First thing I do is get under the car and look for any questionable rust/leaks. Second pop the hood, check oil, transmission fluid if not sealed, then radiator. Make sure tires aren't cracking, brakes are a easy fix but always look for rust. This guy's spot on. Always start the car when it's cold to see if any lifter ticks or VVT rattles are present.
Lot of scammers now in the used car market. Never buy a rebuilt, check for rolled back odometer or they have switch the speedo for a lower miles one. Uni body vehicles can never be squared after a major accident, that is why they are written off. Check for excessive wear on brake pedal, steering wheel (often covered) and driver seat that does not match to the miles or klms. Another great video, Good LUCK TO ALL !
Trust me insurance companies are very very quick to write off cars that have relatively minor damage and this can be to your benefit, also you'd be surprised how many people and dealers sell cars with clean titles that are anything but clean and do not show up on Carfax reports etc. Buying used cars is a minefield, you can get stung no matter what.
Easy to roll odometer, and I know used cars dealers do it. Rebuild or changed tranny, engine only when you know the mechanic and he guarantees the job. As for some trannies, like the infamous Ford Focus, they might not show their problems unless really warmed up. Previously leased cars, many owners just do the most necessary maintenance to save money.
Write off has not much to do with damage. It is all about economics for the insurance company. If the current market value of a 1 year old car is $40k and the damage is $20k, the insurance company is gonna spend the $20k to fix it in most cases. If the exact same damage happened when the same car is 10 years old instead of 1 year old, the insurance company is gonna write it off because they don't want to spend $20k on a car that is now worth $4k instead of $40k. I have seen some write off vehicles with huge accidents and I have seen written off vehicles with cosmetic damage such as hail. So it all depends. I know because I inspect cars for a living.
OTHER TIPS... ENGINE: Before you start the engine, check the oil level. If its low or smells burnt, that can be a sign of a worn-out engine. Check the oil fill cap for foamy oil residue, which is a sign of coolant getting into the oil, caused by a head gasket leak. Wipe your finger in the exhaust pipe. If there's a little soot it's Ok, but if it's a lot of soot and/or is oily, the car is burning oil. If you can remove a spark plug, check to see if it's black, burnt, or oily. If so, this is a sign of the engine wearing out. Remove the radiator cap and check for low coolant and look for an oily film, which is a sign of a head gasket leak. TRANSMISSION: Check the fluid levels and smell the fluid. If it's low there's a leak and if it smells burnt, the transmission is wearing out. With the engine running and your foot on the brake shift the transmission from drive to reverse and listen for a clunk. That can be a sign of bad transmission mounts or the transmission itself is worn out. SUSPENSION: Push down on each corner of the car (one at a time) and try to get it to bounce. If it bounces more than twice the shocks are wearing out. Also listen for clunks, which can be a sign of worn out suspension components. AC: Pull out the cabin air filter and examine it for mold and musty odors, which can be as sign of a clogged evaporator, drain, or bad AC unit. TIE RODS & BEARINGS: Jack up the car so the front wheels are off the ground. Grab the front tire at 9 and 3 and push and pull on each side. If there's a clunk the tie rod is worn. Grab the tire at 12 and 6 and push and pull. If there's a clunk the wheel bearing may be bad. Is a bunch more but this is all I could fit. Good video 👍
Dry, powdery soot in the tail pipe does not necessarily mean it's burning oil (but you're right about oily soot). I have a 2013 Lexus GS 350 and those have direct injection (in addition to port injection). When direct injection engines are used frequently for very short trips on light throttle, soot will build up bc the engines run rich when they are warming up so some of the extra gas is not totally burned in the cylinder and comes out of the tail pipe as soot
Thanks for the tips. Another thing is to measure distance from tire to wheel well edge on both sides. If not equal, frame bent from accident. You can use the ruler on your smart phone or even your fingers.
@@soufianattar4554 My car was in an accident on the front passenger side. The whole front suspension and body parts have been replaced so it all looks perfect. But if you measure from the back of the front tire to the fender on the drivers side, it's 2 1/2 inches. On the side where it was hit, it measures 1 1/2 inches. That's because the frame is bent and can't be fixed. That's one way to tell if a car has been in an accident when everything has been repaired and looks fine to the eye. You can do it to the rear tires too.
