How to check whether a used car trouble-free?

Here is how to determine, beaten or unbeaten.

To accurately test to see if the car after the accident, it is necessary to perform not only the test of history, but also to measure the geometry of the body. Naturally, including the need and visual inspection by a professional. Of course, when you search for a used car on the secondary market it is difficult to find a master who would agree to do the search and inspection of the car. Also it is not always possible to drive with the seller before the service. But if you can work independently, got the car in accident or not? In fact, most often this is not very difficult. You may recognize the emergency history of the vehicle.

Not every auto body repair is carried out after the accident

At the beginning of the inspection the main problem is to know whether there had been body work. Usually this is evidenced by fresh body paint. Though not always the color of the body means that the car was broken. The fact that very often the paint work on the body carried out after a small collision or as a result of innocent scratches or chips. For example, it so happens that the front wings of the car have multiple chips. In the end, the owner may wish to remove them. In this case, the wings of the car are primed, a little otsmatrivali and then painted. But the car was not in an accident and is not dangerous to buy. However, when such a car would be seen by a layman, armed with a thickness trendy today, which most do not even know how to use it, to find that the front wings of the car painted, he said that the machine was broken. That’s such a joyless conclusion, many buyers do when they discover that the car was painted. But as you can see, painting painting alike. Of course, if the car got into a minor accident, it also poses a great danger to purchase.

To speak about accident of a car that can not buy, only in the following cases:

• The accident caused the opening of the airbag
• Not only damaged body parts and external elements and internal
• The accident caused deformation of the floor or hanging car equipment
• The accident caused damage that is technologically irreversible

Only such cars definitely lose its value and can even be dangerous. Unfortunately, vehicles that have such a past, the secondary market enough. On the market even have the car retrieved from two or even three different parts from other machines by means of welding. Such cars are dangerous, and under current law they are prohibited from movement on the road. Nevertheless, such “cuts” are on the market. After all, the market a lot of Amateurs and gullible people who are in pursuit of savings buy have outbid such dangerous clunkers.

Assessment of the external elements and nail Polish

Modern cars are made better than those made 15-20 years ago. Especially more accurately made the gaps between the body and wall parts. Today, almost all the gaps on modern cars the same and equal, which is not true of older machines, when the industry was less accurate and cars were produced on old technologies.

During the inspection of a modern car you have to pay attention to all the clearances of the parts – they don’t have to swim to be different, and body parts should not stick out from a single plane. Bumper cars should fit snugly to the body parts. Combination headlamp must also be perfect.

However, not all cars even from the factory can be perfect gaps. Especially if we are talking about cars economy class. So always keep in mind the class and brand of the car during the inspection. For example, in Volkswagen or Audi no room for uneven gaps or crooked folds. If you find that the body gaps are uneven, swim and simply the curves on the car where it should not be, most likely, before you car, which has undergone a poor repair, and that means emergency.

In addition to the inspection of the external elements, you should also visually assess the condition of the paintwork. Such inspection is clean and dry machine, and preferably Sunny weather. On the large and short distance, check whether there are differences in shades of varnish on parts of the body. And here again a small tip. Some colors, mostly white and red – can have different shades on the metal and plastic elements. For example, the bumper color may have a hue different from that of the body. It about what does not speak.

The next step should be the examination body under the doors and window seals. In these places you can find not only traces of car paint, and even corrosion. Also keep in mind that any varnish or paint on the rubber seals are proof that the car was painted.

Including check marking of car Windows. Especially pay attention to the date of production of glasses. All numbers must be the same. However, if one glass does not match the rest, it still is not proof of the accident. Worse, when upon inspection you will find three Windows with different year of release. Ask the seller why the glass was replaced.

The external inspection of the vehicle is also to focus on the wheels. Check the release date of the tyres and condition of wheels. Sometimes damage to the discs can speak about the last emergency vehicle. Tires should not be older than the car. Although this is all, of course, indirect evidence. Because the owner of the car could have before selling to remove good tires or rims and put on car old set of wheels from another machine. Here, as you know, we need to associate with the salesman. If his explanation does not agree with what you detect during the inspection, most likely, a car salesman is lying. Draw your own conclusions.

Thickness meter paint: how to use it?

