Buying a used car, part 2

Hello all! It's Captain Sunny again.

So last time we covered visual aesthetics of the car as well as where to actually start hunting for used cars. You got that great? Great. As I said last time though, the chances of a car that looks good being perfectly fine is generally next to nothing. There will always be some sort of problem with it, unless it's being sold at near-retail price. Things to look out for:

Oil leaks
This is the quickest wear-and-tear part of the car. Also a very simple one to notice: pull the bonnet open and look as deep down under the middle part of the engine as you can, and give it a wipe with your finger - if it's all oily (like, really oily) it's gone through leakage. Ask the owner about this. Whilst it's not a okay-I'm-not-buying-this extent of a problem, it's still a problem you need to get checked out as soon as possible for the safety of you and your car's engine integrity. While you're there, creak your head over to the

Timing Belt
The timing belt is the all-important static loop cable that makes your car actually move. Check the timing belt for wear and tear - it is very important that it's in as best a condition as possible. This means that the belt looks solid, no flappy bits or dents or general tear. The timing belt should be replaced every 100,000km, so if the car is close to a milestone number, ask the owner if he/she has changed the belt recently. If they haven't, use this as a line of argument to bring the price down later.

Containers
There are several containers you should check out. First and foremost, the oil container, where you pour oil in. This container is often susceptible to wear under the extreme heat, so give it a good tap (not with a hammer) and make sure it's not on the point of crumbling. Do the same for the power steering and brake fluid containers.

Next, actually check them. The oil reservoir should be as close to as possible, the 'maximum' line inside the container (clearly marked). Likewise for the brake fluid. The power steering fluid on the other hand is a little tricky. It'll probably look full, but that's not the problem; rather, you'll need some sort of clean (!!) long stick or rod or the like and poke around inside. Scrape the bottom of the container. If it feels crackly and dotty (like there are particles). Cleaning this is difficult, though not something you could use to bargain for much. It's just something to note - you'll have to turn the steering wheel a little tougher than usual until you can get a mechanic to flush it out.

Tyres
Tyres are expensive! A good tyre will set you back about $150 per tyre, so that's a good $600 for a full set, and we haven't even mentioned the $50 wheel alignment costs as well. There are significantly cheaper tyres for $70-$80 a pop, but as much as those companies will try to sell you those tyres, it's definitely not a good idea to, since we cannot verify its safety and roadworthiness on the poor quality of Australian roads.

Look and observe all four tyres very carefully. Is the tread okay? Look at the depth of the tread lines. If they look nice and thick, that's good. If they look like they're about to go smooth..bad, and another argument for bringing down the price later. Look for other scratches and marks, feel the entire tyre (sorry about the dirty fingers). If it feels rough and not crackly or worn out (it doesn't feel like it's solid) then good. But wait!

Spare tyre
You almost forgot the spare tyre! Understandably the importance of the spare tyre is often neglected because people would say that safe driving means you'll never need the spare. Wrong. Very wrong. Have you ever looked at the quality of Australian roads? Those potholes will ruin your car. They will pop your tyres. And this is why a spare tyre is essential. Two things are important:

- The spare is preferably a full-sized one; that is, it is the same size as the four tyres around the car. If it's a size or two smaller (ie, not too much smaller), that's fine. It's a spare.
- Tread: again with the tread test. It's not a turn-off for a crappy spare tyre, but as long as it looks like it'll last the 30km home it's good enough.

And before we move on - make sure the car has a jack and wrench and all necessary tools! The last thing you want is a perfectly good spare, a popped tyre, and no way of replacing the tyre. In the middle of the desert.

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This concludes the second part of the tutorial. By now you should have grasped the elements of checking out a car on the outside (and interior), the engine and build, and overall have a good idea of what to look for on your first inspection (of many!). In the next and final part we will cover researching the car for its crash history, bargaining and the transfering of registration process and well, the bit with lots of money being spent.

Stay tuned!