This looks like a newer car but isn't it a good idea to check for radiator milkshake and maybe burnt transmission fluid as well - assuming there are caps/dipsticks available?
For rebuilt titles I think they can be safe if you know what youre getting and you have a mechanic inspect it. I purchased an 01 grand marquis from a guy whos business is rebuilding and reselling ford panther cars. He had been around a long time, he wasnt one of these fly by night auction dealerships so I thought he was a safe bet and I was right. It insected good and I got 7 reliable years out of it. I did find an empty whisky bottle under the passenger seat though lol
You can check for a blown head gasket by seeing if there's water in the oil by burning a bit of it in a spoon and watching for sputtering or steam. Schrodingers Box showed that it actually works about as well as doing a block test.
If you were examining a German competitor of a similar age there would undoubtedly be a long list of issues. You just can't beat the Japanese and especially Lexus for reliability!
@@thenwhoami Most of the issues I have seen are not related to maintenance, more like low quality parts being used by the manufacturers, electrical issues and parts that don't need maintenance failing. I wouldn't touch a German car
I like to squeeze on big coolant hose. It is possible to examine air pockets and broken coolant cap in seconds. Broken coolant cap on Japanese cars is really good way to overheat engine :>
If cap is allowing coolant to return with no force on hose circuit will not hold pressure and will empty itself under engine load. On Japanese cars hose must be a bit stiff, cannot collapse, otherwise circuit it is not bleeded properly, probably had work done on it or has leaks. On european cars coolant reservoir makes air pumping sounds when cap is bad. In every case it is possible to hear air trapped inside of hoses and estimate how much is stuck
@@speedkar99 It started with second car, it was 25 year old civic, that had replaced head gasket. I had to replace it too, only cap was bad :> I diagnosed cap failure on about 10 years old Opel, hyundai and suzuki that blew head gasket, and on four years old mazda, that was on its way to starve on coolant. I diagnose some of them, when other mechanics are working on them and I'm just passing by with intention to piss them off a bit :>
What a coincidence! This looks like a sign. Today I went to check out a used car for the first time. A 60k miles Kia Ceed. The owner let me drive it a lot and it felt nice and reliable! I'll probably get it. Thanks for the great videos!
Top tip, don't buy at an auction unless you really know what you are doing. I tend to trawl Craigslist and FB Marketplace, all the good stuff is snapped up so gotta be quick. My latest acquisition is a 1997 Toyota Celica GT convertible, 230,000 miles, runs like a swiss clock, was part of an estate sale, got it for $1200. My main driver is a Sequoia but wanted a fun runaround.
Heres a tip, dont fall in love with a car before you buy it. Thats what I did when I was dead set on a gen 3 Honda Prelude Si and I purchased the fist one I came accross and thought it just needed a clutch. It was infested with electeical gremlins and I got rid of it in less than a year. Live and learn.
Lexus - what a quality car even at that mileage. No error codes as well, just amazing quality. ( pity though as they are not very popular here in South Africa as German cars dominate the luxury car segment and the Lexus IS250 which you can find quite a few of is just too heavy on petrol for me )
I look for a high mileage new car, for instance - 2017 with 150,000 km on it. That way I know most of the miles are highway. Highway driving is 5 times easier on the car than city driving.
Great video. I'd like to add that if you weren't very mechanically inclined you can skip an engine overview, under body exam, brake exam, OBD scan, and suspension exam. Some red flags to look for are price, grinding, squealing, knocking, large amounts of rust on the body, things of that nature because that usually means the car needs work. Certain dash lights can be ignored like the tire light and sometimes the engine light but anything else and any flashing lights mean you should probably stay away from that car. Once you start the car make sure to listen to it and look at the exhaust while the car is on, if something just doesn't seem right trust your instinct even if it is wrong but don't completely think that something is wrong if it's only one thing that doesn't seem right. Furthermore, you really ought to learn a thing or two from great videos and creators like this one before you go and buy used cars because it can be helpful.
