Hah, this guy had another car for sale, too. Lie fully confirmed via the paperwork below also! But the rest of the documentation is such a treat that I care even less than I did before about the lie.oragex wrote: ↑04 Dec 2017, 12:43
Loved the story with 'brothers' car. You are 100% corect, mine was not a brother but a 'friend' who had left the country and of course the seller had another car for sale. As for the timing belt, it is a good idea to keep a very close eye on the water pump and pulleys around. Many people had a small place replacing it with the cheapest parts, and there are plenty of people with failed water pumps 1-2 years later snaping the belt. Just a small check now and then for a leaking pump or a shaking tensioner would be good insurance.
Regarding checking the tensioner - this is the first post I've seen that leads me to think I can do any kind of worthwhile visual inspection. Is this just a matter of popping off the cover and looking at it while the engine is running?
Given his/her questions, I'm sure Georgeandkira will be interested in the below also. I don't know any other way to tag a user on this forum except to quote them, so:
Georgeandkira wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017, 06:34
3) Besides knowing the timing belt was done did you get any service records?
So, I promise I'll stop hijacking this thread soon, but while we can all agree I did things in the wrong order, a relative in the car business sent me the attached carfax report today, and it was super reassuring.
VIN and some other details redacted for no real reason besides a general feeling that I should.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8nc9visowi8n7 ... d.pdf?dl=0
Key points:
- In my life I've never maintained a car as consistently as this - and certainly not had so much work done at the dealer - even cars that I really took pride in maintaining well. Much thanks to the prior owners of this car!! I now feel I have to *live up* to the prior owners.
- Saw lots of things replaced that I'm glad to see replaced.
- Timing belt "check" is noted at the same date and mileage as what is recorded in paint marker under the hood with same date and mileage. (129K) Not sure what to make of that, but given how much other service they had done properly over the years, I'm doubting they falsified the under-hood markings.
- I knew the seller was lying about the brother moving to Canada, but this confirms it, and shows it was bought at auction in June of this year.
- Interesting thing going on in the very earliest entries with the color change. I don't know what to make of that. I kind of doubt it was a complete repaint - if it was, it was a ***COMPLETE*** repaint. Clerical error in the original documentation?
- Last recorded dealer service was about 100 miles ago. (But several months ago.)
- Most of the suspension bits that I'd tend to worry about have been replaced, reasonably recently.
- One seemingly small accident reported at 120K-ish miles
- WTH is a "Leak Detection Pump"? (March 1st 2016)
- No ETM replacement noted unless I missed it.
Seeing all this has really set my mind at ease.
I also noticed today when checking the tire pressure that I can more or less explain the non-standard rims and wheelcovers. They are the "winter tires" for the person who previously owned the car. (Not the guy I bought it from.) I was thinking to myself that the tread looked really aggressive for an all season. Almost like a snow tire. Sure enough, they say "M+S" in black on black, which I had to look really close to see.
So I'll run these until the spring, and then either look for a good deal on OEM rims and tires that someone wants to get rid of, or just get new tires.
