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Buying A Used Car Part 1: Exterior Inspection - EricTheCarGuy
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- Опубликовано: 18 мар 2012
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I've been asked about doing this video since people started watching my show 3 years ago and since it's a subject I wanted to spend some time with I made it into 4 parts, this is part 1 Exterior Inspection. I hope this video helps you and gives you some ideas of what to look for when purchasing a used car and if you have anything to add feel free in the comments below.
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy.
Seriously, thanks for these. It's been impossible for me to find someone who gives a technical explanation of car stuff that isn't for PhDs but also isn't for 4-year-olds. You've probably already saved me a couple grand.
An enlightened approach to something most of us hate to have to do and rarely get to practice. Buying a car is a crucial and frankly frightening part of living in most of the US. This process approach is as thorough as it needs to be.
That was very educational. My father was an ASE Master Tech (who is passed) and inspired me to delve into mechanics until I was hurt and couldn't pursue the industry. I really learned alot of things to take into consideration. These are some really simple things that can tell a huge story. TY again
Some years ago, I paid $100 for a used car inspection from a dealership that sold the brand of car I was buying. They missed that the spare tire--which was stored underneath the car--had a gaping hole in it. It's not something that would have occurred to me to look at, but I always do it now. And after watching yours and Chris's videos on this subject, I will never again pay someone to do what I can do myself. From what I remember, when I asked, they said they only checked things like lights, windows, and only did a gross inspection on the engine. They did, however, catch that the car needed new tires, and the dealership that sold me the car replaced them for free. Saved me more than the $100 inspection! It was worth it in the end, but the biggest lesson that came from it was to educate myself.
Eric, thanks so much for putting this content out there!
I just bought the same car today... these videos are going to help me so much with getting all the fluids and essential things done to get it back into good shape... the head gaskets and timing belt were changed about 15,000 miles ago. The only problems right now are AC wont work, brakes press to the floor and pulse back, and possibly a coolant leak, i didn't see any in the reservoir so i'll be getting all that done this week/weekend
It also reflects the pride of owner ship, tires are one of the most important component of your car. Tires are the first thing you should invest in car. Having bad tires is like wearing a suit without shoes, doesn't matter how expensive your suit is.
They are responsible for how your car behave with the road! Someone who doesn't care about how their car drives just isn't worth it, you'll have all the pain and hardship if you buy a car from someone like that.
The wheel lock key is so important!!! I did a break job a few years ago and in the midst of my work I managed to loose the key...I ended up having to drive my TL to the dealership and just had them replace all the locks with regular nuts. I considered buying one of those universal sockets to try to unlock it myself but the dealership did it for free
I bought a car without a spare tire from a dealer. Found out about my lack of spare tire at the worst of times. Definetly worth looking for while buying a car. Thanks for the video. I'm going to check out a 99 legacy soon.
Eric--great attention to detail--thanks soooo much. You almost need a clipboard and checklist to do all these things and some sellers would not have a lot of patience if you nickel and dime them to death on a sale. Just the same--in 1968 I bought a first car from a well known area franchise dealership--a ' 64 Impala--beautiful looking car. $1,500. One tire had multiple plugs in it. Among other things--dealers really cleaned up on the public in those times on used car sales, no doubt.
this is some really good advice, wish i had known it before i bought my first vehicle. the tires on my first car had abnormal wear on them (rounded on the outside) and it turns out that the springs were completely worn, they actually had rubber spacers placed in there to keep it from sagging. so not only did i need new tires, i needed 4 new struts, which wasn't cheap at the stealership i went to ($1500). ever since then i've been doing all my own vehicle work and continually learning more tips and tricks
That is such a pretty car. I love those old Subarus.
It's incredible, part one and you've uncovered a lot of things that were wrong on my car (now resolved) .
day 1 I tore into the wiper cowl and removed all tree shit, also discovered two rear mismatched tyres and one with a bulge! The fronts were either poorly balanced or cupped from worn shocks, haven't figured out yet. Put them on the back and bought 2 quality fronts. You're right, tyres make all the difference.
Now I've got 4 good tyres and a 9 year old spare which isn't optimal but hey.
That would be such a fun car to have as a beater. All wheel drive, tons of cargo space, subaru engine. Can't wait to see what you have in store for it!
Eric when you mentioned the water in the trunk I remembered about my 92 integra. Notorious for leaky taillight gaskets.
