The Buyers Guide
The Rule.
The two main rules to keep in mind when buying a used car are: buy with your head and not with your heart, and secondly if you aren’t convinced about anything, be prepared to walk away.
Buying from Delaer
Dealers have to cover their margins and ensure they make a profit, so buying through a dealer is almost always more expensive.
Buying from private seller
Cars sold by private sellers tend to have the lowest prices compared to a dealership. By buying a used car from a private seller, you’re eliminating the middleman, which means you get some serious savings on your car.
Choose the right fule Type
The most valid question of every potential used car buyers. Nowadays there is not much difference in petrol and diesel prices. Maintenance cost too. It is almost the same. Try yourself to figure out what your usage is and how much you drive per day, and whether it be a highway route, city bumper-bumper traffic or just weekend drives. Check the simple calculation. This may help you choose the right fuel type.
Avoid The risk.
There are risks, whether you buy from an authorised dealership, private seller or from an online car buying site main dealer. Referring our used car checklist with a bit of common sense and diligence means you can buy a used car with confidence.
Take a self inspection 10 Things to Check.
Get as much information from the seller about the car and make your research by getting service history from the dealership by cars VIN (vehicle identification number/chassis number ) Check the number of the owner, check if the car is hypothecated get the loan closer NOC from the bank, (Note: RTO usually makes printing mistakes while mentioning vehicle variant, vehicle fuel type, vehicle colour, make sure these things are proper this correction can be a lengthy process and will add an extra cost to your budget.
Get into the driver’s seat and turn on the ignition. This will allow you to check for any warning lights, plus confirm that the car’s mileage is the same as said by the seller. Beware of Meter Tampred Cars – excessive wear on the pedals, seats, and gearstick inconsistent with the odometer reading are all signs of the claimed mileage having been tampered with. Close up on a cluster with the check engine warning light on indicating a car failure.
Lights are the most important electronic device on your vehicle, so make sure they’re working properly. Fogged Lamp or uneven beams should all be warning signs, while a dim beam will mean you’ll need to change bulbs soon. Also check that the radio, infotainment system, climate control, windows, central locking, and any other gadgets work.
The engine is the most important part of any vehicle. Turn of the car check for engine oil, leak, fluid, leaks, corrosion, cracked hoses, belts, check the oil dipstick if the oil is fresh or needs to be changed, the oil should be light brown transmission fluid should be pink or red.
Engine leaks
One of the easiest things to spot is leaks. There are many different fluids that run in, around and under the engine, and a well-maintained car shouldn’t be leaking oil.
Check underneath for signs of an oil leak. If there’s oil on the floor under the car, open the bonnet and check all around the engine for other leaks. If you see any of this leaking, you have a few options. You can ask to reduce the price in order to get it fixed yourself, or you can insist the seller fixes it as part of the deal. Or you can walk away and seek out another car. Either way, it’s worth getting it seen by an expert so you know the exact problem, and what it’ll cost to fix.
Oil
Checking the oil is general car maintenance and shouldn’t be forgotten during the buying process. Ensure the dipstick reading is at the correct level and the oil is not discoloured or the wrong consistency. as this could highlight a poorly maintained or serviced vehicle.
Head Gasket
The head gasket is a thin part that sits between the lower and upper parts of the engine (also referred to as the engine block and the cylinder head) and prevents coolant or engine oil from entering the engine’s cylinders.
A blown head gasket is one that has begun to leak. This can cause a variety of problems from a smoky exhaust, loss of power, or a rough-sounding engine through to total engine failure, so it’s important to check.
Check the engine is cool and remove the oil cap from the top of the engine. If you see white or light brown sludge with the consistency of mayonnaise, you’re probably looking at the result of a blown head gasket. At that point, it’s probably worth walking away from the deal, as it’s hard to know what other damage the problem has caused.
Exhaust smoke colours
Switch on the engine and walk to the back of the car watch the exhaust for a few minutes.
Blue smoke means the engine is burning oil. That means somehow oil is getting into the cylinders. It could indicate a blown head gasket or problems with the internal engine seals. Either way, the bills could be significant.
White smoke can be harder to spot as it’s easily confused with steam – a common expulsion when the car is first started, particularly on cold mornings. Excessive white smoke can also point to a head gasket failure, but this time it’ll be coolant entering the cylinders and being burned with fuel.
Black smoke is usually caused by the engine burning too much fuel. It’s usually easier to rectify than curing the causes of white or blue smoke, but can be down to a number of components so can be harder to pin down the cause.
If you’re still keen to buy a car that’s emitting smoke of any colour, you should always get it checked out by an expert.
The condition of a car’s interior can help to indicate whether the mileage is genuine. A car with 20,000 miles on the ODO meter should have an interior that’s almost like new – if it’s tired and worn, especially the steering wheel, seat bases, and side bolsters, the seller could be hiding something.
Check for rips or tears in the upholstery, holes drilled in the dashboard, and a sagging roof lining. What’s more important is to check all the equipment works, from the lights to ventilation system (or air-con), to all-electric features such as the windows, sunroof, radio and central locking. Budget for repairs if you spot anything. If you’re happy with the condition, that’s fine, but if you’re not, haggle some money off the price to pay for repairs.
