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I was speaking to head honcho Chris and he asked me to post this up here, it's info I collated from this forum and a few others when I was looking to buy my EP3 Type R, so all in all a handy checklist to print out to take with you when viewing cars so you don't get too hung up on the excitement of a new motor and have something nearby to prompt you to check the usual stuff.
Hope it's of use to some of you
Engine & Drivetrain:
Waterpump and belts seem ok?
Check oil (& cap), coolant, other fluids for levels/condition
Which oil is in the car ran on and is the oil level ok? Shows it's kept an eye on. 5w/40 fully synth is ideal
Blue smoke at the back? Any smoke up front?
VTEC engages properly?
Noises; tappets and lifters etc. Not to worry too much, could just need valve clearances setting. Bartering point!
Gearbox, notchy/crunchy?
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] gear works ok? No jumping out of any gear?
Clutch feels ok - no juddering? No slipping? No release bearing noise?
Listen for whining from Gearbox
Engine and gearbox mounts, much rocking of engine?
Noises/rattles/vibrations/leaks
Easy to start?
Temp when idling, check fan kicks in
Suspension:
Steering rack recall work
Steering rack noisy, notchy, sticky, dry spots, creaky/clicky
Tramlining? Any excessive pulling left or right?
Tracking – check tyre wear and how wheels sit
Wishbones, bushes etc – does the car sit level?
Steering doesn’t feel loose indicating worn ball joints, track rod ends etc?
Brakes, Wheels & Tyres:
Check condition and wear of brakes and tyres
What are wheels like, corrosion, buckles etc
What brand of tyres, do they match? Good sign of how well the owner cares for the car.
Check rear tyre wear
No brake juddering?
Electrics:
Whirring when ignition on – front headlight adjustment noise?
Lights, heaters, anything worth trying etc, windows, interior lights, mirrors, aircon if applicable
Keyfobs to test locks, key in the door also and in the boot
Interior:
Condition of steering wheel, plastics, seats, door cards
Carpet condition, check not wet, same for A/B/C pillars and boot
Window rattles and good performance going up and down incase of faulty window mech
Check all electrics inside work – lights, windows, wipers, stalks, switches etc
Seats feel solid, not rocky etc, same for door cards if leant on hard
Exterior:
Rust in general and on the arches, hinges, (boot hinges/door hinges/bonnet hinges)
Dents/Scratches/Stone chips
Paint issues – laquer, fading, swirls etc, headlight fading/blotchy, side skirts loose?
Check under the cills and jacking points for damage, under bumpers/skirts also for scuffs/cracks
Docs, History, Other:
All keys & 2 alarm fobs?
All history – manuals, service books (check stamps), receipts, MOT cert(s), tax discs, V5 docs, Type R Leather Folder
Check HPI clear
Locking wheel nut key!
History on major services, 50k service, 75k service
75k service details? Timing chain checks and tensioner checks, valve clearance, tappets, lifters full on service; belts, filters, fluids, hinges etc
Hope that helps a few of you!
Cheers,
Dave
Some more:
Hope it's of use to some of you
Engine & Drivetrain:
Waterpump and belts seem ok?
Check oil (& cap), coolant, other fluids for levels/condition
Which oil is in the car ran on and is the oil level ok? Shows it's kept an eye on. 5w/40 fully synth is ideal
Blue smoke at the back? Any smoke up front?
VTEC engages properly?
Noises; tappets and lifters etc. Not to worry too much, could just need valve clearances setting. Bartering point!
Gearbox, notchy/crunchy?
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] gear works ok? No jumping out of any gear?
Clutch feels ok - no juddering? No slipping? No release bearing noise?
Listen for whining from Gearbox
Engine and gearbox mounts, much rocking of engine?
Noises/rattles/vibrations/leaks
Easy to start?
Temp when idling, check fan kicks in
Suspension:
Steering rack recall work
Steering rack noisy, notchy, sticky, dry spots, creaky/clicky
Tramlining? Any excessive pulling left or right?