Today when inspecting the car, many people use an invaluable tool gadget needed to measure the paint thickness of the body – the so-called thickness. Unfortunately, this device cannot tell you visited a car in a serious accident or had a minor collision and suffered minor scratches. Indeed, in both cases to fix the damage necessary repairs and paint work. Nevertheless, the thickness is indispensable for the inspection of any used car. At least, during the inspection you will have reason to suspect something.

Good detector-thickness gauge paint costs an average of in Russia, 5 thousand rubles. Of course, the market sold a lot of cheap Chinese instruments, contact with which we would not recommend it. There are more expensive devices which are more suitable for professionals.

The thickness gauge measures the thickness of paint, showing the values on the screen in microns.

Before checking the paint thickness of the entire body need to start to control the thickness. Often it is found on the roof or the fuel tank cap. Usually these body parts are rarely not painted at the factory. Typically, the thickness of the factory paint of your car is 80-120 microns. The value to 150 microns are also acceptable, especially if you do not have expensive good thickness. It should also be remembered that the detector paint thickness will not show any value on aluminum or plastic parts.

How to interpret the results of measurement of thickness of paint coating?

• Original paint: 80-120 µm
• Detail of the bodywork professionally painted or not painted: 120-150 µm
• Painted item: 150-260 µm
• Detail lightly covered with filler and primer, and it applied a new paint coating: more than 260 microns
• A lot of putty: above 500-1000 µm
• Detail of plastic, aluminum or the component applied a very thick layer of putty, to no avail

If the car has a few painted parts, start to fantasize and think about what could happen. Usually the front fenders are painted at small collision with a guardrail or other cars or as a result of numerous chips or scratches. If you found that was painted the door, it is quite possible the door was damaged from impact. So if you found that the door was painted, open it and carefully check the thickness of the paint on the sills and medium body racks. There should be no traces of repainting. If you find that these items are painted, most likely, was not only damaged the door, but the threshold together with the stand, which happens only when a very strong impact.

The negative – confirmation that the painted roof. In most minor accidents, usually the roof does not suffer. If you found that the thickness of the paint on the roof is not corresponds to the factory default, you do not need to communicate with a machine because there is a high probability that she was a member of a serious accident. There are exceptions – the roof is painted sometimes as a result of damage from hail. But usually the car owners whose cars have been beaten by hail, pictures of the defects before repair, and then to prove to future buyers that the roof was not painted due to the fact that the car turned over.

Remember that almost every element of the body can be repainted after a minor collision with obstacle (e.g. a garden fence, a large concrete block, pole, etc.), and not as a result of the accident. And, in principle, to buy a car is not dangerous. But really, it depends on the number of painted parts. For example, you should know that the more of these painted elements of the body, the more the car loses its value. So be careful with such cars. Here, one never knows, and overpay.

Check the inside of the car

After external survey of signs of a collision or accident you can also look inside – the interior and underhood space. The first step is to turn the key and turn the ignition on. Please note on the dashboard. At the time of launch of car badge airbag should briefly illuminate and then go off. There is no other option. When the icon lights up for a short time, it means that there is a diagnosis of the security system. If the light is off, errors in the airbag not.

In the cabin you should carefully inspect all places, which installed the airbag. First of all it concerns the airbag covers on the steering wheel and center console on the passenger side. Also check the door pillar. Cracks, new plastic items, etc. can talk about the deployment of the airbags. Pay particular attention for cracks, which should not be on the entire dash and center console (dashboard) and door panels (door trim).

Expand the seatbelts through and inspect them. Check the seat belt buckle smoothly. Any damage to the belt or the lock is indirectly talking about a possible accident. In particular, it is desirable to inspect the floor under the mats and the niche under the rear seat. Any suspicious deformity may indicate an accident. At the same time, be aware that manufacturers do not pay particular attention to the beautiful color of the parts under the floor mats or seats. Including not think that the factory sealing and anti-corrosion compounds on the body (including inside the cabin) should have an attractive appearance.

And finally, inspect the space under the hood, not missing a single element of the body. Carefully inspect the bolts that hold the front fenders. Traces of loosening the bolts holding the wings are evidence of the repair. Cracks in mounting spotlights or other elements can also provide emergency past. Also, of course, check the load-bearing body parts under the hood that should not have after-market joints and welding traces, sealants, etc.

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