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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get
used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:51:52 -0400, micky
wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) I'm thinking that the mechanic should take it for a test drive - including a stretch of highway speeds. Then up on the hoist for a thorough visual ; plus checking all fluids, hoses & belts; If he has any suspicions or indications of problems, he will dig into those more deeply ... then give you a write-up on his findings. ... gotta be over a hundred bucks by now ? John T. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 4:51:58 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. Well, there you have it. I'm sure she knows, even though she's making tens of millions a year and only has two year old lease cars. Never mind that the cost of labor is more than that for an hour where she tapes the show. I've only thought about doing this once, Yes, we know you didn't do it when you bought that crap car with no inspection that blew up on you. when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) If you're clueless about cars, can't do any inspection yourself, for sure it's worth the money. And not only that, it's obvious that any inspection will uncover some things, which you can then go back to the seller with and get the price lowered. That pays for it. Nuff said. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Â* Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . Â* If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you. Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: Â*Â* Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . Â*Â* If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.Â* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? Â* Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... -- Snag Yes , I'm old and crochety - and armed . Get outta my woods ! |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:51:52 -0400, micky
wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 19:22:54 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: * Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . * If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you. Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? Or even know that the fender WAS replaced??? |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: ** Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . ** If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? * Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 8/27/2019 8:53 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: Â*Â* Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . Â*Â* If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.Â* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? Â* Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. Â* Yeah , and the fastest horse may not win , but that's the way I'm going to bet . -- Snag Yes , I'm old and crochety - and armed . Get outta my woods ! |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:53:49 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: ** Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . ** If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? * Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. When there is a warranty on the engine, like from a used car dealer, is that supposed to cover oil pan gasket leaks? (As is often the case on that show, the stories are not compatible with each other. Supposedly they had a 2-day warranty and the mechanic they took it to on the 2nd day said so many things were bad he couldn't write them all down but even when she called h im on the phone, the only things that were mentioned was oil and antifreeze dripping and the gas tank held up by a bungee cord. Isn't replacing the metal strap that holds it up a cheap repair? There is often a big difference between the issues the announcer reads at the start and the ones they bring up in the "trial". I know the thing is edited and they might have said more, but even alllowing for that, there seems to be a big difference sometimes.) |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:51:19 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:34:24 -0400, wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:51:52 -0400, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) I'm thinking that the mechanic should take it for a test drive - including a stretch of highway speeds. Then up on the hoist for a thorough visual ; plus checking all fluids, hoses & belts; If he has any suspicions or indications of problems, he will dig into those more deeply ... then give you a write-up on his findings. ... gotta be over a hundred bucks by now ? John T. For $100 I could tell you if it is GOOD, BAD, or needs a further look. For $50 I could rule out 50% of the bad ones, or select at least 50% of the good ones. The "inbetween" takes a bit more investigation. Both of those are better than I thought. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:13:22 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote: In article , says... For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers. I have a 2005 and I think it has only one cover. So I guess I have more covers to look forward to next car. But the read 3 cylinders are so far back, I don't know how anyoone can change the plugs or the wires. (I don't even know if you can change the wires without changing the whatevers, transformers?) |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 8/27/19 4:51 PM, micky wrote:
