Whether you are buying from a dealer
or especially privately, from car fairs and public auctions where
unlicensed dealers pose as private sellers always inspect the vehicle
carefully. You can learn a great deal just by using your eyes, ears,
and nose. By following this guide you can save yourself major hassles
and expense. It is advised to Never inspect a warm car but
rather a car that is cold, and certainly in daylight on a dry day.
Otherwise a brightly lit garage or service station will do.
Change of ownership forms (available form any NZ Post shop)
Your drivers license
Outside of the
car
First, park the car on a flat and level surface walk around the
car and see if it's sitting level. If it is crouching to one side,
it may have worn springs or suspension problems. Push each corner
of the car up and down, the car should rebound just once or twice
if not then this is further evidence of worn springs or shock absorbers.
Place your hands on the top and sides of each wheel and jerk back
and forward, if you hear clunking noises you should have a closer
inspection with the vehicle jacked clear of the ground.
Body
Check the body extensively, looking for scratches, dents, and rust.
The gaps between the doors guards, bonnet and boot lids should be
even. Check the paint for different shades or a clearer finish.
The easiest way is to kneel down and look down or across the panels
for file marks in body filler. Look for signs of body repair like
overspray or recently applied sealer. Minor cosmetic flaws are no
cause for concern, but rust is. Use your torch to look inside the
wheel arches for rust and corrosion caused by salt. Open and close
each door, the bonnet, and the boot/hatch. Check each door hinge
by lifting the door up and down looking for any movement and it
is important to check that gas stays are working by lifting the
bonnet and hatch and seeing if these stay up on there own accord,
if not they need to be replaced or regassed.
Lights and Lenses
Have your friend stand outside the car and check the indicators,
headlights (high and low beam), park lights, stop lights (incl high
stop lights) and spot or driving lights. Make sure all the lenses
are intact and not cracked, fogged with moisture, or missing.
Tyres
You can tell a lot from the tyres. Turn the front wheels all the
way to the right or left, so you can get a good look at them. All
four should be the same brand and size. Tread wear should be even
across the width of the tyre. It should also be the same on the
left and right sides of the car. Check the tread depth, either with
a tread-depth gauge or with a matchstick, legally tyres must be
at least 1.5mm deep across ¾ of the tread. If you can see
the inside or outside of the tyre is worn then the wheels are in
need of alignment also note any splits, bulges and cracks. Also
check the rims for dents, or gouges etc as these can affect the
way the car drives and can be expensive to repair.
Glass
Look carefully for chips, bullseyes and cracks and look behind any
stickers or writing on the windscreen for the same. Most small chips
and bullseyes can be repaired but large cracks cannot.
Interior
When you open the car door, smell the interior. A moldy, or mildew
smell indicates water leaks. Be diligent here because water leaks
can be very hard to find and fix. Lift the floor mats, and feel
and smell for wet spots on the carpet. If there is doubt find another
car as this one might have inherent water leaking problems which
are very hard remedy or it has been extensively water damaged. Check
all the seatbelts are working and not frayed or broken.
Foot Pedals
The rubber on the brake, clutch, and accelerator pedals gives an
indication of use. A car with low kilometers shouldn't show much
wear. If the rubber is worn through, it indicates high use. Also
note wear on gear lever, steering wheel and general buttons and
knobs.
Buttons and
Knobs
Try every switch, button, knob and lever. Check all the doors and
their locks, open and shut all the windows. If there's a sunroof,
open and close it. Turn on interior lights, any reading lights,
etc. Turn the heater on full to see how hot it gets, and how quickly
and switch on the air conditioning and make sure it blows cold.
If there are heated seats, turn them on and see how warm they get.
Beep the horn, squirt the wiper washers and turn on the wipers.
Check radio reception on AM and FM, and try playing, and ejecting
a tape or compact disc if there is a tape or CD player.
Upholstery
Check for rips, tears and stains in the carpet, seats, door panels
and hood lining. Also check the parcel tray and dash for heat cracks
and fading.
In the Boot
The boot is another place to look carefully. Look and smell for
signs of water leaks. See if the carpet feels wet or smells of mildew.
