Used Cars - Tips For Buying

Stand at the front, or the back of the car, and look along the body line. You will be able to see if it has had any body damage as the light reflecting off the side of the car will show the dents or replaced panels.
Check around the window rubbers for over spray, a sure fire way to see if a car as been touched up.
Don't buy a car in the rain, the bodywork always looks better when it's wet, plus, the chances are you will forget to check something by rushing to get out of the rain.

Check the gaps between the panels to make sure they are even on both sides of the car. Bonnet to wing etc. This is a good indication as to whether the car has been in an accident and had panels replaced.
Take a fridge magnet with you and check the bodywork for filler. The magnet will stick to the metal, but will fall off if it meets body filler.
Check the steering wheel, and accelerator pedal rubber for excessive wear, the clutch and brake pedal rubbers can be replaced, but the accelerator pedal is a lot harder to change, and will give a truer indication of mileage. Have a look at the interior of the car, does the wear inside the car look in keeping with the mileage. If the car looks like its done 100,000 and the clock says 25,000. Then you know its been round the clock, or even worse clocked.

Check the tires for uneven wear, if the tires are worn more on one side than the other its an indication that the car may have been in an accident and the chassis is twisted. It could also be the tracking or wheel balancing. Either way its not a good sign. Check underneath the car for any oil or water leaks, also check the floor where the car has been standing for the same.
Try a 3 point turn in the car, that will check the reverse gear, and if you put the steering on full lock you will be able to check the wheel bearings and steering rack (your looking for clunking sounds or creaking).
When the engine is now hot check the oil, if it is milky there is water getting in somewhere, which could indicate a head gasket. (very Costly).
Drive the car, (with the radio off) and check for any knocks or strange noises. Check the steering for vibration, or pulling to one side, its an indication again that the car may have been in an accident and the chassis is twisted. Make sure you drive the car in all gears to check the gearbox.
 The oil should be filled to between the 2 marks on the dipstick. If the oil is brand new beware, not many people will change the oil on a car the day before they sell it unless they are trying to hide something. Also check the water reservoir for signs of oil, not a good sign.Last of all, check the paperwork. Make sure the registration document is in the sellers name. They may be a trader trying to pose as a private seller. Check the MOT to make sure its current. Check the service history to make sure it matches the vehicle being sold. Also you may want to check the engine and chassis number to see if it matches what is on the registration document. You will find that information on a small metal plate located under the bonnet. If the plate is missing be suspicious.
It's also a good idea to get the car HPI checked. This will tell you if the car has been stolen, been in an and accident, or is on finance. It costs around £40 but well worth it.
 I would not buy a car without doing these checks first. If you follow these rules when buying a used car you wont go far wrong. If you can't be bothered to go through the hassle, then buy your car from a trader, he or she will have already done all these checks to cover himself before he or she purchases the car.

Used Cars - Tips For Buying - Second Hand Cars

Stand at the front, or the back of the car, and look along the body line. You will be able to see if it has had any body damage as the light reflecting off the side of the car will show the dents or replaced panels. Don't buy a car in the rain, the bodywork always looks better when it's wet, plus, the chances are you will forget to check something by rushing to get out of the rain. Check the gaps between the panels to make sure they are even on both sides of the car. Bonnet to wing etc. This is a good indication as to whether the car has been in an accident and had panels replaced.


Check the steering wheel, and accelerator pedal rubber for excessive wear, the clutch and brake pedal rubbers can be replaced, but the accelerator pedal is a lot harder to change, and will give a truer indication of mileage. Check the tires for uneven wear, if the tires are worn more on one side than the other its an indication that the car may have been in an accident and the chassis is twisted. It could also be the tracking or wheel balancing. Either way its not a good sign.


Last of all, check the paperwork. Make sure the registration document is in the sellers name. They may be a trader trying to pose as a private seller. Check the MOT to make sure its current. Check the service history to make sure it matches the vehicle being sold. Also you may want to check the engine and chassis number to see if it matches what is on the registration document. You will find that information on a small metal plate located under the bonnet. If the plate is missing be suspicious. If you follow these rules when buying a used car you wont go far wrong. If you can't be bothered to go through the hassle, then buy your car from a trader, he or she will have already done all these checks to cover himself before he or she purchases the car. I would not buy a car without doing these checks first.

Apply Automotive Paint

Any paint that you use should not be polished after application unless it is of poor quality. Paint should always be flexible without the use of flex additives. To improve paint coverage, use paint primer as an undercoating. All automotive paints are not the same but there are some few qualities that you need to ascertain before you buy the paint for your car.