Buying a used car from a dealer or from car buying sites can reduce your documentation stress as this is their daily work and they are good at it. but it’s always good to verify the documents to avoid any hassle. here is the list of things you must check before you sign the papers.
Registered Number
Registration Date/ Manufacturing Date
Owner Serial Number
Fuel Type
Chassis Number (Should match With Number mentioned on chassis )
Engine Number (Should match With Number mentioned on the engine )
Registration Validity
Micro Chip
State Code
Owners name (Should Match with other documents)
Owners Adress
Note.
Look if DRC is mentioned on the RC card, (DRC -Duplicate Registration copy
If HP lease is mentioned ask for a loan closed letter from the bank
In some cases, the engine number and chassis number are the same.
Get all the documents verified by our expert book our free service now
Gearbox and clutch are more about what you can feel. Whatever gearbox the car has, it should engage all gears smoothly and quietly. If it doesn’t there’s a problem.
In a manual car, the clutch biting point – the point that you feel the car start to move when releasing the clutch pedal – should be around the middle of the pedal’s travel. If you have to push your foot all the way to the floor, the clutch will need attention. It could be as simple as an adjustment, or a pricy replacement.
Whatever type of automatic gearbox you’re testing, make sure you engage all of the gears, make sure the ‘kick down works – the function that changes down gears when you press the accelerator pedal to the floor. If the car has a manual mode, operated either by steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles or a manual operation on the gearstick, try it out to ensure it works correctly.
Checking the bodywork is one of the easiest visual inspections you can do while looking at a car. Basically, you’re searching for any signs of repainting or replacement panels that might suggest the model has been in an accident. Car park dents and dings can be common on doors, too, Check for panel gaps, and the door seals for potential water leaks, as well.
You should check as much of the car as you can, outside, underneath, and, where possible, inside. Old repairs aren’t necessarily a bad thing as long as they’ve been completed properly. They can even help to build a picture of the car’s past.
Check for rust on all metal body panels. You should also look for evidence of crash damage, and more importantly, evidence of poor repairs. In bright daylight, check the body panels are of a uniform colour and look for evidence of ‘overspray’ on glass, rubber seals, and plastic trims.
Take a look at the gaps between each panel. The thickness of the gap should be uniform all around the car. If not, then chances are that it’s had a replacement panel, or in some cases, had a shunt big enough to knock the entire chassis out of alignment.
Make sure the car already has a decent set of tires. If it doesn’t, negotiate money off the price, because new rubber can be costly.
Check all of the tires too. They should be free from cuts, splits, gouges, or bulges; if you see any, they’ll need replacing. The tread should be at least 1.6mm deep around the whole tire. Uneven tire wear – where one side of the tire is more worn than the other – can indicate poor wheel or suspension alignment. That could be caused by a crash, or simply hitting a pothole at speed, but will need fixing.
In the luggage area, as you can see if the cars got a full-size spare wheel, space-saver, or merely a can of foam. Make sure the boot carpet is dry in case of any leaks, and do the same for footwell carpets both front and back. It’s also good to check the rear seat folding mechanism works properly and gives you the space you require.
The next key step is to take a test drive. Any dealer accompanies you on a drive. Try the vehicle at different speeds, and listen out for the engine noise and any irritating rattles. Make sure the brakes and clutch are responsive and in full working order, too.
Remember to take your driving licence with you to the test drive, for ID purposes.
Before you start the engine:
Don’t get distracted by the person selling the car talking because you need to focus on how the car drives and sounds.
Switch the radio off to listen for any unusual sounds. Squeaking from the engine could indicate a worn auxiliary or cam belt.
Does the engine start easily from the cold? If not, a new battery or alternator could be required. Alternatively, there could be a problem with the starter motor.
Keep an eye on the warning lights – do they switch off shortly after the engine starts? Do any warning lights come on while driving
During the test drive:
Does the car accelerate as you would expect it to?
Is the steering wheel moving smoothly, with little effort? If the car drifts to one side, it could be a result of uneven air pressure in the tires to a problem with the car’s suspension.
When turning the steering wheel ‘full lock’, are there any unusual noises? These could indicate a problem with the power steering or suspension.
Keep an eye on the temperature gauge. Overheating can indicate a serious problem. Let the car sit idle for a few minutes after the test drive.
In a manual car, is the clutch easy to engage? Listen out for any unusual sounds when using the clutch pedal. Can you change gears easily?
Does the gearlever ‘ self-centre over the correct gear or do you have to ‘find’ each gear? It may only be a small spring that is causing the issue but it can mean taking the entire gearbox from the car to repair, so pay attention to gear changes.
When braking, can the car stop without delay or too much effort? Does the car drift to one side when braking or follow a straight line? Can you hear any unusual sounds (such as metal on metal) when braking?
Test the handbrake, preferably on a hill. Is it effective?
Drive over speed bumps to see how the car handles uneven surfaces. Listen out for unusual knocks and clunks.
Book a free pre-purchase inspection
This is how we can help.
01.
Pre-purchase inspection
Detailed information about the vehicle like the accident history, flood damage, tire life, documents.
02.
Post-purchase maintinance estimate
Post purchase maintenance. Estimates of how much it will cost to repair damaged parts.
03.
Pricing Assistance
It allows you to determine whether or not the car is worth its asking price based on its condition.
04.
Easy to understand reports
Contact us for sample reports.