Like what you pointed out at 4:30, one headlight that's much foggier, or less clear than another one is sometimes an indicator of a front end collision.
ive watched this before, just out of boredom, but now im back because im about to go look at a used truck. thanks so much Eric!
haha true i have a 94 truck that was bought rebuilt with salvaged title it was i a bad wreck years ago frame damage and all but was rebuilt and frame bent back to specs 21 years rebuilt 20 years ago we have owned it for 20 years it has been a really good truck runs good and drives really good too and as far as i see all seems match up pretty good you cant tell it was wrecked unless you start looking underneath the truck it hasn't been costly to keep it running 285,000 miles on the current motor there was a new gm motor installed after the wreck.
i am huge fan of your videos, youre giving us all a free education in all different areas of automotive repair. this is why i love youtube.
U're the man! this is by far the best Used Car instruction series I've seen on youtube.
I like these headlight theories, I recently aquired two older high mileage cars and both have no indication whatsoever of front end collisions, (Durable Factory Paint on all front end components, matching vins) both have OEM lenses, but both had driver side lamps which were more yellow, and more pitted than the other.
The shop was so empty lol. Crazy how far you've come along and glad I've been to see most of it! Keep it up Eric!!
One point I would like to add for structural and body issues; pop the hood and the trunk. All of the paint should be the base color of the car and a dull non clear coat finish. Also, the screws should be untouched and look like the have never been messed with since the car was made. Any clear coat painted panels inside of the trunk / hood may indicate body / structural work. As well as any screws that have been undone or you can visibly see they were taken off and then put back on; Scratches, nicks etc. would indicate structural or panel work post accident.
Probably something to look for on certain models or newer vehicles. This one looks to be clear coated throughout.
yeah carfax only keeps track of what was reported, we bought a 2007 Acura TSX once, clean carfax, complete service history, only 70,000mi, then we get it home, start to look it over, the passenger side taillight doesn't fit right, then we open up the trunk, the seams don't match, there was overspray in the back wheel well, luckily the dealership agreed to take it back, but never trust JUST carfax, always have a good look over the car yourself.
I noticed that the spare tyre is steel but the regular ones are alloys. Often there should be a different set of wheel bolts for each. Recently a car came to a halt outside my house with a wheel missing since the owner did not know to use different bolts! So, my point is to do research and check whether your intended purchase has this set up - and check the alternative bolts are there.
@365bigjoe experience is all that matters man, now you just have to work hard and prove you deserve a shot at working your way up. Congrats, and good luck
I want to say to anyone who thinks people will be weird if you start doing everything on this list, don't panic.
They will be weird. But...then they'll realize you're not stopping, and you're checking everything, and they'll volunteer information about past crashes, dents, and problems they felt were too small to list in the listing.
Source:
I literally bought a car today and the only reason I felt confident was these videos. I have zero knowledge about cars, all cars are either cars or trucks. My dad does, but he focused on what was under the hood. I wrote down a list of everything EricTheCarGuy said to check (except the gas and bending down the back seats, whoops) and the reasons why, including under the hood. Then I started to check everything, and both my dad and the sellers were kinda weirded out. But then the seller took my dad and started pointing things out before I could get to them. My dad did try to rush me, but I just kept going.
Later, during the test drive, my dad actually asked me what was next on the list he was so impressed with it, and when he asked, I could tell him what to check for, which impressed both my dad and the seller. I thought this was nice as I was buying it off craiglist, and haggling is important, and people generally drop their price if they think you're on to them. Luckily, the sellers wasn't doing anything shady.
Thank you EricTheCarGuy, you made me confident in what I was doing, in an area I have NO confidence in. I don't even feel confident buying gas. I felt like I knew what I was doing because you showed me, and it seemed like I knew what I was doing to everyone else. Also, thanks for showing me where the windshield wipers and windshield vent were, I've never had to use them, but I definitely checked them.
Now, you just need to have Part 5: 'The paperwork'. I looked it up on my own, but it would be nice if you did the complete set.
On the tire size/type subject, my friend had a 91 Ranger and he had different size tires on each wheel. That thing did not act like it wanted to keep you alive at all.
Good informational video. Whenever I go to buy a car, I am usually critical of any body damages or serious paint scratches (specially paint missing from a scratch). some of the deal breakers for me on a car include weird engine noises, serious body damage, visible body rust, damage on seats like rips/cuts, really nasty garbage filled interior, windows having trouble going up/down and a few others. Most of these issues show me that they don't care much for the car or even bother with its up keep. I also check all the fluids and their respective leaks. If the transmission oil in a 150000+km car looks like black tar then that shows me they have been running the car into the ground.
now records of service are nice to have if they have them but some people like me understand that you can easily do much of the basic work on your car yourself for a fraction of total cost. Basic work includes, change of most fluids like engine oil and transmission, brake pad, rotors, etc.
