How To Do PDI Of Second Hand Car | PDI Check List For Second Hand Car

If you are planning to buy a second hand car or a used car then it is very important to check the car thoroughly before buying. And It becomes all the the more important question that how to do PDI of second hand car. Here we have come with some potent tips to keep in mind while doing the PDI of a second hand car.

How to check a used car before buying

First do your home work before going to buy a car. Fix your requirements like you need the car for highways running or city running. Or else buying the car for other things like big car show piece. keep the following things in mind

• Don’t be confused while buying the second hand car be focused with your requirements. There will be many options and you may end up buying wrong car.
• Try to select a car that has performed good in past means that it has given good sales for the company. The chances of getting right car is more for that particular model.
• Check history of sales for reference, use google for the sales reports.
• You can check the consumer report also that tells which car has faced what type of problem
• Check consumer forums. These are the discussion platform where people discuss pros and cons.

• Now that you have decided to go with a particular model then next try to check the car physically when it gets available in the market.
• Now first of all ask for the Service History of that car. Check which part needed servicing mostly. What problem has been notified from the owner in every service . If repeatedly same problem was noticed then we need to check for that and avoid that car.

How To Do Exterior Inspection Of A Used Car

Foe doing exterior inspection first of all take paper and pen and note problems. Now follow the tips

• Check the paint quality of the exterior panel. There should not be uneven paint and uneven panel gaps. Because this indicates that there may be any repairing done.
• Check over sprayed paint, check from different angles if any change in reflection seen than it has been painted. This tells the accidental history. Nobody wil tell the truth but you have to catch where is the loop hole in maintenance.

• Uneven paint thickness means there is filler putty(glazing filler putty) present under the outer coating of the paint. Which means that part has been repaired in past. Use a paint thickness meter for checking it.
• Check the tyres of the car match it with the condition of it with the kilometer running of the car.
• Uneven wear of the tyre means there is a problem in suspension. Ask for the Tyre change timing. It should match with the car manufacturing date. Take your time have patience.

How To Do Interior Inspection Of A Used Car

• Now sit inside the car and insert the key and turn on the power but do not start the engine. Now check all the warning lights in the meter. All the warning lights must get turned on. The warning lights can be checked in the user manual as well.
• Now switch on the engine and see all the warning lights should become off after ignition switch on. If there is still any warning light on that indicates the problem in that particular component.

• This technique is used to check everything right in the engine. Sometimes the warning light that shows problem can be hide using a glue tape. Sometimes the light bulb itself is removed. So before ignition the warning lights should be on, but after the ignition all the lights should go off.
• Check the meter reading to inspect the running of the car, the running meter can also be tempered and its reading can be changed. So check carefully.

• Check the key of the car. The key will tell the reality of the car running, if it is more worn but the km in the meter is less that means something is fishy. Always ask for both the keys because they are needed in insurance claim.
• Inspect the break paddle, accelerator and clutch paddles and its rubber also. Its condition will tell the truth if the rubber more worn but the meter reading in running kilometer is less then it is mismatching the condition of the car. If it is changed than it will also look different also.
• Check the seats of the car and also its slides. it should move freely and not break. Check the seat belt also it should also be in proper working condition.

How To Inspect A Used Car Engine

Here is the main part coming. The engine is the central part of the car and tells the internal condition. check the following points

• Inspect the engine bay, no leakage should be there, no oil accumulation should happen at any point or joint.
• Take out the dipstick and check Engine oil condition.
• The engine oil should never have any froth or bubble neither should it have milky color. The color of the oil may be brown, dark brown or even black for diesel engine.
• The engine oil should never have grainy texture it should feel slippery and smooth. If there is grainy texture that means there is problem in head of the engine. It is strict no for that car.
• Check the coolant it can be green or pink in color but it should never get any oil accumulation over it. Neither it should get any bubble. if there is bubble that means there is problem in head gas kit of the engine.

• No leakage should be there from head or block part of the engine. Also there is a cover on the top of the engine head, no leakage should be there also. If any leakage that means the engine has run more and it needs attention.
• Check the gears of the car while taking the test drive, the gears should not get stuck and no noise should come from the gear.
• Check the sealant applied at the corner if the engine bay. If it looks new which shows the car is repaired. Same quality can not be achieved which was earlier during the manufacturing of the car.
• Start and check all the electronic part and equipment of the car like windows up down, AC on/off wiper working etc.

How To Inspect A Used Car Yourself

Take a test drive of the car and observe the following points carefully.

• Suspension– Keep checking suspension there should be no noise coming while driving. The car should not be bouncy during the drive of a car. If it gets bouncy that means shocker has problem. You can check that by applying pressure on the bonnet in standing car if it gets at normal condition that means shockers are in good condition.
• Clutch– It should not be too hard while driving, check the vibration while taking pick up if any vibration that means clutch plates are worn out.
• Breaking– While breaking the car should not go left or right. it should feel stable if goes left or right that means there is a problem in any side of breaks. No vibration should feel during the breaking. If break feels hard that means break booster is faulty, is break feels spongy and goes deep that means the problem is in its master cylinder. Any problem may cost approximate 5000 rupees expenses.
• Accelerator should be checked- Rev the engine and drive till 100kmph speed, the car should not shiver and no vibration should be there on the steering.
• No humming sound should come while driving specially form the tyres side, it means there is a problem in wheel bearing.
• Gear box– check it no noise should come from the car while driving. Gear box must work fine because once opened it will not work smoothly after that.
• Steering– no noise should come from the steering it can cause big on pocket in long term. The noise indicate the column can be faulty or motor can be faulty.
• Now Finally check the engine after the test drive also in start condition. take the dipstick(oil leveler) out there should not be any smoke coming from inside. Smoke means oil burn is there inside the engine which is not good at all.
• No oil splash should come outside from the engine dipstick part.