Tutorial
Steps of DIY inspection when buying a used car
- plug OBD2 code reader into the car driver side, then start the engine, 1. read codes, PASS if no code, meaning no solid trouble codes; 2. drive cycle monitor, PASS if all monitors OK
- park the car on a flat surface and look under, check if there is any oil leakage.
- jack up the car, look at CV joints, suspension to see whether there is leakage. Pull the tires to see if any wobble back and forth.
- open up the hood, look for any body damage if the car was wrecked or flooded.
- slam the hood, see if the side of hood aligns properly with body whole way around. Check seam on one side of hood, and compare to the seam on the other side. PASS if they look same.
- check seam around side doors
- open trunk, check seam, whether factory seams are still there.
- check tires make sure no bulges
- test drive 10 miles on highway and 10 minutes locally, listen for buzzing noise, humming noise and clicking noises.