by "DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
Published 03/31/2017 at 19:02
by "DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
Published 03/31/2017 at 19:02
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STARS: 1
On Saturday I’m going to check out cars, to be my little sister’s second/college car.
Keep in mind, we’re looking at late 2000's, early teens hatchbacks. I’ve checked out cars for people on plenty of other occasions, but I’d though I’d ask what Oppo does.
My list of things so far.
- Check metal of trunk area for crash damage. (Caught a few undisclosed wrecks this way.)
- Check oil for coolant contamination. Although I don’t expect to find anything since the cars are all pretty new.
- Check tires of course.
- A/C blows cold and any other convince stuff.
- Check for any obvious leaks
- Check for any obvious suspension or steering problems on test drive.
- Check any visible belts.
- Check condition of coolant hoses.
Also any advice on ways to test the clutch? All of the cars are manual and I’ve only had one clutch go out on me, which grenaded in spectacular fashion, so beyond slipping I don’t know what to look for on the clutch.
Also most of the vehicles we’re looking at are Versas and Fiestas. So if anyone knows anything specific to them, please share it.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
03/31/2017 at 19:07, STARS: 5
Big one:
Check for overspray. Under hood, fuel door, door jambs, wheel wells, floor pans.
"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
03/31/2017 at 19:13, STARS: 2
I look for any unusual noises. A telltale sign of a seller that knows the truth is when he keeps trying to turn up the radio during the test drive (“the speakers are great!”). This sounds stupid but this has happened to me several times.
Also, any unusual smells. Drive around with the fan off, and drive around the fan on full blast.
"BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
03/31/2017 at 19:14, STARS: 2
I check to see if the car will pass an e-test with my OBDII reader.
"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
03/31/2017 at 19:15, STARS: 2
Smells is a big one. Flood damaged cars often carry their smell for an awful long time. Sniff around the carpets, glovebox, trunk, rear footwells.
Look for orange peel in the paint that would indicate a repaint.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 19:16, STARS: 0
Would that do anything if it’s not throwing any codes?
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
03/31/2017 at 19:16, STARS: 1
With the clutch, others may have more ideas, but it should take up relatively smoothly and not slip when you floor it in top gear at a relatively slow speed. I would also do some online research to look for specific issues with the models you’re looking at. There are a lot of other areas to look for crash damage besides the trunk - Crowmolly’s suggestion is good, and don’t forget to look underneath the car. I’d prefer to start the test drive when the car when the engine is cold - so you can see how it is both cold and warm. Finally, find some rough road to drive on - that may help ID any suspension issues.
"BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
03/31/2017 at 19:18, STARS: 1
It checks to see if every module has completed the self test successfully.
It doesn’t necessarily throw codes if it hasn’t.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
03/31/2017 at 19:20, STARS: 0
My coworker was showing me his new to him Honda Civic EX and I noticed that it used to be purple and showed him how I was able to tell. He was not amused.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 19:20, STARS: 0
Would a cheap OBD II reader be able to do this or do you need a pricier one?
"BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
03/31/2017 at 19:21, STARS: 3
I’ve got a $17 bluetooth one that I use with my phone with the app Torque Pro.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
03/31/2017 at 19:21, STARS: 1
Honda Fit, Mazda 2/3 are also in that category
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 19:28, STARS: 0
I guess she wasn’t able to find any. She just searched hatchbacks with a $6k price cap and that’s what came up. She’s not an enthusiast in any way, so even a Versa will be fine for her.
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
03/31/2017 at 19:33, STARS: 1
Absolute DO NOT let her buy a Nissan Versa. They are so so so bad.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
03/31/2017 at 19:35, STARS: 1
Some of them use brake fluid in the clutch hydraulic system; you can probably use a brake fluid tester to see if the clutch fluid is old or bad.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 19:37, STARS: 0
Reliability or performance wise? Because she couldn’t care less about performance, convince, etc. Her last car was the Ranger that was my first car and it was literally a commercial fleet model.
