Illustration by Russell Cobb
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Auto Pilot
By Perry King, May & June 2005
15 easy ways to spot a lemon, even if you’re a complete car klutz
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Don’t know a pressure gauge from a piston ring? Here’s how to road-test a used car (without getting your hands dirty):
1. Interior
Start here, since a quick look around can tell you how well the
previous owner took care of this car. Rule of thumb: if what you
can see looks bad, the stuff you can't see (like the inside
of the engine) probably looks even worse. First, notice how
worn-out the driver's seat is, including the armrest.
Obviously, rips and tears, burn marks, stains, and other evidence
of misuse are indications of a hard life. Also pay attention to
the driver's side door: in particular, make sure it closes
smoothly and with a solid sound. Look at the rubber covers on all
of the pedals. Almost always ignored by car restorers (folks who
try to make old cars look new), they will tell you how much hard
use a car has had.
2. Electrical System
Before you even start the car, you can check the charging system
(part of the electrical system, including the battery). Turn on
the headlights and leave them on for a couple of minutes, if
possible pointed toward a dark wall. Then start the car. The
battery should turn the engine quickly, even though you left the
lights on, and when the engine catches, the lights should
brighten noticeably.
3. Engine
When you start the car, the engine should fire up almost
immediately and the oil light should instantly go out. Any
warning lights on the dashboard should also go out. If there is
an oil-pressure gauge, the needle should pop up to the middle or
higher. Any car may make odd sounds when it's cold, but there
should be no loud clacking, whirring, or grinding noises once the
engine is fully warmed up. It should idle comfortably, without
shaking the car and without noticeable changes in engine speed.
When the engine is warm and you're doing a test drive, coast
down a long hill for 10 or 15 seconds with your foot off the gas.
Then, when you give it gas, check the rearview mirror: a whiff of
smoke is acceptable. A cloud signals engine trouble (a possible
rebuild), and you should forget this car. After you've been
driving a while, pull to the side and let the car idle for a
couple of minutes. Then rev the engine two or three times. If you
see smoke come out the back, the valve guides are worn (other
expensive parts you do not want to fix).
4. Brakes
While the car is sitting still and the engine is running, push on
the brake pedal. It should sink just a bit to engage the brakes,
but then the resistance should be firm, not soft or mushy. When
you're driving, find an open road without much of a crown (a
drop-off to either side). When the road is empty and it's
safe, drive about 30 miles an hour, positioning the car in the
middle of the road—so that you straddle the top of the
crown. Now brake gently, while loosening your grip on the wheel.
The car should slow smoothly, without any shaking and without
pulling to either side. If it doesn't, you've got brake
problems, and you should probably pass.
5. Steering
With the car parked and the engine running, the steering wheel
should have no free play (the ability to turn the steering wheel
an inch or so with no corresponding movement of the car's
wheels). Free play is not necessarily a reason to pass on the
car, but the problem will need fixing. Another thing to notice:
while the car is sitting still, with the wheels pointed straight
ahead, the steering wheel should be centered, not turned slightly
to one side or the other. If it isn't, the car has had some
serious steering or alignment problems that were not corrected
properly.
Another alignment test: just after you've rounded a corner,
lighten your grip on the steering wheel. The car should
straighten out by itself, without assistance. If it doesn't,
there is an alignment or steering-rack problem, so it might be
best to forget this car. Caution: remember to keep an even
throttle as you conduct this test. And just to be safe, do it
when no other cars are around, since you may have to grab the
wheel quickly.
6. Automatic Transmission
With the warmed-up car sitting still, put the transmission in
drive. Now, with your foot hard on the brake, give it some gas.
You should feel the car trying to move right away, and then it
should seem about to stall. If it does not, that's a bad
sign. Next, keeping your foot on the brake (but giving it no
gas), shift from drive to reverse, reverse to drive, and park to
reverse. Big clunking sounds are bad.
7. Clutch
A common problem you could face when buying a stick-shift car is
the clutch. To test it, while driving, rev the engine pretty high
in second and shift quickly to third, popping out the clutch and
giving it lots of gas as soon as you are in third. If the engine
seems to be speeding up more than the car is and then the engine
sound comes down to match what the car is doing, the clutch is
slipping. Clutches are expensive to replace, and this car may need
a new one soon.
8. Drive Shafts and Axles
As you're driving, accelerate and decelerate a few times. Big
clunking sounds of any kind are bad here, too. They probably come
from one of the axles, and mean it is badly worn or out of oil
(which indicates it will expire completely soon). The problem
could also be worn U-joints (connections to the ends of the drive
shaft). Either way, forget this car.
From Outside the Auto
If you want to go the extra mile and poke around more closely,
here are some added signs of trouble that you don't have to
be a car expert to spot.
9. Anticipate Future Shock
Notice, from a distance of 15 feet, if the car sags in the
rear—a trait common to tired rear springs. Push down hard
on the car at both ends. As you release the pressure, the car
should rise back quickly and stop, not pogo up and down. If it
bounces, the shock absorbers are finished. Ask for $300 off the
price.
10. Don't Trust Rust
Any sign of rust is a warning of trouble to come. Once started,
rust is almost unstoppable, and it will eat away at the body from
the inside out. Check under the carpet or mat in the trunk or
rearmost area of the car in particular. This area is the most
susceptible to leaks, and corrosion or rust there means you
should skip this car, no matter how pretty it is on the outside.
11. Beware of Repairs
Take a magnet and hold it against the body of the car in various
places. If the car has been cheaply repaired, the body shop will
have used a nonmetal filler. The magnet will not stick, or will
stick lightly. If there is metal right beneath the paint, the
magnet will stick well. Also, check out the fit of the doors and
the trunk. Gaps that are different front to back or side to side
indicate that a vehicle has been hit and poorly repaired.
12. Question a Too-Clean Machine
A sparkling engine compartment in an older car is often a sign
that someone is trying to spruce up a bad deal. For example, if
the painted surfaces feel greasy, it might be an overenthusiastic
application of good old Armor All. That can signal an owner
trying to hustle you by covering up neglect.
13. Look for Leaks
The best way to check for oil leaks is to park the car, after
it's been driven, on a clean bit of concrete. Anything more
than a drop on the ground means there's a problem waiting. In
particular, look under the back of the engine. A leaking rear
main seal is expensive and difficult to fix.
14. Check Under the Hood for What's Not Good
The first thing to look for is corrosion around the battery
terminals. Also notice any oil sheen or drips on the motor, which
could mean an old, tired engine. The power-steering pump, always
run by a belt and nearly always found near the front of the
engine bay, will have oil mist near its pulley if it's
getting similarly old and tired. Notice whether any wires look
feathered or whitish, or torn and repaired. Pull the engine
dipstick. Black oil means the car has been neglected. Pull the
transmission dipstick. Transmission fluid that is not rosy-pink
or that smells burnt means trouble.
15. Avoid Tired Tires
Look at the outside edge of the front tires. If they are roughed
up and have a feathered edge when you feel them, then someone has
been cornering the car hard or there is an alignment problem. The
old test for judging if tires have sufficient tread left is to
put a penny in the tread, with Lincoln's head toward the
axle. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tires are
worn out.
Perry King is an actor and racecar driver who over the past 30
years has bought nearly 50 used cars for himself, his friends,
and his family.
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