Now problems I look out for to try and bring down cost is worn out wipers, scratches on the windshield(s) from vipers, chips on windshield, minor paint chips (I know a body guy who is great for small paint damages), small scratches on paint body, somewhat worn tires (only in summer), minor scratches on the interior, light garbage in cars (like gum stuck to carpet or really dirty carpet which will require serious cleaning), bad odors inside car, and many others.
I try and knock down price by making a list of known issues and roughly how much a decent mechanic would charge to work on. Say a cabin filter costs $25 and $30 to change. I will ask to knock down roughly $55-60.
The more the cost of a car the more critical I will be.
Hey Eric. Dont know if it was mentioned earlier not however when checking the doors. I would recommend grabbing the door from the top corner and lift up and down. To indicate if the hinges are good or worn and need replacing. Most generally its only the drivers door.Also if the hinges are worn it may make the seam of the body panels not match up. Not trolling you, sure you know just missed it. Love the vids !
I should of learned these lessons and watched these videos while buying my first car out but it lasted me from 6-8 months no issues so I can't blame it. I gave up on it undersold before the tags were due even after I just spent 100 on the new battery for it trying to fix it I gave up because that was a kick in the nuts. 100 here, 100 there, it would of just drained me to keep fixing a dead horse. The less miles the better and dealerships aren't always trustworthy but private sellers aren't either. Make sure you bring a mechanic friend or get it checked thoroughly for under 100 bucks before making your final decision and make a smart decision before purchasing. Now that I think about it we bought that car prematurely it had so much wrong with it and the money spent could of gone elsewhere to a better car/car owner. Do your research and don't sell yourself on a car's look. Everything bad can lower the price but it just means you will pay the asking price for wanting the car how you wanted it.
All muscles and no brain... Where the hell did you go to school?? Or I should say have your black ass ever been to chool??? you can not write a complete sentence you dumb idiot... I got insulted reading only the first few words and stopped only to come back and let you know how I feel about the magnitude of ignorance you have been blessed with....
Khalid Salih? STOP FUCKIN BLOWING UP MY DAMN BUILDINGS
Okay dude, I'm 15, and I just replaced my head gasket, headlights, taillights, side markers, breather hose, suspension, brakes, MAF Sensor, and my blower motor. For 700 dollars. You can't do simple stuff. Okay.
Scott Brixey LOL
What are you talking about?
wish i had this advice when i was buying my first car... after a lot of money exchanges with my mechanicI learned my lesson on buying used cars!
Hey there Eric, I am really happy that you got that car! not only is it almost identical to mine, but now its in the hand of an awesome mechanic, cant wait for more videos!
It looked to me like that car had been broken into at one time. Great vid and advice we all need to know
This is going to be good, nothing like perfect timing I am looking for a used car for my daughter. Cool keep em coming
+EricTheCarGuy the car came with bridge stones on it and I bought some new rims for the car and the guy said that the bridge stones were cupped and they came off the back so I took the bridge stones off and put the supergards that were on the front on the rear and put some nice kuhmos on the front well I just had them rotated and the supergards are now cupped
One comment about gas-caps -- there are some cars (newer Ford vehicles come to mind) that don't actually have a gas-cap, per se. My 2009 Ford Flex has a "capless" filler system where the filler-tube un-seals and re-seals itself when you insert and remove the filler-nozzle.
another video I watched recommended to turn the axel wheels to show the parts of the tire facing inward to check if there's a seam or potential weak spot in the tire. Which would be very bad since that puts the tire at a higher chance of blowing out.
Good choice on the legacy, bro. I picked up an old Impreza myself.
I like to check and see the date stamp on the battery as well as these. age of a battery can tell you a bit as well
So much potential with that Subaru. You should always get a leak down and a compression test on them before you buy one. Awd + blown out tire = 500$ 4 new all around. Sweet recording area.
Lol@the gas cap..
Had a car in for defect instrument panel some time ago.
After a long time diagnosing it, we found by accident that the fuel tank had emploded, causing a short circuit which burned out the instruments.
Turned out the customer had lost his fuel cap and put on a non-stock cap that didnt equalize the pressure.
Needless to say, it got pretty expensive.
Good coverage on buying a used vehicle!!!!
You were pretty thorough for just Part 1..... LOL
Keep up the great work!!!!
