May be joining this era of the forum soon and have had my eyes on a few s60's as my 98 v70 bit the bullet recently.
I have a foxwell code scanner and probably will not be able to set up a dice in time for the purchase.
At this time i am looking at a car from my mechanic (trusted friend), a car from a mechanic who said the owner did not want it anymore (07 S60 with 176k km (alleged km)), and some other kijiji goodies.
Right now I usually cart around some rhino ramps when looking at a car to get a good view underneath. I am also planning to bring a jack for those nice suspension checks.
Engine:
-PCV check, bag or glove over the oil cap
-timing belt check, see if its torn up or cracking (would replace this anyways on purchase)
-oil cap check: see if there is sludge or buildup on the oil cap
-check air filter to see if it has been changed.
Body:
-rust rust rust rust rust, check for rust. I do rustproof yearly now so i am not too worried if there is a non structural perforation or hole if the engine is good, however i would prefer to see less of it. My plan is to ride this car out for a good number of km's and years with my maintenance levels (everything but a timing belt or head removal is doable).
-check for crush points/bad lift mounting under the car.
-check for bad welds/evidence of a collision repair
-foggy headlamps tell me how much the previous owner cared about driving (own personal view, do not take offence).
Electrical (OBD scanner):
-Check original km's through a scantool. I carry around a foxwell NT510 Elite and will pay the upgrade for the volvo software if it can save me some money here.
-Check for tranny codes
-Check for misfires/limp home mode
Interior:
-Smokers, no way to get that out of a vehicle
-mold from water damage
-check VIN number on dash, door trim, engine compartment stamp.
-check for km in my neck of the woods (seen a few cars listed where owners are hesitant to tell you its in km's)
-check codes for turbo issues.
Drive test:
-when not possible, gun it down a driveway if safe, see if the turbo spools and sounds healthy
-ive seen Acura's where the turbo valves have seized in place due to sitting. Car cant accelerate past 40 and throws codes later
-check suspension by seeing if the car tracks straight
Wheels:
-check tread wear patterns for uniform wear. For FWD if the fronts are more worn then the rears then i know it was not rotated which is something i can live with.
-peer under the car and check if the CV boots are cracked, check control arm bushings for cracks/wear
Drivetrain:
-outside of an OBD2 check, not much i can do within a 15-20 minute window to see the car. Getting to invasive has scared some sellers but normally that happens on a bad car
Instant Rejections:
-PCV system is really bad, and i mean blue smoke out the exhaust bad
-Bad turbo symptoms
-Tampered odometer if owner has not mentioned it, range would be 20-30k km plus is an instant no
-rusted through frame rails, rust across the bottom (if rust is localized i would still consider it as long as i cannot poke through the frame rails)
-evidence of a rebuild post accident, bent frame rails, aftermarket weld points, cant track straight
-AC compressor fully seized while charged (i do not want to chase down an AC repair)
One tough thing i can think of is that one can clear codes just before a sale. Transmission codes would be my biggest fear as some p2's present issues when a transmission is warmed up after 20-30 minutes of driving. I cant drive a car for that long on a test drive if plated, and when unplated this becomes even more difficult.
I am looking for advice for anything else to check during pre-purchase. Unfortunately i cant take the car to an indy in most cases so it would be up to my checks and determinations.
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