Getting a mechanic to "look over" a used car - pros+cons

Dagon

I'm looking at a used car right now. It's got a high mileage but a full service history (it was based in Scotland). I've looked at it, and there is a lot of rust on the wheels (around where the brake disks are) but it's ok in the wheel arches, although I'm no mechanic.

I'm thinking of getting a mechanic to look over the car (the seller can drop it in near where he is based) - how do I go about this, and how much does it cost to get the mechanic to do this?

Will the mechanic be able to tell you if a car was previously crashed? Will he be able to tell much about the engine, like serious faults or things that may need replacing soon, e.g. head gasket, seals, etc.? Will he be able to tell you if the clutch is about to go or if the gear box is on the way out? Can he tell if the chassis is damaged?

I'm weary of buying a high mileage car, even though it's a 97 Honda. The car I currently have has a really, really low mileage, and is no trouble..but I'm after a different model / engine capacity, and this is a very good deal.

Thanks in advance for any pointers!

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http://www.autotrader.co.uk/CARS/motoring/isp/inspection-centre.jsp

A full comprehensive inspection (ie: up on a ramp and absolutely everything checked) with report will set you back approx £250 on average.

JohnCleary

if the car is in the UK a HPI check will tell you if its been crashed

mike65

Dagon wrote:

I'm looking at a used car right now. It's got a high mileage but a full service history (it was based in Scotland). I've looked at it, and there is a lot of rust on the wheels (around where the brake disks are) but it's ok in the wheel arches, although I'm no mechanic.

Do you mean the disks are 'rusty'? Thats okay, they all do that if not used.

Mike.

JohnCleary

mike65 wrote:

Do you mean the disks are 'rusty'? Thats okay, they all do that if not used.

Mike.

OP: Exactly what mike said. If its the actual disks, thats perfectly normal. My disks show signs of rust after a rainy day if not used!

Dagon

Thanks for the info guys. Disks are probably ok.

The car is actually in Ireland. The seller brought it over and cleared it of VRT and everything. It had an MOT last August, and he has documents to prove it. The mileage is a genuine 110,000 and the car has been well taken care of and well serviced by a Honda dealer (according to the history), but one of the electric windows isn't working. It is due an NCT too.

"A full comprehensive inspection (ie: up on a ramp and absolutely everything checked) with report will set you back approx £250 on average."

Can a regular mechanic do this? It's hassle bringing the car to Dublin or whatever (in the West here), so hoping to get a garage close by to do a thorogh sort of check before I buy. Especially with such a high mileage.

JohnCleary

If you know/trust a local mechanic he can check the normal things.
But you might wanna check the camber/alighment/tracking on the wheels. The camber being the hardest to fix, tracking only 40odd quid.

Where in the West are you?

Dagon

The car is in Castlebar, I'm in Sligo.

JohnCleary

Dont know any mechanics in Sligo or Castlebar im afraid

Ratchet

which model is it?

Dagon

It's a black Honda Civic Coupe, 1.6i VTEC - SOHC. 110,000 miles, FSH. Imported from Scotland last September.

TempestSabre

I think the AA check is decent.

Ratchet

nice,

good mechanic would be able to tell you if car was damaged but you can do self assessment too :
gaps should be the same on both sides of the bonnet and lights should be correctly aligned
front plastic wheel arches are in the place
radiator is still hold by original brackets not cable ties
make sure airbag light works and doesn't stay on
the door with faulty electric window could be damaged and repaired so check it out
in regards to mechanics

check the condition of the oil and amount of deposit on around camshafts (take oil cup off and look through the hole)

check you boot for water leaks(but this would be easy fix)
Rear bushing on trailing arms go on civics which is also NCT failure
s shaped exhaust pipe under the car could be well rusted and they are know to go in the same place anyway
check front tyres for uneven wear
check front brake discs for wear

really, your mechanic should look through all this things anyway

Dagon

Thanks Ratchet, that's very helpful. The car I have now is a really low mileage, mint condition car, and I'm in two minds about selling it. On one hand I've been after a coupe model for ages, and VTEC coupes are hard to come by. This one is a really good deal (he's having a job shifting it at the moment) and I love the colour. On the other hand, maybe stick with what I have as I know it's super-reliable.

But hey, no harm in taking a risk every now and again. In truth, no mechanic and certainly not the AA test (which is pretty lame tbh, I asked a mechanic about it and it's mostly based on aesthetics) can predict exactly how good a car is, and long it's various bits and pieces will last.