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Part 3 ... Checking the outside

 

When looking at the outside of the vehicle walk around it looking for any signs of damage. See if all the paintwork matches, if a panel looks newer than the rest of the car there is a fair chance that the bodywork has been repaired at some point. On older cars check for signs of rust especially around the door sills, wheel arches and suspension mountings.

Next check the tyres, look for uneven wear and see how much tread is left on the tyres. Most car tyres have wear indicators that allow you to see quickly whether a tyre is in need of replacement. This usually consists of six small ribs within the main treads of the tyre. You can tell if the tyre needs changing when these ribs are the same level as the tread on the tyre. If the tyres are wearing unevenly there could be a problem with the suspension, steering or tracking. Next have a look at the wheels themselves, have they got any visible cracks or dents around the rim? If they have you might have to replace the wheel when the tyres need replacing. Also check for play in the wheel bearings by grabbing the top of the tyre, try to rock the wheel backwards and forwards. If you can feel the wheel rocking slightly there is a good chance that the bearings are worn. This check would be more accurate if the car is jacked up so that there is no weight on the wheel.

When you have checked the wheels and tyres do a quick bounce test to check the suspension. This check will only give you a rough idea but its worth doing. Firstly put your weight on the the bonnet and give the car a quick bounce. The car should bounce once and settle. Do the same at the boot end. If the car keeps on bouncing you can be sure that the shock absorbers are worn.
Now you can check that all the lights are working. Ask the seller to sit in the drivers seat and turn on the lights, you need to check High and Low beam, Side lights, indicators, fog lights if the car has them and parking lights. Next go to the rear of the car and see if the number plate light is working. Ask the seller to press the brakes to see if the brake lights are working, then ask the seller to put the car in reverse so that you can check that the reversing lights are working. Check the headlights for any cracks or large chips in the glass.

When you have checked out the lights have a look at the windscreen. Has it got any stone chips? Whether the screen will need repairing/replacing depends on a number of factors. When a stone chip/crack is within the drivers field of vision and over 10mm in diameter some work will need to be carried out. Also if there is a cluster of smaller defects not within the 10mm diameter but still in the drivers field of vision, you might have to repair/replace the windscreen to get the car through its next MOT.

Finally if the car has a sunroof check that there is no blistering of the paint nearby. It could be a sign of rust and a potential place for a leak.

Buying a used car ...part 1

Checking the vehicle identification number ...part 2

Checking the interior ...part 4

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