Are you planning on purchasing a car? Almost everyone wants to own a new car, but one’s financial condition generally differs. When buying a car one also needs to adjust with the budget he has. You don’t need to feel disappointed, because buying a used car is no big deal, so long as you know the right tips to get you a used car with good quality.
Tips To Buy A Used Car
1. Check the distance traveled on the odometer
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- Check the distance in kilometres on the odometer, and then check also on the year and month of the initial purchasing date, and then make an assumption on the average number of daily usage (100 kilometres) and you will be able to guess whether the distance stated is original or has been altered. If you could get the information on how often the car was sent for a service in the garage, then you could get the real last KM.
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- If you could find the oil tag hanging under the steering wheel, you could find the last time the oil was changed.
2. Check the engine area
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- Check the engine area, on the top and below parts, whether they are still clean or have been covered in dust and whether there is any oil leakage.
- Check the amount of engine oil and its quality by sensing the thickness and the smell.
- Then turn the ignition and listen to the sound it makes, whether it sounds abnormal or not (idling).
- Run the RPM up to 3,000 and listen again, whether there is any abnormal sound.
- Kick the gas pedal straight to 5,000 RPM for a few seconds and release it to the idle position, next check on the exhaust pipe whether the residue is white or clean, and also listen to the sound of the engine. If the residue is white and there is an abnormal sound in the engine it is an indication of a worn-out or leakage in the engine oil (the engine condition is bad).
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3. Do a test-drive
- If you could hear abnormal sound (ticking sound) that means the combustion chamber is dirty and covered in crust and needs extra engine maintenance cost.
- The power feels heavy. During the test drive you may also sense whether the gear shifting is easy or quite hard (1, 2, 3, 4-5/R) Manual or Matic.
4. When doing a test drive on a used car, make sure to cover these things:
- Do not turn on the audio, etc. when test driving so you can feel the condition of the car.
- Feel it from 0--50 KMH whether there is any abnormal sound.
- Feel it when the speed reaches 50--120 KMH, normally you would hear sounds of the tires, its bearings, drive shaft, transmission) if the condition is not good then you would hear a sound.
- When the speed reaches 120 KMH on the freeway, try to feel whether the car swings quite intensely, if it does then you will need to prepare extra budget for service on the shock absorber or the tires.
- Try to run through different road surface, such as paved, concrete, conblock paved, and pothole roads, while trying to listen for any suspicious sound from below and to make sure the wheel alignment is still in good condition.
5. Other tips and recommendation when buying a used car
- Make sure all the documents & certificates such as BPKB & STNK are original and match the engine and chasis number
- Find used cars with clear service history
- Find used cars without any scratch or corroded, and ones that did not suffer flood, because the reparation would be more costly compared to other car components
- Find the trusted used-car seller
- Find references from friends, relatives, or any legible source
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Also read: The Classes of Cars
The Mistakes Buying A Used Car
These are some mistakes generally done when buying a used car:
- Ignoring the car’s history
Ignoring the physical condition from the paint to the originality of the body But, the one thing that needs to be carefully observed is the engine history. Make sure that the previous owner was very particular in tending the car from changing the oil, filter, to replacing the worn out components.
- Perform a necessary test drive
Any damage and/or failure in the car engine will not immediately felt when the car is run for a few hundreds of metres. Other issues in the engine or other components will only be experienced when the car is run for over tens of kilometres.
- Giving in to impulsive behaviour
Buyers mostly just give in to impulsive behaviour. They tend to decide and agree to the offer when the looks of the car is tempting and in a glance the engine doesn't seem to be troublesome.
- Not thinking about the service cost
Buying a used car is not much different from buying another person's problem. Especially if the car you’re buying is over 5 years old.
Also read: Why Choose MPV Cars?
To prevent you from making the wrong decision, take someone who understands about cars and engine with you. Take your trusted technician, so that the car you're picking is of quality even though it is a used one. Or, how about picking Wuling as your choice of family car?
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