Lift the carpet and remove the spare wheel inspect as you would
the wheels on the car. Also check the spare tyre well for water
and rust. Check also for creases in the floor panel (this may indicate
an accident). Ensure all the tools are there and a jack is there
and working.
Under the Bonnet
Ensure that the engine bay is cool so you don’t burn yourself.
If the engine has been off for a few minutes, you can do most under
bonnet checks. Check the chassis rails for creases or repairs and
also for fresh or new paint or sealer. If you see oil splashed about
this is not a good sign, also check the battery for fluid levels
and green/blue build up around the terminals. Look for all caps
and wires etc to be sure none are exposed or brittle.
Try to squeeze the various rubber hoses running to the radiator,
air conditioner, and other parts. The rubber should be supple, not
rock-hard, cracked, or mushy. Feel the fan belt and other V-belts
to determine if they are frayed or loose.
Check all the fluid levels including radiator, overflow tank, clutch,
power steering and transmission reservoirs. Dipsticks usually have
a mark indicating the proper level and the engine oil should not
be dark brown, black, or gritty. If the oil is honey-colored, it
was just changed. If the dipstick oil is creamy or there is a creamy
residue under the engine oil filler cap this may indicate water
getting into the oil (perhaps a blown head gasket).
Don't remove the radiator cap unless the engine has cooled off
completely. Check the coolant by looking into the plastic reservoir
near the radiator. If the coolant is green this indicates the use
of anti freeze (a good sign). If it is rust colour or has oil droplets
floating in it this is a bad sign
Under the Car
Ensure the handbrake is on and the transmission is in park or if
a manual transmission ensure it is in gear before looking under
the car. Never climb under a jacked up car without axle stands in
place. Use your torch to search for oil leaks and under car damage
like dents or rust in the sills or underbody. If you see oil dripping
fresh sealant or water leaking this is not a good sign. Examine
the CV joint boots behind the front wheels. They are round, black
rubber sleeves at the ends of the front wheels. If the rubber boots
are split and leaking grease, assume that the car has or shortly
will have bad C-V joints—another item that's costly to repair.
The Test Drive
Now for the test drive. Ensure that the car has a current WOF and
Registration and that you have your drivers license with you. Make
sure the car suits your stature by adjusting the seat and steering
column. Ensure you can reach all the controls and pedals from this
position. Be sure to take your time and drive the car in circumstances
which you will be presented with each day. Turn off the stereo and
close all the windows, this way you will here all the bangs and
rattles and things like road noise. It also pays to have all the
seats occupied as a car can seem powerful when one up but struggles
with a full load. It is advised to take the car up hills down hills
etc. Look for blue smoke in the rear view mirror as this could be
a sign the engine is worn.
Once under way check if the wheel shakes at any speed, (wheel balance
issues) or if the car pulls to the left or right ( this is evidence
the car has alignment problems of sorts).
The engine should idle smoothly without surging or missing, and
accelerate from a standstill without hesitating. When you put the
engine under load there should not be a pinking or tappet rattling
noise. If the automatic transmission bangs between gears or overrides
then this is not a good sign. Check the reverse gear and that the
overdrive button works. With a manual car the clutch should fully
engage well before you take your foot all the way off the pedal.
Put the handbrake on fully and then place in first gear and let
the clutch out, if the car keeps idling the clutch is worn and if
it stalls the clutch is OK. Also ensure to test the brakes in clear
road for pulling to the left or shuddering at speeds. If either
occurs you have problems.
Now that these prelimanary checks are done you must do a LemonCheck
Vehicle History Report to ensure you know what your buying prior to further
physical inspections.
0800
LemonCheck®
0800 ( 53 66 62)
With a Credit Card
7am - 7pm / 7 Days a week
0900
LemonCheck®
0900 (53 66 62)
Billed to your phone account
7am - 7pm / 7 Days a week
Alternatively you can visit www.lemoncheck.co.nz
and order a report online with a credit card.
Once you have established the car has clean title ensure you complete
the change of ownership with New Zealand Post prior to taking possession
of the car and document the transaction with a receipt or bill of
sale signed by the vendor.
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