In order to know that the area is clean, flush it with water. The water should not stick on this surface, if it does you will need to add more grease remover. There are two types of contaminants that will need to be cleaned, these are Water based contaminants, such as dirt, dust and bird droppings. These can be removed easily with a good car washing soap and hot water. And then there are Solvent based contaminants that include wax, plastic resin, oil and tar grease. These require the use of grease remover. 

You are now ready to use a primer on these surface. Use a top quality spray gun, applying sweeping horizontal strokes back and forth. Let the coat dry before sanding it again and applying a fresh coat. If you want to repaint your vehicle on your own and achieve that trendy look, then it is important to get all the information you can get about the paint that you will use. You will need to choose the tools to use wisely, select that part of the garage that is well ventilated i.e. where there is free passage of air.

Before You Replace the Brakes, Check Your Tires

It was elusive at best. One moment it was so loud that other drivers would stare as my car moved past them. The next moment, there was no sound at all. I don't know if this is factual, but I believe it improves the odds if you have an idea what is wrong. Maybe this is why I feared being jerked around at first. But, it didn't make sense. Neither mechanic had a thing to gain by my not getting new brakes. The officer at the DMV reprimanded me for the poor condition of my brakes. In fact, he said, "I almost didn't give your son his driver's license because your brakes made so much noise. Several times, I came close to telling him to just pull the car over." How embarrassing was that! I tried to explain the situation but he was emphatic that he had years of experience with cars and it was in fact the brakes.

I asked the mechanic to drive the car for himself. He drove the car around the block several times and could not identify the scraping sound that I had complained about. I took the car once again to my mechanic. He instructed me to back the car up then roll forward as he stood outside and listened. No scraping sound. I did this several times defending the fact that there was a problem.

I rolled down my window and listened intently as we drove. After he made a sharp road turn, I heard the sound. Eureka! At first, he could not hear it. But I coached him to keep driving. He finally heard it. By this time, I was quite agitated, even more perplexed and embarrassed. I assured the mechanic that there was a problem and suggested that if we continued to drive, maybe we'd trigger it. The mechanic told me to jump in the passenger side and we drove even further.

I sat and observed. Despite several tests, he could not recreate the sound. As I needed to get back home, the office arranged transportation for me. I silently prayed that they would identify and fix the problem. And most of all, that it not cost me goo-gobs of money.

A couple of hours passed then I received a call. The mechanic said that the problem was not the brakes -- it was the tires. I couldn't believe it. My front tires, appearing to be in good condition, were the problem. He explained that the sound only occurred when the tires were in contact with the road. I consented for the mechanic to replace both front tires. The scraping stopped

Here's How to Save Fuel

World oil prices now soaring above U.S. $ 110 per barrel. This condition makes the price of fuel oil surged participate.
Price Pertamax for example, in Jakarta has reached Rp9.050 per liter.Likewise Premium, 88 octane petrol has also been very expensive. However, because of subsidized, the price remains Rp4.500 per liter.



Fuel prices soar. We recommend that you start to save money from now.

However, the actual saving behavior not only because fuel is expensive. Fuel was cheap even need to be saved. Therefore, the fuel is a source of energy that can not be updated again.

How to save fuel. Here are the tips:

1. Do not heat the car for too long, a maximum of two minutes. Warming the engine for 30 minutes might as well beat the traffic. Compare if you run a car with an average speed of 60 kilometers per hour, for 30 minutes you already covered 30 kilometers.

2. Reduce the habit of eating lunch outside the office. Should take stock, message delivery, or enough to eat in the cafeteria office. This is so that fuel is not wasted, especially when the jam occurs.

3. If traveling, take your family or office colleagues that direction, so no need to use two or more cars.

4. Take advantage of public transport such as busways, railway, or other public transport, so the use of fuel can be suppressed.

5. When out of town, when conditions are bad you should just step aside.Take advantage of the jam to eat, urinate, the content of gasoline, or rest.Wait until the condition of the road a bit quiet.

6. Try to drive smoothly. Reduce the frequency of braking. Anticipate traffic ahead of you really need. If there are red lights, do not need menggeber gas, let the car slide, yet later exposed to red light as well. Remember, do not press the accelerator and brake, energy is simply wasted.

7. Turn on the air conditioner only as needed, and lower charges are always useless in the car. Good luck.