Rust is a hard to avoid red flag. Once a coworker wanted to sell me his chrysler minivan. We took it to our mechanic friend to get it inspected. Looking under the car on the ground it looked alright but once it was on the lift OMG rot everywhere and even he didnt know how bad it was. Turns out this guy lives right on the ocean so salty air really took its toll. Another time I was looking at an accord at a lexus dealership and there was surface rust all under the car and on engine componets under the hood. It drove ok but I wasnt gonna take any chances with a possible flood car.
Please check fuel/brake lines for rust/rubbing, I got burned recently on a truck I bought, can easily cost over 1k to replace, and the vehicle is undrivable if either are leaking.
Tires on a used car will tell you 90% of the story. Part of my job involves inspecting used cars. If a used car has expensive tires in good shape, 99% of the time, it means the owner took good care of it with regards to everything else. If the car has brand new cheap Chinese tires, it means the vehicle has many issues and just before putting it for sale the previous owner put some new tires to help sell it. Also look at the production date of tires on the sidewalls. It will tell you how old the tires are. If the tires are way older than the vehicle then it means the owner bought used tires and put it on the vehicle. If the tires are worn out, mismatched or in bad shape then it means the owner didn't do much with regards to any other maintenance either. You should not buy that vehicle.
Is there super repaired car from heavy accident in USA? In other places a completely crushed car can be disassembled and done some most careful metal work, repainted, and treated to make it like original ageing paint. Will higher labor cost prevent this in developed countries?
@@speedkar99 yeah I know. Be cool if the car told you the compression on the dash board. There is a way to do it electronically now with certain tools.
I’m looking at buying an 08 lexus gs350 with 120,000 miles on it. Mostly dealer serviced, regular oil changes, new brakes. Needs all new tires but she wants 7,000 for it. Seem like a good deal? Cosmetically in decent shape, has some scratches and small tear in drivers seat. Kbb has it for minimum 7,500
Good for basic stuff. Sometimes for really good diagnostic it's a few ks, these days hard to work without them and most likely no an option in the future. Even for bleeding brakes on something like 15yr old BMW X5, one has to activate the pump by scanner. And rear brake pads replacement on cars with electric parking brake - again, scan tool to move the pistons into their original positions. Michał, niedługo to bez laptopa z scannerem za kilka tyś dol to nie wiele da się zrobić, bo tanie scannery nie mają wszystkich opcji i oprogramowania do wszystkich marek samochodów.
Nice review! I’m looking at Lexus IS250 and these are known for carbon buildup issues. During test drive how would I know if there is buildup? Would it sound and run rough? Anything under the hood I can look at to see buildup?
Rough idle or down on power. No easy way to tell without pulling upper intake plenum and looking. Just figure if it's around 100k miles, and never had a valve cleaning, it's probably going to need it. Unfortunately gas treatments do not do much as fuel never sprays into the valves. Also check for good service history, either Carfax or Lexus drivers website (free). The 2.5 V6 is quite common to use oil as miles climb if owners went to long between changes.
@@Unplugged704 UA-cam never seems to let me post links. Using Google I searched Lexus drivers and it was the 1st result. Has Lexus drivers in website address. It only works for US cars so that may not be a big help if you are outside the states.
You say no tools required, but you used your brothers toothbrush for something in the inspection. I'm confused now and I'm wondering if I should have a toothbrush with me when I make an inspection. What did you use it for?
Just bought one of those it only has 65k miles on it and the paint is flawless it's in immaculate condition stering wheel and gear knob have faded though
What's your take on heavier weight olds for older engines? You know, the age old debate. That Toyota has 100k miles! Don't put 5w-30 but 10w40/10w30 in it! I'm curious what the engineer thinks because I personally just put what the engineers specified into it but is there any truth to this kind of old school mechanic advice?
What year is this Lex? When approaching a Lexus for inspection they will all usually pass great made cars I drive a 97 and the term “ they don’t make them like they used to “ is definitely a good reference to these vehicles. You should do it on a different car say gm or ford and show us the difference lol
WOW ! SO HE'S INSPECTING A FREAKING LEXUS ????? GESS WHAT !!!???? hes not going to find anything wrong with that car . now if hed been looking over a renault he would have been able to point out faults to look for lmao!
