I saw on the news this week that there is a shortage of new cars, due to a shortage of computer chips. Since new car prices are up, it’s a good time to buy a used car. It’s always a good time to buy a used car if you want to avoid the huge 1st year depreciation. However, you want to be sure and buy a car that won’t cause you problems.

Inspecting a Car Yourself
The first thing you’ll almost certainly do is take a look at the car for yourself. There are a number of things to be on the lookout for that would be noticeable right away, either in inspecting the car at rest or while driving it.

A list of some obvious things to be wary of when inspecting a used car:

When you take a look at a car, check beneath where the car is parked. Any leaks or spots beneath the car might be a sign that it’s leaking oil or other fluids.
When the car turns on, does the Check Engine Light or any other warning lights come on? If so, that clearly indicates an issue that will need to be resolved in the near future.
When driving the car, are there any strange noises or odors? This could mean that there are internal problems with the car, some of which can be extremely costly to get fixed.
Does the car accelerate smoothly, and does it hold a straight line without correction? A car not driving straight could mean alignment or tire issues. A car accelerating choppily or slowly can potentially mean any of a number of issues, from transmission to engine to other systems within the car.
Check the tires themselves. If the tires are completely worn out, you’ll need to mentally add the cost of replacing the tires to whatever you’ll be paying for the car.

Vehicle History Report
Another great tool at your disposal is getting a vehicle history report for a prospective used car you’re thinking of buying. CarFax is probably the most popular such service. A vehicle history report will give a lot of great information about a car’s history.

You can see a car’s maintenance schedule and service history, as well as accidents a car has been in. A vehicle history report will generally alert you to cars you should probably walk away from, such as cars that have been designated as Salvage/Junk/Rebuilt/Reconditioned. The report will protect you in cases where the seller is trying to pass off a car with edgy history as being clean

Having a used car pre-purchase inspection performed by a qualified professional mechanic is an absolute must if you’re thinking about buying a used car. While your own inspection and a vehicle history report can give you a partial picture, a trained mechanic will give you the entire portrait of a used car’s current condition, as well as what issues might crop up in the future.

Without a professional inspection, you’re essentially rolling the dice, hoping that there isn’t some hidden issue lurking beneath the surface. If something does come up, you’ll be on the hook for costly repairs, and usually without any recourse in recouping the money you spent on a car that’s now far more expensive than you bargained for.

Full Used Car Inspection
One of the key reasons why a professional pre-purchase inspection is so crucial is that a mechanic is able to examine every part of the car in question. A professional mechanic will look over the car from undercarriage to roof, inspecting brake components, the suspension and chassis, and all parts of the engine and transmission.

If any wear and tear or damage exists, a mechanic will find it. You don’t have to worry about something in a hard-to-reach corner that you can’t easily reach or view. A certified professional inspection will cover the entire car.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.

There is never a convenient time for your battery to fail. Very often, you left something on that ran down your battery. You have to be careful that your truck and doors are closed tightly. If your battery is defective and not just run down, you aren’t going to be able to jump start it. If it is just run down, you should be able to jump it.

Jump starting your car battery means providing it enough power to get the ignition working. Once the engine is turned on, you do not require alternate power supplies. The engine can maintain its own power, and this will be enough to get you to your destination.

We use an alternate battery pack or a battery from another vehicle to jump-start a dead battery. You will require jump-start cables. These cables are high-grade wires with large crocodile clips at their ends. These cables can withstand the large amount of power that is required to jump your car. They are usually color-coded as black and red, denoting the battery’s two different terminals, negative and positive.

The first thing while trying to jump-start your car battery is to identify the terminals on your battery. All the batteries have two different terminals, marked positive and negative.

Once you have identified the terminals on your car battery, identify the terminals on the other vehicle as well. This information is crucial to the process.
Park the two cars close enough to easily connect the two batteries using the jump start cable. However, do maintain a distance. The maximum cable length should be utilized to avoid any sort of capacitive shock. Moreover, the two cars should not be touching at any cost. This can lead to current leakage being bypassed through one car into another, which can cause shocks.

Turn off the engines of both the cars and take out the keys from the ignition. This is a preventive measure to avoid any uncertain accident.

Once all this is done, it is time to connect the two batteries together. The convention is to connect the negative terminals using the black wire and the positive terminals using the red wire. This convention is derived from basic electrical engineering practices where these colors represent the two terminals. It is critical that you connect the negative terminal to another negative terminal and the positive terminal to the other positive terminal. While connecting these cables, also make sure that once you have clamped the wire to one end, the other end of the wire does not get in contact with anything else. Place these terminals ensuring all the safety hazards. Wearing rubber gloves is an added safety measure.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.