On paper, checking the condition of a used car is quite simple; just check the odometer, the service history and ask the previous owner whether the vehicle was subject to any mishaps. That’s all there is to it. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and stories of car fraud are too common occurrence. A seller may get the car’s odometer reversed for as little as Dh20, making it seem like the car is relatively new when it is in fact fathoms old. But car dealers are no slouches either, and are well aware of these malicious practices.
Signs of Re-wiring
The biggest determinant of a car’s condition as well as its value is the odometer reading. The higher the mileage of a car, the lower is its value. As most cars rely on a digital metre these days, reversing it would require a restart of the onboard computer. The easiest way to do that is by tempering with the car’s wiring and rerouting it. If you feel that the car’s fuse box or battery terminals have been changed, it is the first red flag that something may be askew about that particular car.
Key entry
Though this may sound odd, the area around the ignition entry can tell more about a car than the odometer itself. If there are a lot of scratches accumulated around that area, it means the car has been in use for quite some time. The science behind this is pretty simple; when it’s dark, most people cannot see the exact key entry position and are bound to miss the mark at least a couple of times. This in turn produces scratches around that area due to the missed attempts.
Car’s Battery
This isn’t as definitive as the rest of these entries, but it still holds some weight. Car battery gets weaker overtime, and this affects other areas of the car as well, such as the starting time. A brand new battery will get the car started within a second or two, while older batteries would take much longer. The starting time of the car may also indicate its age.
Grooves
A very little known method of checking if a car is accidental is by checking the grooves behind the door’s rubber padding. While each model’s indents will vary, the number of grooves will always be the same among all units of that particular model. Many mechanics fail to notice these grooves and don’t bother producing them. Checking and comparing the used car’s indents with a non-accidental one can signify if the car has been repaired or not.
Resonance off the Car’s Frame
And finally, we have the age old resonance test, which is a favourite among dealers for checking the condition of the car’s body. Simply knock your hand against the metal surface of a car, in particular the side pillars and doors. If a car is in original condition without any repairs, you would hear a hollow sound resonating from the surface. If not, steer clear of that vehicle.
Use these five tips the next time you are out searching for a used car.