@@speedkar99 Pulled out a digital tire gauge, one of the tires was at 24, so it did its job. I have a techstream clone, was too lazy to pull out the laptop. Long story, That obdlink MX+ is supposed to read it, but I worked with tech support and they couldn't pull the data. It is a bit different from other Toyotas. I can't believe they don't have the pressures in dash...
@@speedkar99 I'm a tech also and I was talking to another tech whilst I was cleaning my clipper and I was talking doing the same thing. It's amazing how you copy the same thing without noticing first hand. Haha
@@speedkar99 on the home page of UA-cam it showed 6 minutes for me, when I opened it it was 5 :59. But regardless, keep up the good work man, love the channel and I watch every single teardown video with pleasure
Great video! thanks for making such a helpful video that will definitely make peoples lives easier. Love the way you present stuff, have an awesome day Speedkar99!
I'm just glad you take so much pride in your teeth as you carry your toothbrush everywhere. That's awesome man. I never floss, but the wife gets on me constantly for that. Oh well, all gonna die anyway...toothless or not. :P
I always check the oil first. Youll be shocked as to how many cars will have little oil, no oil, or old grimey oil. Really? You wont even change the oil or even top it off!? Its an instant red flag to not buy that car and not buy from that dealer.
Id just straight out avoid any nissan cvt vehicle. Speedkar has an awesome breakdown vid and Car Wizard just posted a vid of HIS nissan cubes cvt fluid after just 20k miles. It went from clear green to jet black in just 20k. If thats what car wizards cvt looks like imagine what your auction altima is like! I posted to watch speedkar99s cvt breakdown vid there.
First thing I do is get under the car and look for any questionable rust/leaks. Second pop the hood, check oil, transmission fluid if not sealed, then radiator. Make sure tires aren't cracking, brakes are a easy fix but always look for rust. This guy's spot on. Always start the car when it's cold to see if any lifter ticks or VVT rattles are present.
Agreed. Cold starts can reveal alot more issues
@@speedkar99 so that's why the car dealers always start the car early when i go there
Excellent tip on smell. On a recent hunt for a used car, I passed over one that smelled moldy but looks good otherwise.
You won't smell that in an online auction
Good info. It's also a good idea these days to make sure the Vin number matches what's on the title.
Yes
Lots of additional tips but this is just a preliminary overview
Lot of scammers now in the used car market. Never buy a rebuilt, check for rolled back odometer or they have switch the speedo for a lower miles one. Uni body vehicles can never be squared after a major accident, that is why they are written off.
Check for excessive wear on brake pedal, steering wheel (often covered) and driver seat that does not match to the miles or klms.
Another great video,
Good LUCK TO ALL !
Dont buy used cars from dealers as well
Trust me insurance companies are very very quick to write off cars that have relatively minor damage and this can be to your benefit, also you'd be surprised how many people and dealers sell cars with clean titles that are anything but clean and do not show up on Carfax reports etc. Buying used cars is a minefield, you can get stung no matter what.
Easy to roll odometer, and I know used cars dealers do it. Rebuild or changed tranny, engine only when you know the mechanic and he guarantees the job.
As for some trannies, like the infamous Ford Focus, they might not show their problems unless really warmed up. Previously leased cars, many owners just do the most necessary maintenance to save money.
Write off has not much to do with damage. It is all about economics for the insurance company. If the current market value of a 1 year old car is $40k and the damage is $20k, the insurance company is gonna spend the $20k to fix it in most cases. If the exact same damage happened when the same car is 10 years old instead of 1 year old, the insurance company is gonna write it off because they don't want to spend $20k on a car that is now worth $4k instead of $40k. I have seen some write off vehicles with huge accidents and I have seen written off vehicles with cosmetic damage such as hail. So it all depends. I know because I inspect cars for a living.
