MX-3.com

sorry i wasnt sure what section to post this in.

http://www.mx-3.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003732

dont mean to double post but i could really use some help. Thanks a lot.

<small>[ October 30, 2004, 09:39 PM: Message edited by: mc2 ]</small>

You can start by popping the oil cap and looking around with a flashlight. A light tan color is better than a dark color. The dark molassis color comes from long milage between oil changes. A burnt bacon smell comes from being overheated.

If you don't see anything else wrong, then you should pay the $100 or so to have a garage do a compression check and an oil pressure check or even better do them yourself if you can.

Don't expect a car with 115K miles to be in perfect shape, esp. at $1800, but you don't want it to die 30K miles from now either.

Oh, and check the rubber boots around the half axels. They are near the front tires and pretty easy to spot. If they look damaged, you are going to need new axels soon.

Listen for clacking noises from the top of the engine when you first start it. Does it clack or not? If so, does the clacking go away quickly? That noise comes from bad hydrolic lifters (search for HLA for more info).

Drive it around a bit. Does it accelerate smoothly, or does it hesitate.

Basically, you need to look for things that seem outside of normal. Some can be fixed easily, some not. The easy ones can also be used to drive the price down if you point them out.

Good luck!

Most used cars here in the midwest have some rust. Sometimes you see it sometimes you don't. Look around the inside of the doors for rust, check the hatch too, make suree all the locks work properly, listen for noise in the Cv shafts, check for leakage of oil at the didtributor and coolant at the waterpump. Check if the radiator smells foul (you can always flush it yourself)
Check for leaking gaskets,and very importahnt make sure the check engine light comes on when you start the engine. (and than of course goes off).