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At Tyres & More, we offer you and
your family safety on the road
through Quality, Service & Value.
Our Expert Services include:
✓ Certified baby seat & child restraint fitting
✓ Quality tyre brands at low prices
✓ Log book & general servicing
✓ Registration inspections
✓ Wheel alignments
✓ Battery replacement
✓ Brake repairs
✓ Suspension repairs
54 ISSUE 61 // June 2015
Testing time
Preparing for a test
drive begins before you
leave home, so never
rush your first encounter
with the car that could
become your best friend
or your worst enemy.
Do you have young
children? Take a baby
seat to test the ease or
difficulty of installation.
Also, take the pram so
you can test the boot for
space.
Before you go for a
drive - Open the bonnet
while the engine is
running. Fumes indicate
worn piston rings or cylinders, and
when you turn the engine off; take
the oil cap off to see if there is smoke,
which can mean serious problems.
Blue exhaust smoke is an engine
problem indicator, but it often occurs
only on start-up, so get someone
to turn the ignition while you stand
behind the car.
A dirty engine bay suggests the
car has been poorly maintained.
Check the oil (from the dipstick of
the oil cap). Thick, dirty oil indicates a
‘sludgy’ engine. A milky or grey colour
indicates water in the engine, which
often means a cracked head-gasket.
Repairs can be very expensive.
If the oil is in good condition, it will
be translucent and honey-coloured.
Old, dirty oil is black and has a
burnt smell. If this is what you see
on the dipstick, assume that the car
has either had a hard life or been
neglected. Look under the engine/
transmission for leaks.
The other main indicator of
engine condition is the coolant. This
must be checked when the engine
is cold. Remove the radiator cap.
The coolant should be clean and
brightly coloured — usually green
or orange. If you can see rust in the
coolant, oil floating on top, or a white,
creamy sludge around the cap, this
indicates the cooling system is in
poor condition — or, worse, a cracked
cylinder head or leaking head gasket.
Both can be fixed, but you’re looking
at several hundred dollars minimum.
The deeper the tyre-tread depth,
the longer the tyre will last, but make
sure you get underneath the car to
check the whole face of the tyre. And
also check the spare tyre, wheel jack
and car’s tool kit.
Have a quick look for damage
under the car; a bumper or spoiler
that’s clouted a gutter could prove
expensive to repair. With 4WDs,
check all underbody components
thoroughly. If there’s obvious damage
then it’s probably one of the few
4WDs that actually travels off-road,
which takes its toll.
If the car has a towbar, ask what
it is used for. If it’s a box trailer
there isn’t much of an issue, but if
the average family car has been
towing horse floats, the mechanical
components could be overly stressed.
Check brake lights, indicators, the
cruise control and soon. Also look at
both headlights; if one is brighter,
it may have been replaced after
accident damage.
Check that the kilometres on the
odometer correspond with the most
recent service kilometres. If
they don’t, or the kilometres on
the clock seem low for the overall
condition of the car, smell a rat.
Winding back speedos is illegal, but
some people still do it.
Don’t look at cars on a rainy day.
It hides paint imperfections that
may indicate panel damage. Check
for rust by looking inside the boot,
the floor wells (lift up the carpet),
doors and door sills for red or brown
stains, dimpled or bubbled paint. Run
a fridge magnet across the exterior
body panels. If it doesn’t stick, rust or
accident damage has been repaired
with plastic filler, which won’t last.
Misaligned panels and different paint
hues are also indicators of accident
damage. Check the engine bay and
boot, too, for signs of non-original
paint.
The test drive - The engine
should start immediately and settle
quickly into a smooth, quiet idle.
Any knocking or rattling noises are
bad news. Remove the oil filler cap
while the engine is idling. Oil fumes
can indicate worn rings or cylinders,
which are expensive to fix. Let the
car idle for a minute then ask the
seller to give it a rev while you stand
behind it. Watch for blue exhaust
smoke — a sign of a sick engine. Test
the steering on an appropriate piece
of road. On full lock, there should be
no clicking noises from the front end;
these indicate worn CV joints. For
front-wheel drive cars, do U-turns to
the left then the right for the same
check of CV joints. Make sure you
use all the gears of a manual car and
work your way through the gears in
an automatic to check they select
easily and all work without funny
noises. The gears in a manual should
engage smoothly and quietly, and
there should be no clutch slip. An auto
should also change gears quickly and
smoothly. When you select Drive, it
should engage immediately. If you
feel a thump, or the shifts are slow,
slurred or noisy, the auto could be in
need of an overhaul. Test the brakes
on an appropriate piece of road to
ensure a firm pedal and smooth,
confident stops. The brakes should
pull the car up straight, with no
noises or pulling to one side. If the
brakes shudder the discs may need
machin