Tracking – check tyre wear and how wheels sit
Wishbones, bushes etc – does the car sit level?
Steering doesn’t feel loose indicating worn ball joints, track rod ends etc?
Brakes, Wheels & Tyres:
Check condition and wear of brakes and tyres
What are wheels like, corrosion, buckles etc
What brand of tyres, do they match? Good sign of how well the owner cares for the car.
Check rear tyre wear
No brake juddering?
Electrics:
Whirring when ignition on – front headlight adjustment noise?
Lights, heaters, anything worth trying etc, windows, interior lights, mirrors, aircon if applicable
Keyfobs to test locks, key in the door also and in the boot
Interior:
Condition of steering wheel, plastics, seats, door cards
Carpet condition, check not wet, same for A/B/C pillars and boot
Window rattles and good performance going up and down incase of faulty window mech
Check all electrics inside work – lights, windows, wipers, stalks, switches etc
Seats feel solid, not rocky etc, same for door cards if leant on hard
Exterior:
Rust in general and on the arches, hinges, (boot hinges/door hinges/bonnet hinges)
Dents/Scratches/Stone chips
Paint issues – laquer, fading, swirls etc, headlight fading/blotchy, side skirts loose?
Check under the cills and jacking points for damage, under bumpers/skirts also for scuffs/cracks
Docs, History, Other:
All keys & 2 alarm fobs?
All history – manuals, service books (check stamps), receipts, MOT cert(s), tax discs, V5 docs, Type R Leather Folder
Check HPI clear
Locking wheel nut key!
History on major services, 50k service, 75k service
75k service details? Timing chain checks and tensioner checks, valve clearance, tappets, lifters full on service; belts, filters, fluids, hinges etc
Hope that helps a few of you!
Cheers,
Dave
Some more:
mad_allan said:CTR Buyers Guide
Ok, so I often see posts asking for buying tips on the CTR but we don't have a complete buyers guide we can all add too.
So I decided to make this one.
What should I look out for
Steering Rack
This was the most common and costly issue. There is a huge thread here
The most common way to spot this is to centre the steering wheel and let go, it will pull to the right more often than not if it hasn't been replaced under warranty.
2nd Gear
The next most common issue is the 2nd gear crunching. This is very common, especially when the car is cold. To spot this, you would need to make sure the car
hasn't been warmed up when you get there. If it has, you won't notice the problem so much until you have bought it and start up the next day!
See this thread for more info
Idle Control Valve
This is also a known issue. Once the car is warmed up, it feels like it will want to stall all the time. It normally just needs adjusting, any local garage / speciallist will be able to fix this.
Heatshield
The heatshield rattle can be annoying if you experience it. There is no definitive fix, either tighten the bolts or do what others have and remove it.
Corroding Alloys
Almost all of the alloys will corrode at some point. If you have a Honda warranty, get them replaced. The paint lacquer will start to peel off, the alloys from Honda cost around £250 each!
Noisy Valves (Tappets)
You may hear a tappety sound, more prevalent when the car is cold but also heard once it is warmed up. This should be done on the 75k service, it's just valve clearences and can be done at any time
Rocker Cover Paint
Under the bonnet, the Rocker Cover may have paint flaking away. It's nothing to worry about, just makes the engine bay look untidy!
Door Handles
The interior door handles often lose paint (the silver handle and surround on the inside). Again, this is a known issue and can be rectified with some vauxhall silver paint from your local Halfords
Alarm going off
There is also a known issue with the alarm constantly sounding. This is when water seeks it's way through the ariel and allows moisture in. Take the car back into the dealer and get them to sort it out of you have a warranty.
If no warranty, still take it to a dealer!
Window Rattle
Nothing you can do about this one. When driving with the window a little way down, it will rattle and annoy you
Please feel free to add to this, I will keep the post updated