On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZhljNSTVg |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:20:40 -0400, micky
wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:13:22 -0400, Ralph Mowery wrote: In article , says... For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers. I have a 2005 and I think it has only one cover. So I guess I have more covers to look forward to next car. But the read 3 cylinders are so far back, I don't know how anyoone can change the plugs or the wires. (I don't even know if you can change the wires without changing the whatevers, transformers?) I'd have the plugs changed on my old '96 - 2006 Taurus's at about 150,000 km and they still looked very good. .. that works out to ~ ONE plug change for the life of the car. ie: a non-issue. John T. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:08:26 -0400, Brock O'Bama
wrote: On 8/27/19 4:51 PM, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZhljNSTVg Thanks for sharing - I forwarded the link to some family members. John T. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 4:16:16 AM UTC-4, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:53:49 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: Â*Â* Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . Â*Â* If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.Â* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? Â* Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. When there is a warranty on the engine, like from a used car dealer, is that supposed to cover oil pan gasket leaks? Read the warranty? Is it a used late model BMW from a dealer, a used car from a used car lot with a national warranty, or a used car from a used car lot where they issue the warranty and do the work? An oil pan gasket can be an expensive repair. The gasket isn't expensive, but some cars accessing it is a disaster and you have to partially lift the engine up. (As is often the case on that show, the stories are not compatible with each other. Supposedly they had a 2-day warranty and the mechanic they took it to on the 2nd day said so many things were bad he couldn't write them all down but even when she called h im on the phone, the only things that were mentioned was oil and antifreeze dripping and the gas tank held up by a bungee cord. Isn't replacing the metal strap that holds it up a cheap repair? I've never seen a gas tank held on by a metal strap. Typically they are shielded, up out of harms way. And if it's falling out, held on by a bungee cord, there is likely a lot more wrong than just a strap, like everything is shot from rust. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:11:32 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote: In article , says... A big advantage a pro has that's familiar with that car is that they should know the common pitfalls with that make and model and what to look for. Many car models are known to have potentially big problems, that cost a lot to fix. You could invest some time on the internet to read up and figure that out for yourself, but the typical buyer isn't going to do that, nor do they have the skills to then make the evaluation. Yes, a good mechanic often knows of probem cars. Like a new car I bought. My shade tree mechanic friend told me that at about 40,000 miles a gear in the timing chain system would wear out. Sure enough about every 45,000 miles it wore out and left me stranded 2 times before I got rid of it. Did it cost you $100 for that bit of important information? Would you have paid attention if he had charged you $100? BG Son bought a new Nissan a couple of years ago. Factory knows of a transmission problem. They had extended the warrenty period from 60 thousand to 120 thousnad miles. Sure enough at about 130 thousand miles the transmission needed a $ 4000 repair. They would not do anything about it so son had to eat the repair price. And a good independent mechanic could have told your son - yes - it's not in bad shape - for a Nissan - but expect expensive trouble from the transmission - at the very least - before you get to 150,000. And that doesn't cast $100 to find out. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:13:22 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote: In article , says... For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers. Takes 10 minutes or less to remove the "vanity covers" on the wife's Kia Sorento V6 - about the same on my daughter's Hyundai Elantra GT Now on a BMW it's a different story. They even cover the brake master and the reservoirs for the power steering and w/s washer fluid. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:16:09 -0400, micky
wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:53:49 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: ** Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . ** If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? * Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. When there is a warranty on the engine, like from a used car dealer, is that supposed to cover oil pan gasket leaks? Warrantees from used car dealers are generally not worth the paper they are written on - and sold by shifty operators on cars they know are piles of crap. The wording of the warrantee usually has the dealer "certifying" the vehicle has no obvious pre-existing issues - and they lie through their teeth. (As is often the case on that show, the stories are not compatible with each other. Supposedly they had a 2-day warranty and the mechanic they took it to on the 2nd day said so many things were bad he couldn't write them all down but even when she called h im on the phone, the only things that were mentioned was oil and antifreeze dripping and the gas tank held up by a bungee cord. Isn't replacing the metal strap that holds it up a cheap repair? There is often a big difference between the issues the announcer reads at the start and the ones they bring up in the "trial". I know the thing is edited and they might have said more, but even alllowing for that, there seems to be a big difference sometimes.) |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:17:57 -0400, micky
wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:51:19 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:34:24 -0400, wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:51:52 -0400, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) I'm thinking that the mechanic should take it for a test drive - including a stretch of highway speeds. Then up on the hoist for a thorough visual ; plus checking all fluids, hoses & belts; If he has any suspicions or indications of problems, he will dig into those more deeply ... then give you a write-up on his findings. ... gotta be over a hundred bucks by now ? John T. For $100 I could tell you if it is GOOD, BAD, or needs a further look. For $50 I could rule out 50% of the bad ones, or select at least 50% of the good ones. The "inbetween" takes a bit more investigation. Both of those are better than I thought. Makes you wish you brought the last couple you bought to me first - eh?? IIRC I DID warn you about a couple - - - - - - |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:20:40 -0400, micky
wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:13:22 -0400, Ralph Mowery wrote: In article , says... For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers. I have a 2005 and I think it has only one cover. So I guess I have more covers to look forward to next car. But the read 3 cylinders are so far back, I don't know how anyoone can change the plugs or the wires. (I don't even know if you can change the wires without changing the whatevers, transformers?) On many there are no wires. They are "COP" - coil on plug - and changing the plugs CAN be a 4 hour job on some cars. Something a good mechanic will tell you when he does a quick check for you before buying. "Ask the seller for service records - if the plugs and timing belt have not been changed yet, take off $1200 from the price - if no records assume you will need to do the job - Price accordingly - and mabee keep looking for something better" - or something similar Doesn't cost $100 for that - but you need to have "your guy" - a mechanic you trust and who will lookout for your interests. I've told many customers they were looking at the wrong car - for absolutely NO CHARGE - without even looking at it. Because I knew their driving history and their service cost tolerance. Not because I wanted to sell them something - - - |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:08:26 -0400, Brock O'Bama
wrote: On 8/27/19 4:51 PM, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZhljNSTVg Or GM's or Nissan's, or Mitsubishi's - or FCA's I've had more goodfords than bad ones - and more good Chryslers than bad ones - and more bad GMs than good ones. After 2 I quit. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
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Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
In alt.home.repair, on Wed, 28 Aug 2019 22:32:31 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote: On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:17:57 -0400, micky wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:51:19 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:34:24 -0400, wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:51:52 -0400, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. I've only thought about doing this once, when my car collapsed in North Carolina, and the only convertible I found the first day was pretty rundown. I went to a shop (to make sure the engine on my own car was shot) and asked him about checking out the other car. He said, Well I can't really tell much for iirc 100 dollars, but I'll tell you what I can. So how much can a mechanic tell about a car's condition for a price people might be willing to pay. How much would that cost? (I'm not asking about the future. I know almost anything can break at any moment.) I'm thinking that the mechanic should take it for a test drive - including a stretch of highway speeds. Then up