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Merrie-Merrie
The guy I'm thinking about buying a fun car from is ASE certified himself but since I have another car and I'm mainly getting this one because it's a panther platform ('94 Grand Marquis), I'm not way too concerned about it having to be something to rely on on the daily. I definitely plan on looking it over well and running tests on it if he lets me. My friend says he's wanting $400 for it and it just needs a water pump (so cooling system flus too), so I'll say I can probably get a somewhat healthy car for under $1000 plus the legal stuff.
There's a measurement magnet thingy you can get that determines if the car has ever been in an accident...by strength of magnetic attraction it can tell you if there is body filler (not metal) in any of the panels or not. Really useful and more accurate than just 'knocking' everywhere on the car :)
Lol, i'm re watching this before going to look at this skyline today :) watched all 4 parts last night but im watching again, this has been modified so i wana have abit of knowledge with me :) Keep up the vids Eric
Lol ETCG didn't find a crack pipe like I did near his fuel door opener....that's what a 500$ 93 Accord will get you, lots of work and a crack pipe!!! Great video Eric!!!
My sister just called me and asked some questions about buying a used car, I just referred her to your videos.
@GammaCruxis Cannot wait, need moar!
Mad reverb in that shop dude. Great video series, I just wish this was up before I bought my Civic. Don't get me wrong, I love my Civic and he (his name is Thumper) was and still is in great condition for being 12 years old.
All tires have manufactures date codes on them try not to buy a car that has anything any older then 5 years as they start to dry rot after that. Also when purchasing new tires check out the date code and make sure you are not getting an older set sold to you as new. Google "tire manufacture date code" for more info.
About the doors.... I was looking at a 93 Accord a month or so ago, and one door was REALLY hard to get open, but it closed fine. The rest worked as normal.
I like to open the doors and check the hinges . If the door moves up and down it can be a real teltale of the car being wrecked and repaired.
@vanuatoo he uses PB Blaster penetrating oil. WD-40 works well as a lubricant but it was invented to displace water, hence the name WD(water displacement) but it works well as a lubricant as well.
Getting one of these today! hopefully.
Thanks a lot Eric. Will keep your video in mind while choosing a car for myself. I found some posts on the website of Uno car dealers which were really useful.
Determining a car's body shop history as I like to call it, is a skill that takes a seriously trained eye.If you aren't buying it from the original owner, or the orig owner is dishonest, then it can be difficult determining what actually happened. Before resale, dealers will ALWAYS try to hide any cosmetic flaw. It is the name of the game. Buy car with flaws for cheap, cover them up and sell car for profit. Private sellers looking to get top buck will do the same.
My parents drove nothing but salvage/rebuilt cars when I was a kid and never had issues.
When you mentioned wheel locks it bought back a bad memory of me having trouble getting them off, god I hate wheel locks!
a big one for subaru's is drive these in a tight figure 8 to see if it has the dreaded torque bind.
@Collins328 Alot lol, I work at a tire shop. I see it all the time. Cant argue with that.I see it first hand every week.
With cars that have targa tops, 914s for example. Remove the top, open both doors, and then shut the doors. If they don't close easily it means the chassis is sagging.
especially on AWDS like this subaru, any mismatching tire sets could mean the central diff is gonna be damaged
Eric, from my experience i noticed that when they use a high quality tire such as conti´s or michelins the cars have usually better maintenance than those who have cheap tires.
Another reason for selling seems to be; Problems they do not want to deal with.
Sometimes the car has been run into the ground.
Other times the car had a problem that is going to be difficult and/or expensive to repair.
very good video... i can't wait for part 2... when and HOW do you check the wind-shield for minor cracks? how should we observe faults when we drive the car? how can we tell if the dampers are ok? and so on and so on...
could u do a video on what are the basics to pass a state safety inspection?
@365bigjoe Where I live you only have to be 16 to work at a garage, but they like formal training. It's worth a shot man, at the very least if you express interest now and get training later they might recognize you and remember you wanted the job before indicating dedication. Another plus is if they don't hire you, you can ask them how they feel you can improve which not only gives you the advice, but shows determination and a strong work ethic. Good luck!
@365bigjoe Most if not all states require that you be 18 or older to work in that setting. Even just sweeping the floor.
OO FEEL THOSE BODY SEAMS. sorry. great series, thank you.
Very informative. I know I have never checked any of the steps that you just did. In fact, I don't know any men who do that through of a check. Thank You now I have more things to keep in mind to check. Off to part two.
