8 ways to know when buying a used car that is rarely used

(Baonghean.vn) -When deciding to buy a used car, besides attractive advantages such as low price and relatively low insurance premiums, you also face risks such as damage due to frequent use.

There are many “evidences” to know how much a car has been used without looking at the odometer, and the odometer is something that can be adjusted, so don’t trust this parameter but look at the following 8 details and actual signs.

A good car is usually a family car, low mileage, well maintained.

1. Check the steering wheel

If the car has little mileage, the steering wheel will still be new, the leather details will not be worn, and the steering wheel will not have any play; many car owners cover the steering wheel, but wear will inevitably occur at the 2 finger rest points and right at the horn button.

Check by starting the engine, turning the steering wheel in place or backing up/backwards and then turning the steering wheel all the way to the engine to determine if there is any strange noise such as a squealing or uneven noise coming from the engine. If this sound occurs, it may be a worn or low oil power steering pump due to poor maintenance.

2. Check the door handle

Pay attention to the position of the handle on the mechanism to open the driver's door, unless it has been replaced, looking at the smoothness of this position is to "read" the "experience" of the car. When refurbishing the car, the owner can make the car's interior shiny, fragrant, new but rarely pay attention to this point. This position is very hidden, the position to look at is even more hidden, it is on the inside of the door opening lever.

3. Pay attention to the gear lever

Hold the gear lever and shake it back and forth in the “neutral” gear slot. The maximum distance between new cars is very short, the older the car the wider the distance. Put it in gear (still off the engine) and shake it, if it is a new car, when put in gear there is very little “play” when shaking, the older the car is used the more “play” there is.

4. Look at the floor mats

Open the floor mat (2 layers) to the metal layer. Use a hard wooden object to knock on this and listen. If the car is old and has been used a lot, the sound will be thin and cracked, if the car is used less, the sound will be solid and warm.

When opening, always observe the original paint. Too old or too new is questionable. Too old shows that the car has been driven a lot, if it is still new, it is possible that the car has just been "touched up" for sale.

5. Try starting

This is a necessary operation: leave the car idling at low speed, do not rev the engine, put it in gear and release the clutch very slowly and methodically. If the car moves forward smoothly, without shaking, without stalling, but just gradually increases speed and runs smoothly, then the car is still good.

Still doing the above operation, after observing that the tires are inflated, well-balanced, running on a flat, straight road, you take both hands off the steering wheel and see that the car runs straight and stable at a speed of over 30 km/h, then you can rest assured.

6. Test engine temperature

Start the car, run it for a few seconds then leave it there, go check other places for about 8-10 minutes while the car is idling, come back and look at the temperature gauge needle. If the level is still below average, the car is in perfect condition and has not been used much.

After this operation, open the hood, use your hands and face to feel the temperature of the machine area.

With the standard time of 8-10 minutes without running the engine, if the car is good, the engine area is still cool. Putting your hand on the engine roof will only be slightly warm. But if the car is too old, no matter how beautifully refurbished, just running the engine for 5 minutes will be very hot and uncomfortable.

7. Check if the car has been repainted

To see if the car has been repainted, you look for joints such as the edge of the glass door and the body of the car. If the car has been repainted, it will have very small cracks and peeling, sometimes even smudged. However, if it has just been painted, you need a "professional" to check the gloss of the paint. Usually, repainted paint will be shinier than the original paint, but poor quality paint will fade after a while.

8. Determine if the vehicle is flooded

To determine if the car is flooded, try bending the wire. If it is flooded, it will break easily, the plugs will turn yellow, the screws under the seat, brake and accelerator pedals will rust, dirt will accumulate in the slots, and pull the seatbelt to see if it is discolored.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)