on the hoist for a thorough visual ; plus checking all fluids, hoses & belts; If he has any suspicions or indications of problems, he will dig into those more deeply ... then give you a write-up on his findings. ... gotta be over a hundred bucks by now ? John T. For $100 I could tell you if it is GOOD, BAD, or needs a further look. For $50 I could rule out 50% of the bad ones, or select at least 50% of the good ones. The "inbetween" takes a bit more investigation. Both of those are better than I thought. Makes you wish you brought the last couple you bought to me first - eh?? IIRC I DID warn you about a couple - - - - - - This thread was generated by the Pipple's Court judge constantly ridiculing people for not taking the car to a mechanic before buying it, and constantly saying that one can get it checked out adequately for a modest cost. Even though what you said above was better than I thought, what you said in another post isn't that good. The people on that show say silly things fairly often. One was that you shouldnt' room with strangers. Right, room with friends or family and ruin your friendship. With a stranger you have a chance of making a new friend, and if you don't, nothing lost. And the lawyer outside thinks he's so smart, but he says silly things too and he always thinks he's smarter than the average people he's talking to. And the guy in the hall insists on putting his hand on every woman that he talks to after the trial. They should glue the shape of shoes on the floor and tell people to stand on them so he won't have to grab them. As to my own cars, I'm on a roll. 8 cars in 44 years, 3 or 4 went the first 3 years with no repairs, only two had real problems, the Sebring that failed after two months and a Buick (I forget the model, a '72 convert with what was called a scissors top, iirc). That one wouldn't shift to high gear when I bought it, but it was so powerful in 3rd and so quiet, I didn't notice it. But even if I'd noticed, I would have bought it anyway. This was about '79 or '80 and a terrible year to buy a large convertible, which they had stopped making in the US, the last years were between 74 and 76 . There was no internet, but there was a computer listing of cars in the NYC area. ONe could call them on the phone and say what he was looking for. I checked out all 3 counties on Long Island, the other 4 counties of NYC, Westchester, Rockland, Bergan and about 4 other NJ counties, 14 counties, an area covering 12 million people, and only found one car that interested me. Aha, a Buick Centurion, that's the model. But the transission was the only big expense for 100,000 miles, so I was happy with that car too. I never took any of those cars to mechanics and I'm not going to start now, although if I'd talked to the mechanic about the Sebring, he might maybe maybe have talked me out of it. I coudln't show it to him because it was in Philadelphia and I live in Baltimore. The Yahoo Motors ad included about 40 pictures of it and it was just as beautiful and clean as the pictures made it look. And even though I'd agreed to buy it, he even let me drive it on a short local road and said I could have my deposit back if didn't want it after all. It ran great. And it was gold, and after if failed, I had the fenders melted down and I got some of my money back. AIUI, for the 72 centurion, they started with a scissors top because they thought federal safety laws would be applied to convertibles too , and they would have to have a top that would hold up the car if it were upside down (although the rule never happened). But it was really touchy and the eighth year I had it, one side of the top malfunctioned and broke the rear window. I have a vague recollection it later ripped the top, but I was already shopping for a "new" car. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
In alt.home.repair, on Wed, 28 Aug 2019 22:38:55 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote: On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:20:40 -0400, micky wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:13:22 -0400, Ralph Mowery wrote: In article , says... For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers. I have a 2005 and I think it has only one cover. So I guess I have more covers to look forward to next car. But the read 3 cylinders are so far back, I don't know how anyoone can change the plugs or the wires. (I don't even know if you can change the wires without changing the whatevers, transformers?) On many there are no wires. They are "COP" - coil on plug - and changing the plugs CAN be a 4 hour job on some cars. Something a good Yeah, that's it. The car runs great at speeds over 10 or 20, but at idle, it 'misses', runs unevenly, skips once a while, and the guy at Pep Boys (LOL) says it might need a wire or plug (or COP). I was going to disconnect them one at a time to see which one didn't make things worse when disconnected. Can I do that, even for the rear cylinders, in a lot less time than actually replacing the plug takes? mechanic will tell you when he does a quick check for you before buying. "Ask the seller for service records - if the plugs and timing The seller probably lied to me. He claimed he'd had the car for a while and his daughter