Im watching this before i go look at this r32 skyline tomorrow :D .... Thanks Eric
It is important to have it looked over by a technician. But if you know this, you can dismiss most crashed cars yourself, pick out maybe 1 or 2 out of 10 and take those to get inspected. Thanks, ETCG.
i had a car that had a salvaged tittle and i wish i had watched some of your videos because i would have fixed it and kept it
Finally, after 10 months of watching you, Eric, you sold me on my skills. You're very, very smart and extremely inventive. It was time to subscribe. Thanks from Puyallup, Washington.
As far as subarus go the back hatch is hard to open if its old all the latches have rust on them
if you buy a car off of a car lot and the battery is dead, realize that that the check engine light and other trouble codes might not come on for AT LEAST a half hour...I learned this one at the School of Hard Knocks
the only thing i hear at minute 6:45 is "oh tires, i love you all"
hahaha jk really useful info
great great great video,
omg I really love Eric's videos...
If the car was rear ended you will be able to see if they did some welding in the spare tire well even some paint color differences...
Excellent, informative video. Thank you.
@junglistLT True, brake rotors are a good indicator.
Love the detail you go into with your videos thanks very much
You are awesome. I just hope the jeep I'm considering passes inspection!
I don't know HOW MANY PEOPLE I preach to about the aluminum wheel bead corrosion, and they just DON'T LISTEN! I've seen people go back and fourth to the tire shop because of it, or they just keep complaining about the leak and how expensive tires are.. The bead should be cleaned and apply some bead sealant.
well one thing i can say that eric missed is that you will be fine if the rear axle has a different tire, different brand but the recommended size than the front. this only applies to 2wd cars (FWD or RWD). a car that is 4WD(or AWD) really should have the same tire on every wheels as they are all tied in to the powertrain. for example my car can have goodyear tires for the rear, toyo tires for the front. but my car is 2WD. if you have a 4WD car or truck they should really be all one brand, such as goodyear for all the tires. every one of the tires should be replaced at the same time. for 2WD cars or trucks, you can get away with one axle at a time.
One more tip on tires: Look for brand new tires. People will try to hide alignment & wheel problems by buying new tires before sale.
Probably your audience knows this already, but the spare gets inflated to the sidewall imprinted pressure, but the main tires get inflated to the door-sticker pressure. I don't think much about this but a less-experienced viewer could be surprised by this difference.
awesome going to look at a 97 my self tomarrow
My car was in 3 accidents and I think while waiting to be repaired sat for a long time. It runs good though but it's taking time to get all of the debris out from a tree that it must've been under. I bought it that way but I think it's still a decent car.
Very nice video, im watching you for 2 years now, so no need to say that it was very good, but eric as i bought my car couple months ago (honda civic mb3 1.5) i took fridge magnets before meeting the owner, as i was there I inspected every corner, fender etc. That may just be a good idea =). Btw i saw a water leak issue in the trunk, but i bought the car anyways because it was a huge bang for the buck.
Hey this was a pretty good in depth review, i'll have to keep this stuff in mind for the future. Nice review!
New tires can be slapped on a car if it is profitable to do so, to hide bad tire wear. Detailed engines might look nice, but seeing it in a Taurus is probably hiding a massive oil leak. The easiest way to test for water leaks is to simply take the car to a automated car wash. A locking gas cap is the worst, imagine the suck of wheel locks without a key, but when you get gas.
about the back gate. specificaly the gas struts it was on, i think you should mention the danger in this in a video or something because alot of people arnt aware that they go out and can seriously hurt you
Udder fings to know
1. Don't reck ur car.... that;s bad
2. Don't try to drive ut car wifout gasoline.... often don't werk
3. Never drive ur car wifout a steering wheel..... anudder common mistake
4. Always use a car that has brakes...... help when trying to stop the car.
5. If tires are bald..... making extra turns may help
6. Usually go forward when driving ur car..... Especially if ur rookey
7. Never go down the highway when cruising in reverse
8. Never drive ur car wifout a windshield - bugs git in ur teef
9. Usually never have a blind driver in ur car.....
excellent stuff...
waiting for more
@Vanuatoo PB Blaster is an excellent penetrating oil, but WD40 does the job as well(I use WD40 :D).
Hey eric theres another thing to chek buying a used car is to chek the vin numbers on the car
just for fun see if lug wrench fits - been there!
remind me of my dads car that got flooded on storm we had to empty all fuel and clean everything and do a tune up on engine just to make it work again took days to make it come back to life.
Not mentioned during the tire bit, check the date code on them.