Car advice

Pythagorous

Hi all,
I'm looking at buying an old second had car, but I'm concerned about the engine which looks very rough and the alloy wheels which are all badly scraped. Thoughts appreciated! 

donemedosh

Alloy wheels can be refurbished for about £80 per wheel so that is not a problem. As for the engine it may look a bit messy but check for oil & water leaks. Check the MOT history on the DVLA website. When it is running does the engine sound ok.Is it a private sale or garage if it is a garage does it come with warrenty. Last does it drive ok. Do not let a dirty looking engine put you off it's what goes on inside the thing that matters.

Pythagorous

donemedosh said:

Alloy wheels can be refurbished for about £80 per wheel so that is not a problem. As for the engine it may look a bit messy but check for oil & water leaks. Check the MOT history on the DVLA website. When it is running does the engine sound ok.Is it a private sale or garage if it is a garage does it come with warrenty. Last does it drive ok. Do not let a dirty looking engine put you off it's what goes on inside the thing that matters.

Thanks! Drives well. No sign of oil or water leaks. Engine sounds okay.

PaulBrighton2021

with all those wheel scrapes, i'd be more worried about the state of brakes behind, also chassis, suspension etc..

The engine bay can easily be steam cleaned, to reveal any issues..

Pythagorous

PaulBrighton2021 said:

with all those wheel scrapes, i'd be more worried about the state of brakes behind, also chassis, suspension etc..

The engine bay can easily be steam cleaned, to reveal any issues..

@P@PaulBrighton2021 thanks, yeah that was the sort of thing I was wondering about given all 4 wheels are badly scuffed. There is a 6 month guarantee on it though.

motorguy

Pythagorous said:

Hi all,
I'm looking at buying this 7 year old second had car, but I'm concerned about the engine which looks very rough and the alloy wheels which are all badly scraped (I'm told I should be able to get them refurbed looking really well for about £300). Thoughts appreciated! 

As per other comments, how it drives, service history, maintenancy history are more important.  

I'm surprised a dealer has a 7 year old car presented like that on their forecourt to be honest.

What about things like timing belt?  Has it one and is it due / overdue a change?

Nobbie1967

The engine looks like it’s been in a pretty corrosive atmosphere, maybe near the sea? I’d be checking previous MOTs for any comments on rust. Should be ok structurally at 7 years, but maybe something that could become an issue later in it’s life.

Pythagorous

motorguy said:

Pythagorous said:

Hi all,
I'm looking at buying this 7 year old second had car, but I'm concerned about the engine which looks very rough and the alloy wheels which are all badly scraped (I'm told I should be able to get them refurbed looking really well for about £300). Thoughts appreciated! 

As per other comments, how it drives, service history, maintenancy history are more important.  

I'm surprised a dealer has a 7 year old car presented like that on their forecourt to be honest.

What about things like timing belt?  Has it one and is it due / overdue a change?

Thank you! No, timing belt hasn't been done. Apparently they need done @ 90K miles (there's 70K on this). Tbf to the dealer, it had just arrived.

CoastingHatbox

Timing belt should probably be changed on account of age.

Given that the engine bay looks okay, in that there are no random cables strewn about, no obviously missing or fractured hoses, I would be checking the engine oil.

Is it filled to the right level?
Is it over full? If it is over full I would reject it as that is a sign that fuel or coolant has been leaking into the crank case.
Is it grey or mayonaisey? That would be a sign of a head gasket leak, cracked crank case or some other serious type of coolant problem.
Is it overly thick and sludgy? A sign that the vehicle hasn't been serviced as regularly as needed.
Does it smell particularly dieselly? (Guessing diesel by the presence of a blower). If it does, then that's a sign its been used for short trips or there is a fuelling problem. Or scored bores/cracked pistons/prematurely worn piston rings.
Finally, if you wipe the dipstick with your fingers and rup the oil between your thumb and forefinger, do you feel any small pieces of metal?

If that checks out, I would squeeze the hoses too and from the radiator to make sure they are still supple. If they are hard, then that is another sign it's been in a harsh environment. That means you need to factor in some slighthly higher maintenance costs, as you will probably be replacing those hoses, fuel filler neck, flexible fuel lines and brake hoses sooner than you other wise would.

Also look around the engine bay for any signs of coolant leaks - they tend to leave a whiteish/blueish/greenish marks behind.

What has drawn you to this particular car? I must admit, I wouldn't be too keen on a French car of that age/mileage. That's as an owner of a 4.5 year old Peugeot with 37k on the clock. It's only saving grace is that it is a van, and honestly I long since came to the conclusion all vans are rubbish so I didn't mind buying a French one. But I have to say, it has done nothing to change my mind about French cars.

My two penneth anyway.

Ectophile

Pythagorous said:

motorguy said:

Pythagorous said:

Hi all,
I'm looking at buying this 7 year old second had car, but I'm concerned about the engine which looks very rough and the alloy wheels which are all badly scraped (I'm told I should be able to get them refurbed looking really well for about £300). Thoughts appreciated! 

As per other comments, how it drives, service history, maintenancy history are more important.  

I'm surprised a dealer has a 7 year old car presented like that on their forecourt to be honest.

What about things like timing belt?  Has it one and is it due / overdue a change?

Thank you! No, timing belt hasn't been done. Apparently they need done @ 90K miles (there's 70K on this). Tbf to the dealer, it had just arrived.

Have you checked that there isn't an age requirement too?  It's usually X thousand miles or Y years, whichever comes first.

jobdone1

Walk away in my view. It's wheels alone says it's not been looked after especially as it's only seven years old. Plenty of other second hand cars