Turns on the radio,
The radio: a little bit of bad news 😂
Haha yep, wonder what the bad news was
Taking off the oil cap to see if there is any varnish or sludge is a good tip as well
Agreed
OTHER TIPS...
ENGINE: Before you start the engine, check the oil level. If its low or smells burnt, that can be a sign of a worn-out engine.
Check the oil fill cap for foamy oil residue, which is a sign of coolant getting into the oil, caused by a head gasket leak.
Wipe your finger in the exhaust pipe. If there's a little soot it's Ok, but if it's a lot of soot and/or is oily, the car is burning oil.
If you can remove a spark plug, check to see if it's black, burnt, or oily. If so, this is a sign of the engine wearing out.
Remove the radiator cap and check for low coolant and look for an oily film, which is a sign of a head gasket leak.
TRANSMISSION: Check the fluid levels and smell the fluid. If it's low there's a leak and if it smells burnt, the transmission is wearing out.
With the engine running and your foot on the brake shift the transmission from drive to reverse and listen for a clunk. That can be a sign of bad transmission mounts or the transmission itself is worn out.
SUSPENSION: Push down on each corner of the car (one at a time) and try to get it to bounce. If it bounces more than twice the shocks are wearing out. Also listen for clunks, which can be a sign of worn out suspension components.
AC: Pull out the cabin air filter and examine it for mold and musty odors, which can be as sign of a clogged evaporator, drain, or bad AC unit.
TIE RODS & BEARINGS: Jack up the car so the front wheels are off the ground. Grab the front tire at 9 and 3 and push and pull on each side. If there's a clunk the tie rod is worn. Grab the tire at 12 and 6 and push and pull. If there's a clunk the wheel bearing may be bad.
Is a bunch more but this is all I could fit.
Good video 👍
Thanks
I have the 6 part used car inspection video series thst goes into more detail
Dry, powdery soot in the tail pipe does not necessarily mean it's burning oil (but you're right about oily soot). I have a 2013 Lexus GS 350 and those have direct injection (in addition to port injection). When direct injection engines are used frequently for very short trips on light throttle, soot will build up bc the engines run rich when they are warming up so some of the extra gas is not totally burned in the cylinder and comes out of the tail pipe as soot
@@YachtsOnTheReg7 Good to know, thanks 👍
You’re one of the best creators out there, thank you.
Thanks for the tips. Another thing is to measure distance from tire to wheel well edge on both sides. If not equal, frame bent from accident. You can use the ruler on your smart phone or even your fingers.
I did not understand , can you expla8n more plz
@@soufianattar4554 My car was in an accident on the front passenger side. The whole front suspension and body parts have been replaced so it all looks perfect. But if you measure from the back of the front tire to the fender on the drivers side, it's 2 1/2 inches. On the side where it was hit, it measures 1 1/2 inches. That's because the frame is bent and can't be fixed. That's one way to tell if a car has been in an accident when everything has been repaired and looks fine to the eye. You can do it to the rear tires too.
@@coalbuster thanks
Yeah but that's not something I'd do right away in a dealership parking lot
@@speedkar99 Why not? If I see the frame is bent, I walk away. Literally, just stick your fingers between the tire and the fender.
This looks like a newer car but isn't it a good idea to check for radiator milkshake and maybe burnt transmission fluid as well - assuming there are caps/dipsticks available?
Yup. Checking all fluids is a good idea.
These cars are extremely reliable but they do let waterpumps go.
For rebuilt titles I think they can be safe if you know what youre getting and you have a mechanic inspect it. I purchased an 01 grand marquis from a guy whos business is rebuilding and reselling ford panther cars. He had been around a long time, he wasnt one of these fly by night auction dealerships so I thought he was a safe bet and I was right. It insected good and I got 7 reliable years out of it.
I did find an empty whisky bottle under the passenger seat though lol
Nice! Maybe that's why it was totalled haha
You can check for a blown head gasket by seeing if there's water in the oil by burning a bit of it in a spoon and watching for sputtering or steam. Schrodingers Box showed that it actually works about as well as doing a block test.
Good tip. But not something I'd do in an auction or dealer lot yet.