drove it to college, maybe 40 miles from here. But I took the VIN and looked it up in Kelly's Blue Book and it told me loads, almost all the repairs, up until less than a month before it was offered for sale. So I know he was lying. And she left a few papers in the glove box that identified her, so after I bought it I called her up and asked a couple questions. She was very nice, didn't mind my calling. The car was sideswiped a little, has a line on the left front fender and the housing of the left side view mirror is broken. I bought matching paint to paint it, but things interfered and now it doesn't bother me anymore. belt have not been changed yet, take off $1200 from the price - if no The timing belt was changed about 20,000 miles before I bought it iirc (I have it written down.) All this from Kelly's and it was even free. I thought for freee they'd tell me 3 or 4 things about the car and then ask me to pay, but they didn't. records assume you will need to do the job - Price accordingly - and mabee keep looking for something better" - or something similar Doesn't cost $100 for that - but you need to have "your guy" - a mechanic you trust and who will lookout for your interests. I think I know two mechanics, each about 2 miles from here, in different directions, and I think they're both honest, but I don't do enough business with them for them to care. I've told many customers they were looking at the wrong car - for absolutely NO CHARGE - without even looking at it. Because I knew their driving history and their service cost tolerance. Not because I wanted to sell them something - - - That's very nice of you. Really. Because there are so few convertibles for sale, and even fewer that are even as big as a compact, and because I refuse so far to spend more than 10K, and I don't like the Chrysler 200, I don't have a lot of choices. I used to have a few more so I'd put the transmission thought all its paces, make it downshift on acceleration from each speed, etc; look for leaks, check the tailpipe for carbon (which I've heard doesn't work since catalytic converters), but I rarely found anything wrong and it'sw just easier to fix it if it's bad (which I rarely hae to do.) , So I buy a car that looks like it's been taken care of, and so far I've done well. If I lose money on the next one, like I did on the Sebring, so be it. Yesterday I was driving for a couple hours, beautiful weather, didn't see one convertible, top up or down, except two in drivewways and one in a used car lot. No one driving. Bad sign for me. Won't be many choices next time. I may have to get a small car. Mazda Miata???? |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. I've had automotive evaluations from Pep Boys, CarX and Midas. All slightly over $100 and all were too superficial to discover costly problems with a used car. Some unscrupulous dealers do quick-fixes that temporary make the car appear OK. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 8/28/19 10:41 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:08:26 -0400, Brock O'Bama wrote: On 8/27/19 4:51 PM, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZhljNSTVg Or GM's or Nissan's, or Mitsubishi's - or FCA's I've had more goodfords than bad ones - and more good Chryslers than bad ones - and more bad GMs than good ones. After 2 I quit. When you have to pay thousands to repair water pump damage, most reasonably intelligent people realize Ford fscked up. Even the cost to proactively replace one of Ford's internal pumps is shameful. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 8/28/2019 8:50 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 4:16:16 AM UTC-4, micky wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:53:49 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: Â*Â* Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . Â*Â* If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.Â* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? Â* Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. When there is a warranty on the engine, like from a used car dealer, is that supposed to cover oil pan gasket leaks? Read the warranty? Is it a used late model BMW from a dealer, a used car from a used car lot with a national warranty, or a used car from a used car lot where they issue the warranty and do the work? An oil pan gasket can be an expensive repair. The gasket isn't expensive, but some cars accessing it is a disaster and you have to partially lift the engine up. (As is often the case on that show, the stories are not compatible with each other. Supposedly they had a 2-day warranty and the mechanic they took it to on the 2nd day said so many things were bad he couldn't write them all down but even when she called h im on the phone, the only things that were mentioned was oil and antifreeze dripping and the gas tank held up by a bungee cord. Isn't replacing the metal strap that holds it up a cheap repair? I've never seen a gas tank held on by a metal strap. Typically they are shielded, up out of harms way. And if it's falling out, held on by a bungee cord, there is likely a lot more wrong than just a strap, like everything is shot from rust. Haven't been under many old Chevy's have you ? My '86 GMC p/u has metal bands to hold up the tank . Just about every car out there that mounts the tank underneath has them too in my experience . -- Snag --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Thu, 29 Aug 2019 00:53:49 -0400, micky
wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Wed, 28 Aug 2019 22:38:55 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:20:40 -0400, micky wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:13:22 -0400, Ralph Mowery wrote: In article , says... For $100? Not much. He might scan for codes and look at the oil, maybe the belts and hoses but I doubt the car even gets on a lift for $100 these days. On a new car it would cost more than $100 to remove all of the covers to look at the engine. Yea, you can not even see the engine now for all the covers. I have a 2005 and I think it has only one cover. So I guess I have more covers to look forward to next car. But the read 3 cylinders are so far back, I don't know how anyoone can change the plugs or the wires. (I don't even know if you can change the wires without changing the whatevers, transformers?) On many there are no wires. They are "COP" - coil on plug - and changing the plugs CAN be a 4 hour job on some cars. Something a good Yeah, that's it. The car runs great at speeds over 10 or 20, but at idle, it 'misses', runs unevenly, skips once a while, and the guy at Pep Boys (LOL) says it might need a wire or plug (or COP). I was going to disconnect them one at a time to see which one didn't make things worse when disconnected. Can I do that, even for the rear cylinders, in a lot less time than actually replacing the plug takes? mechanic will tell you when he does a quick check for you before buying. "Ask the seller for service records - if the plugs and timing The seller probably lied to me. He claimed he'd had the car for a while and his daughter drove it to college, maybe 40 miles from here. But I took the VIN and looked it up in Kelly's Blue Book and it told me loads, almost all the repairs, up until less than a month before it was offered for sale. So I know he was lying. And she left a few papers in the glove box that identified her, so after I bought it I called her up and asked a couple questions. She was very nice, didn't mind my calling. The car was sideswiped a little, has a line on the left front fender and the housing of the left side view mirror is broken. I bought matching paint to paint it, but things interfered and now it doesn't bother me anymore. belt have not been changed yet, take off $1200 from the price - if no The timing belt was changed about 20,000 miles before I bought it iirc (I have it written down.) All this from Kelly's and it was even free. I thought for freee they'd tell me 3 or 4 things about the car and then ask me to pay, but they didn't. records assume you will need to do the job - Price accordingly - and mabee keep looking for something better" - or something similar Doesn't cost $100 for that - but you need to have "your guy" - a mechanic you trust and who will lookout for your interests. I think I know two mechanics, each about 2 miles from here, in different directions, and I think they're both honest, but I don't do enough business with them for them to care. I've told many customers they were looking at the wrong car - for absolutely NO CHARGE - without even looking at it. Because I knew their driving history and their service cost tolerance. Not because I wanted to sell them something - - - That's very nice of you. Really. Because there are so few convertibles for sale, and even fewer that are even as big as a compact, and because I refuse so far to spend more than 10K, and I don't like the Chrysler 200, I don't have a lot of choices. I used to have a few more so I'd put the transmission thought all its paces, make it downshift on acceleration from each speed, etc; look for leaks, check the tailpipe for carbon (which I've heard doesn't work since catalytic converters), but I rarely found anything wrong and it'sw just easier to fix it if it's bad (which I rarely hae to do.) , So I buy a car that looks like it's been taken care of, and so far I've done well. If I lose money on the next one, like I did on the Sebring, so be it. Remember wehen you saidthe Sebring looked good sitting in the driveway and I told you something like "that's good, because it will likely end up sitting there a lot"??? Yesterday I was driving for a couple hours, beautiful weather, didn't see one convertible, top up or down, except two in drivewways and one in a used car lot. No one driving. Bad sign for me. Won't be many choices next time. I may have to get a small car. Mazda Miata???? |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:16:34 -0400, Brock O'Bama
wrote: On 8/28/19 10:41 PM, Clare Snyder wrote: On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:08:26 -0400, Brock O'Bama wrote: On 8/27/19 4:51 PM, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZhljNSTVg Or GM's or Nissan's, or Mitsubishi's - or FCA's I've had more goodfords than bad ones - and more good Chryslers than bad ones - and more bad GMs than good ones. After 2 I quit. When you have to pay thousands to repair water pump damage, most reasonably intelligent people realize Ford fscked up. Even the cost to proactively replace one of Ford's internal pumps is shameful. Had to replace the pump on the Mystique. I had heard they often shattered at high RPM, so I took it up to about 6000RPM - and sure enough, it went. Figured I would have it fail on MY terms. Put in an aftermarket replacement with a metal impeller instead of Ford's plastic one. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On Thu, 29 Aug 2019 08:02:52 -0500, SNAG wrote:
