Viewing 2nd hand car tonight

20LEgend

As the title says iam viewing a car tonight with the intention of buying it.

Any of you guys got any tips on what to look out for. My bro is a guard so he's gonna check the reg/serial no to see if it was ever involved in a crash/stolen.

Any other obvious things i should look out for?

Thanks.

Stephen

What make/model/year is it ?

cjs

ya, check that it starts and drives, thats about all anyone can tell ya unless we know what year/make/model it is. Give us some info so we can help ya out!!!

20LEgend

Sorry its a 1.6 Sportsline Golf (2004) - new model, 15k miles

ianobrien

Outside

Check the panel gaps for evenness, check the window rubbers, etc for overspray, check the front suspension for overspray. Lift the bonnet and the inner wings should be smooth with no kinks, check all the seam sealer for joints & fingerprints. Check that the doors close with a gentle push from your baby finger. Check that all the panels are the same colour under a strong light. Basically, it should look right and straight. Also look under the car. there should be no scrapes at all under the car & engine.

Under Bonnet.

When was the timing belt done, Coolant colour (not brown and dirty/oily!) Check air filter (clean) and oil on dipstick should not be black. Oil filter should not look too dirty on outside. When car is running, take off oil cap and no fumes should come out. If they do, the engine needs a rebore (its fecked).

Drive.

Before you start the car, put your hand on the engine. it should be stone cold. First, allow the owner to drive and watch the way that he drives the car (is he faster that Shumacher). When you drive the car, brake hard and check dies the car pull left/right under breaking. Check the clutch and check the box in 2nd, 3rd & 4th gear (drive the car in the gear of choice, and press the accellerator to the floor and release, and repeat a few times. The car should not pop out of gear) Dont forget to start the car when hot, and try to get someone else to drive behind you to check does the car drive straight.

Owner.
Use your common sense and try to meet at the owner's home. How does the rest of the cars there look?

Others
Have you insurance to drive the car? Bring a torch and mirror for underneath and does the wear on the drivers seat and pedal match the milage (look at your own & your brothers car for reference)

Basically, if it looks wrong, walk away and Happy hunting

Edit, just saw what type of car. CHECK THE SUMP FOR SCRAPES, as everybody I know has had to replace them. The sump is low, and will bottom out, hit the road, split and dump the engine oil out!

20LEgend

Thanks mate

cjs

ianobrien wrote:

Outside

Check the panel gaps for evenness, check the window rubbers, etc for overspray, check the front suspension for overspray. Lift the bonnet and the inner wings should be smooth with no kinks, check all the seam sealer for joints & fingerprints. Check that the doors close with a gentle push from your baby finger. Check that all the panels are the same colour under a strong light. Basically, it should look right and straight. Also look under the car. there should be no scrapes at all under the car & engine.

Under Bonnet.

When was the timing belt done, Coolant colour (not brown and dirty/oily!) Check air filter (clean) and oil on dipstick should not be black. Oil filter should not look too dirty on outside. When car is running, take off oil cap and no fumes should come out. If they do, the engine needs a rebore (its fecked).

Drive.

Before you start the car, put your hand on the engine. it should be stone cold. First, allow the owner to drive and watch the way that he drives the car (is he faster that Shumacher). When you drive the car, brake hard and check dies the car pull left/right under breaking. Check the clutch and check the box in 2nd, 3rd & 4th gear (drive the car in the gear of choice, and press the accellerator to the floor and release, and repeat a few times. The car should not pop out of gear) Dont forget to start the car when hot, and try to get someone else to drive behind you to check does the car drive straight.

Owner.
Use your common sense and try to meet at the owner's home. How does the rest of the cars there look?

Others
Have you insurance to drive the car? Bring a torch and mirror for underneath and does the wear on the drivers seat and pedal match the milage (look at your own & your brothers car for reference)

Basically, if it looks wrong, walk away and Happy hunting

Edit, just saw what type of car. CHECK THE SUMP FOR SCRAPES, as everybody I know has had to replace them. The sump is low, and will bottom out, hit the road, split and dump the engine oil out!

what he said:D

Stephen

Check for water/moisture in/around the rear light clusters. I remember this was a common problem on Mk IV golfs, causing the rear bulbs to blow frequently - dunno if it still affects the new ones. Certainly not a show stopper but something to haggle over.

joeblogg1

As others have said make sure to meet the owner at their home

At least that way if there ever turns out to be a problem you will know where to find them

Make sure it is their home and they aint just parked outside somebody's gate. Maybe ask for a glass of water so they will have to go in to fetch it.

I have heard of many private sales where the person thought they were at the owners house but it turned out not to be the case

Fey!

Ianobrien - great response. Any chance of it being stickified?

OP - ask to see the VRC, and make sure that the address on it is the same as the address you're meeting the seller at.

Also, bear in mind that PULSE won't always show if a car's been crashed; only if there was Garda involvement.

Best of luck with it.

maidhc

ianobrien wrote:

oil on dipstick should not be black.

