Start the car making sure it starts easily and if you have a friend with you, ask them to stand behind the car and check the exhaust when you first turn the key. A little bit of steam is perfectly normal, but blue smoke means there is a problem with it burning oil.

Listen to engine for any untoward noises, metallic sounding rattles, screeches and the like. If the car has air conditioning, switch it on and make sure the fan at the front of the car starts and it does indeed blow out cold air. When you press the button you should be able to hear the system engage with the bonnet up.

 

While you sit there with the engine warming up, now is a good time to investigate the interior. Make sure the wear on the steering wheel, pedals, drivers seat and gear knob corresponds to the mileage. In my experience though this is a relatively ambiguous test as some people wear rings that might wear the steering wheel prematurely, others wear big work boots that will wear the pedal and others put seat covers on. This is where viewing a couple of cars beforehand is beneficial as it gives you a frame of reference.

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Press every button and turn every dial to make sure all the windows, mirrors and sunroof work, just play with everything.

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With the car warm, go for a test drive. Don’t use this time to sit and chat with the seller, they should understand if you want to drive in silence while you concentrate on testing the car.

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Check the following:

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• As you pull away, feel where the clutch starts to bite; it should bite half way between the travel of the pedal.

   

• As you are driving, make sure the clutch doesn’t slip; you can do this by putting the car in a higher gear than strictly needed and trying to accelerate, if the engine starts to rev without the car accelerating, this is a sign of a worn clutch.

   

• Make sure you go through all the gears being certain that they all engage smoothly without any untoward noises. Also check reverse but bear in mind many cars can ‘crunch’ slightly when engaging them.

   

• Check the handbrake holds the car on the 4th – 5th click.

   

• As you are driving, keep an eye on the temperature gauge making sure it sits in the middle of it’s travel.

   

• Listen for engine noises and make sure it revs freely and accelerates smoothly. Don’t be afraid to rev the engine as long as it’s warm.

   

• When the road is clear and you’ve warned the owner brake firmly and make sure the car doesn’t pull to either side. It’s also worth nothing that many of our fine UK roads aren’t exactly level so many cars will tend to pull towards the curb slightly.

   

• When you are braking, feel for any vibrations through the steering wheel as this could indicate warped brake discs.

   

• Without scaring anyone, steer vigorously from side to side listening for any noises as the car leans suddenly in either direction.

   

• Try to drive on as many different road surfaces as possible listening for any clunks and bumps from the suspension.

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• Try and also perform some tight manoeuvres where you can get the steering to full lock. A figure of 8 in an empty car part might get you some strange looks but it’s the best way to test things. You’re listening for any oscillating noises that speed up or slow down with your speed.

 

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When you arrive back from the test drive, if possible, park the car in a different position so you can check the ground under where it was parked previously for any signs of previous leaks.

Switch the engine off and open the bonnet.

• Check for any fresh leaks; a common leak on many cars is the top engine cover (where you would access the spark plugs from).

• Open the oil cap and check for any signs of mayo as I mentioned before.

• Lastly, get back in the car and start it making sure it start easily from hot.

 

 Note:

All cars are different and drive in very different ways. The mechanical checks I’ve listed above should help in many different situations but it’s impossible to list every single check you should perform on every single car. Peugeot 206’s for example have ‘sloppy’ gear change mechanisms, older E30 BMW’s tend to have ‘ticky’ fuel injectors etc. These don’t necessarily mean there is a problem, they might just be inherent in certain types of cars.