On 8/28/2019 8:50 AM, trader_4 wrote: On Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 4:16:16 AM UTC-4, micky wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:53:49 -0400, Clare Snyder wrote: On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:27:52 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:22 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: On 8/27/2019 6:07 PM, Terry Coombs wrote: ** Or you can do your own inspection . I mean how hard is it to : Check the tires for abnormal wear - worn ad one side/center only/edges . Cupping . Look under the car for obvious oil/fluid leaks . They leave a mess or a clean area . Look under the hood for obvious leaks/problems . A bundle of wired that looks melted ... Look the interior over . A car with 20,000 miles is NOT going to have the brake pedal rubber worn smooth . ** If a cursory exam makes you question , then call your mechanic . Since I'm my own mechanic , I do a much more in depth examination . I've never bought a lemon , though I have gotten a couple I should have passed on . Ever priced lug nuts/bolts for a Peugeot ? Be sittin' down . Easy for you.* Do you think a bookkeeper or kindergarten teacher knows how to check how much is left on brake pads or if a weld on a replaced fender was done sloppily? * Ed , that's why I suggested some of the easily detected signs of a problem . If there's a puddle of oil under the tranny ... It might be a $5 fix - and the perfectly dry one might be a $3000 fix. When there is a warranty on the engine, like from a used car dealer, is that supposed to cover oil pan gasket leaks? Read the warranty? Is it a used late model BMW from a dealer, a used car from a used car lot with a national warranty, or a used car from a used car lot where they issue the warranty and do the work? An oil pan gasket can be an expensive repair. The gasket isn't expensive, but some cars accessing it is a disaster and you have to partially lift the engine up. (As is often the case on that show, the stories are not compatible with each other. Supposedly they had a 2-day warranty and the mechanic they took it to on the 2nd day said so many things were bad he couldn't write them all down but even when she called h im on the phone, the only things that were mentioned was oil and antifreeze dripping and the gas tank held up by a bungee cord. Isn't replacing the metal strap that holds it up a cheap repair? I've never seen a gas tank held on by a metal strap. Typically they are shielded, up out of harms way. And if it's falling out, held on by a bungee cord, there is likely a lot more wrong than just a strap, like everything is shot from rust. Haven't been under many old Chevy's have you ? My '86 GMC p/u has metal bands to hold up the tank . Just about every car out there that mounts the tank underneath has them too in my experience . -- Snag --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus The VAST majority of cars and trucks have the tank supported by metal straps - and I've replaced hundreds of them - on cars with very little to no rust otherwize. Even on cars with rotationally molded poly (plastic) tanks with sheilds on them. |
Get car checked out by mechanic before buying it
On 30/8/19 7:46 am, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:16:34 -0400, Brock O'Bama wrote: On 8/28/19 10:41 PM, Clare Snyder wrote: On Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:08:26 -0400, Brock O'Bama wrote: On 8/27/19 4:51 PM, micky wrote: On the Pipple's court, she's always insisting that people should get used cars checked out by a mechanic before they buy it. I think she says it costs 50 or 100 dollars. A good mechanic (or lemon law attorney) can steer you away from Ford's loser cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdZhljNSTVg Or GM's or Nissan's, or Mitsubishi's - or FCA's I've had more goodfords than bad ones - and more good Chryslers than bad ones - and more bad GMs than good ones. After 2 I quit. When you have to pay thousands to repair water pump damage, most reasonably intelligent people realize Ford fscked up. Even the cost to proactively replace one of Ford's internal pumps is shameful. Had to replace the pump on the Mystique. I had heard they often shattered at high RPM, so I took it up to about 6000RPM - and sure enough, it went. Figured I would have it fail on MY terms. Put in an aftermarket replacement with a metal impeller instead of Ford's plastic one. Yeah, not a fan of plastic impellers on water pumps. Still have memories of those Chrysler ones that used to spin free on the pump shaft. They looked like they were Ok but they just didn't pump water. -- Xeno Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing. (with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson) |
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