Very good post, but in the spirit of nitpicking, I would be very surprised to find oil any colour other than black. Except for an old zetor tractor we once had, every engine I have seen blackens the oil after maybe 20/30 hours of use.

Tipsy Mac

Everything as was said above and one more thing which is perhaps more important is to check if there's finance outstanding on the car as if there is you will be liable for the amount before you will own the car. Best check this either with www.cartell.ie or one of the banks could check it. Finance outstanding as far as I know doesn't show up on the Garda computer.

I would also check if the person selling the car is the owner of it on the logbook, if not why not and if not explained the car could have a fishy history as it should be a fairly in demand car and easy to sell for it's original owner. Verify this on sale with passport or driving license.

Best of luck.

ianobrien

maidhc wrote:

Very good post, but in the spirit of nitpicking, I would be very surprised to find oil any colour other than black. Except for an old zetor tractor we once had, every engine I have seen blackens the oil after maybe 20/30 hours of use.

Fair enough, but I didn't make my point clear enough. The oil should not be thick black gunge. Nice runny oil, Black, brown, golden or green should be OK

(Duckhams classic oil is Green by the way)

OP, how did the viewing go?

joeblogg1

Maidhc

Long Live Zetor Tractors !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kluivert

I use to have a magazine which had 180 checks to conduct in looking at a second hand car.

Ill see if I can dig it out and ill post it up here.

doggy

This checklist might be a bit vague but at least it's some kind of framework to work off:

http://www.dekra-assured.com/daplusfull.asp?standalone=1

Don't a few VW's suffer from central locking problems also?

cianr

Don't a few VW's suffer from central locking problems also?

Yep, and if the windows are electric make sure they work correctly. I have a mark IV golf (2000) and I've had the problem with the rear windscreen washer (the hose detached from the pump so the water leaked into the boot - check to make sure when you use it that the pressure from the washer is good and that the boot and spare wheel bay is not damp) and I've had a problem that the rear left window doesnt open. But apart from that I love it!

zod

Taken from Honest John:

What's Bad

Launch of FSIs delayed in the UK because they depend on petrol which is almost 100% sulphur free (less than 10 parts per million). Detail problems beginning to emerge: Headlight light sensors over sensitive; wiper rain sensors over sensitive; individual climate controls may not work properly; rattles and squeaks from trim; red door reflectors have replaced lights and they fall off. Rain sensing wipers tend to over-react. Steering wheel paddle shifts were a cool £515 extra for the GTi DSG, but standard for 2006MY cars from about July 2005. Plastic timing belt tensioners of 1.4 and 1.6 16v engines now failing regularly, though fortunately the belts are rarely flung off when this happens. Steering rack problems reported. Real light lenses letting in moisture and fogging over. Reports of "grinding noise from steering rack" when turning left, not cured by replacing rack.


What to Watch Out For

Dealer-set remote locking option of one press opens all doors or one press opens drivers door only and two presses opens all dors. Many niggly faults on delivery. One reader's story:-

"I bought a VW Golf Mark 5 in December 2004. When I went to collect the car, the doors didn't fit properly, nor did they close properly
either. There were a few other little things, but the doors were the main problem. The dealership, said that they would take the car into the dealership and try to fix it.

After 3 days, the car came back and the door were still massively
out of alignment. The VW garage, said they would get me another car.

In March, the new one came. Initially, there was a problem with the
centre console cover, which was badly marked. I pointed this out to the salesman, who offered to replace the part, straight away, with a second hand part out of another car. I refused and waited three weeks for a new part.

Then the Alarm failed, due to a faulty siren. This was fixed, however a week after it being fixed, a new fault appeared. Everytime I went over a bump, the was a vibration and rattle, which progressively got worse. This took 5 times in the garage to find, and it was diagnosed as a faulty bracket behind the dashboard, which had incorrectly fitted during manufacture. Whilst it was in the garage, they also found that the CV joint was leaking grease heavily and had to be replaced.

Whilst it was in the garage, the car was also damaged, by a mechanic
opening the door into the side of mine, leaving a dint on it.

About a month ago, during the good weather, I noticed some discolouration in the paintwork on the passenger door. It was like the black, was slightly grey. I thought it was dirt, but polishing and washing has had no effect. It is only noticable, when the sunlight is on the car.

About two weeks ago, the alarm failed again. It has been diagnosed as the Alarm siren again. This was the last straw. I have gone back to VW to demand my money back. I paid £17,000 for the car and I am absolutely fed up with it and I have no confidence in the car. Its fine to drive, but it keeps going wrong.

Now, there appears to be a squeak in the front suspension as well,
when I go over a speed hump."


Recalls

3-3-05 on LUPO,POLO,GOLF,BORA, TOURAN,NEW BEETLE,PASSAT AND SHARAN (WITH 2 PUMP INJECTOR ENGINE) built 1-3-04 to 31-8-04 bolts on tandem fuel pump may break.