"ToyotaFamily" (robbav35)
03/31/2017 at 19:47, STARS: 0
look for VIN tags, check door jambs for paintwork, overspray, weird looking areas of factory seam/body filler.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
03/31/2017 at 19:54, STARS: 1
manual windows.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
03/31/2017 at 19:54, STARS: 0
Yes
-
just as long as you know in advance if it applies to the car you
’
re looking at, so you don
’
t end up with false alarms. I would take a look at the radiator coolant, too
-
another reason to look at a car that hasn
’
t been warmed up before you drive it.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
03/31/2017 at 19:58, STARS: 0
Ugh - so true. I have a hard rule that the radio must be off on the initial test drive.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 19:58, STARS: 0
Very strong possibility for that. :)
"Jayvincent" (jayvincent)
03/31/2017 at 20:10, STARS: 0
Any (non-crashed) car is better than a Chevy Aveo or PT Cruizer, but Versas and Rios aren’t -much- better... consider increasing your search radius. Driving an extra 30 minutes out of town (or over to the next town) for a better car is worth it.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 20:17, STARS: 0
A Versa will do. She’s not an enthusiast in the slightest. If it has anything beyond A/C it’ll be an upgrade to the Ranger she has.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
03/31/2017 at 20:17, STARS: 1
Yes, my friend hates his versa. Less than 80k miles and on his fourth set of brake rotors. Nissan is aware of the problem, they don’t know how to fix it.
"Probenja" (probenja)
03/31/2017 at 20:40, STARS: 0
That’s odd, they are the replacement for the Tsuru’s in Mexico and I’ve been on cabs with over half a million km’s and they run fine, although they have the 1.6, not the 1.8 and most are manual’s.
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
03/31/2017 at 20:52, STARS: 0
^^^ seconded. almost got majorly ripped off when I felt a faint line in the paint. mechanic confirmed car had been in a accident with fenders replaced
"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
03/31/2017 at 20:53, STARS: 1
I saw a reply you made to another post that your budget is $6000. Please put this in the OP. It helps a lot when asking for car suggestions :)
Don’t forget the Yaris! It’s an awesome car that will be reliable and enjoyable because it’s a Toyota! You can probably get a Matrix or Vibe at a good price, too. There’s also the XD. You can’t go wrong with Toyota.
You might be able to get a good Sonic for $6000, and it will have that cool digital dash too! If you’re really lucky, you can even find one still under warranty (early Sonics had a 5-year/100k warranty, I think sometime in 2014 or 2015 is when they made it 60k)
For something a little bigger, there’s the Hyundai Elantra Touring. The Accent hatchbacks of the time were only 2-door; the 4-door Accent hatch is more recent.
The Saturn Astra is also a cool car with its panoramic sunroof. They’re rare, but not necessarily expensive, so they’re possible to find in your budget.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 21:20, STARS: 1
I’m not looking for particular models really. She’s extremely disinterested, not even going with us to check out the cars lol. The Versa and Fiesta are just the only cars that meet her criteria, and are available in the area.
I’m just asking on things to check for so she can get one that doesn’t have any, or minimal, issues.
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
03/31/2017 at 21:20, STARS: 0
The Nissans are so so bad. They’re renaults underneath. In the US I’ve never ever heard someone who liked their Versa.
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
03/31/2017 at 21:21, STARS: 0
Reliability. It’s a French car underneath and imagine owning a Renault or a Peugeot(there a Renault). It’s on Consumer Reports bottom 10 every time.
"Under_Score" (tomtheatum)
03/31/2017 at 21:47, STARS: 0
Does it have to be a hatchback? As I, an intellectual, believe this
would be a great choice. The extra few hundred could go in for a backup camera, but there’s already touchscreen radio and nav. I don’t know your demographics, but please think about this choice for a second. For a teenage girl, I guarantee this will bring much more satisfaction than a Versa.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/31/2017 at 21:50, STARS: 0
Possibly. Depends on the gas mileage. That and reliability are pretty much the only two factors.
Almost forgot. It has to be a manual. Mom’s paying for the car and that’s one of the stipulations lol.
"Under_Score" (tomtheatum)
03/31/2017 at 21:56, STARS: 0
That can be pretty easy; manual surprisingly common on those. I scored with a find (loved that color of the one I found, by the way). Compared to other models, those seem pretty good, but every car from that time is now going to have had at least one hiccup. That’s the perk of buying used on a small budget.
Also, mileage is in the 20's. Pretty good; about what my RAV gets.
"Under_Score" (tomtheatum)
03/31/2017 at 22:01, STARS: 1
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/692781430/overview/
I came, I saw, I conquered. Now I LOVE this color, and it’s also 4x4.
"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
03/31/2017 at 22:52, STARS: 1
cool cool
well, one more thing to check out for is rust. In some places and/or some cars, rust can happen even on cars just afew years old. Mazda has had some issues with rust.
Possibly another thing to look out for is interior wear that is much more thanthe mileage would suggest. This could indicate either a rolled back odo or that the car was abused, drive hard, and/or lived in.
Other than that, each car model has its own common problems. For example, the knock sensor and rear calipers are common problems with the late 90s Maxima.