk sound coming from the lower portion of the front of your used car, this could mean that your front differential may be going bad. You will also want to check your CV (constant velocity) axles for wear, you can do this by making tight radius circles in a parking lot in both left and right directions. If you hear a clicking sound coming from the front wheels or the engine bay then your cv axles will need to be replaced.

Engine--You should always pop the hood when your used car is running in park to listen to the motor run. If you hear any kind of tapping sound from the top of the motor this can be very costly, it can be anything from worn out camshafts, valve adjustments needing to be made, worn out lifters, or poor oiling. If you hear any squealing sounds especially when the used car first starts and then they go away, you're going to need to have your used cars belts replaced. If you hear a mild metal ringing sound this could be a sign of a bad idler bearing or belt tensioner which can also be costly to replace on a used car. Check the oil, it should be a rich amber color, not black- also take note of the oil level and if the dipstick has any burn marks on it. If this is the case on the used car you intend to purchase, run the other direction.

Tires and alignment--Always check your used cars tires before taking a test drive, this is for safety. If a used car has been sitting for a long time the tires could have lost pressure, be underinflated, or be dry rotted. Look for cracks in the tread and outside of the tires or any peculiar bulges on the outside of the tire, this could be a sign of a broken belt. When driving the car on a good road you shouldn't feel any vibration in the steering wheel, this could be a sign of out of balance tires; if the vibration is very noticeable it may be a sign of a goose egged or broken belt in the tire. It's also a good idea when checking the tires to pay attention to the tread depth to see if they have been worn out, tires with a low tread depth can be dangerous on wet roads. When driving the car in a straight line you should notice that the steering wheel should be straight up and down and the car should not pull in any one direction when you release your hands from the steering wheel of your used car. If your used car pulls in anyone direction this is a sign of a bad alignment, which can be cause from someone running into a curb or a pothole in your used car or simply worn out ball joints or control arm bushings; both of which can be expensive.

**If your used car has a check engine light, simply take it to Autozone for free vehicle diagnostics to see what it is, if it is a sensor such as tps, oxygen sensor, or mass air meter; check on the pricing and availability of the part to determine if you still want to pursue that used car.