😂 I just imagine doing that and the dealer calling the cops on me thinking I was about to smoke some meth right there
If you were examining a German competitor of a similar age there would undoubtedly be a long list of issues. You just can't beat the Japanese and especially Lexus for reliability!
All depends on whether it was maintained or not.
@@thenwhoami Most of the issues I have seen are not related to maintenance, more like low quality parts being used by the manufacturers, electrical issues and parts that don't need maintenance failing. I wouldn't touch a German car
Yep I appreciate my Lexus for it's quality
I like to squeeze on big coolant hose. It is possible to examine air pockets and broken coolant cap in seconds. Broken coolant cap on Japanese cars is really good way to overheat engine :>
If cap is allowing coolant to return with no force on hose circuit will not hold pressure and will empty itself under engine load.
On Japanese cars hose must be a bit stiff, cannot collapse, otherwise circuit it is not bleeded properly, probably had work done on it or has leaks.
On european cars coolant reservoir makes air pumping sounds when cap is bad.
In every case it is possible to hear air trapped inside of hoses and estimate how much is stuck
Good tip
@@speedkar99 It started with second car, it was 25 year old civic, that had replaced head gasket. I had to replace it too, only cap was bad :>
I diagnosed cap failure on about 10 years old Opel, hyundai and suzuki that blew head gasket, and on four years old mazda, that was on its way to starve on coolant. I diagnose some of them, when other mechanics are working on them and I'm just passing by with intention to piss them off a bit :>
03:52 Sounds like and reminds me of my late grandmother's Singer sewing machine.
Haha
What a coincidence! This looks like a sign. Today I went to check out a used car for the first time. A 60k miles Kia Ceed. The owner let me drive it a lot and it felt nice and reliable! I'll probably get it. Thanks for the great videos!
Welcome. Make sure you give it a thorough inspection
Top tip, don't buy at an auction unless you really know what you are doing. I tend to trawl Craigslist and FB Marketplace, all the good stuff is snapped up so gotta be quick. My latest acquisition is a 1997 Toyota Celica GT convertible, 230,000 miles, runs like a swiss clock, was part of an estate sale, got it for $1200. My main driver is a Sequoia but wanted a fun runaround.
Nice. You do have to have a good eye when you are at auction.
At over 277,000 miles, this Lexus is amazing.
Heres a tip, dont fall in love with a car before you buy it. Thats what I did when I was dead set on a gen 3 Honda Prelude Si and I purchased the fist one I came accross and thought it just needed a clutch. It was infested with electeical gremlins and I got rid of it in less than a year. Live and learn.
Good tip. I left that in the more detailed 6 part series of used car inspection
This must be a sign, I'm on the hunt for a 3rd gen Prelude too.
Hoping to become a mechanic someday, i see myself coming back to your videos often
Thanks for making these videos. Simple,to the point and some subtle fun. I’ll have a used toothbrush with me next time. :)
That's the best inspector
Lol. Remember it has to be your brother's toothbrush!
I saw many old/ cheap cars from cold places like Ottawa have black oil like stains around the bottom of the door. What is that?
Rustproofing
Lexus - what a quality car even at that mileage. No error codes as well, just amazing quality. ( pity though as they are not very popular here in South Africa as German cars dominate the luxury car segment and the Lexus IS250 which you can find quite a few of is just too heavy on petrol for me )
Agreed, I appreciate my Lexus for it's quality
during the initial walk around I look for uneven gaps around doors, hood, trunk. An indication of accident damage and poor repairs
This is more of a quick used car inspection, the more detailed eye could catch that with a proper inspection
So brief and nice. I like it thanks.
Welcome
I look for a high mileage new car, for instance - 2017 with 150,000 km on it.
That way I know most of the miles are highway.
Highway driving is 5 times easier on the car than city driving.
Agreed. I'd rather buy a higher mileage car than a low mileage older one
I love you always have your tooth brush pointer! Unique.. Ciao from Chile. Jim
Great video. I'd like to add that if you weren't very mechanically inclined you can skip an engine overview, under body exam, brake exam, OBD scan, and suspension exam. Some red flags to look for are price, grinding, squealing, knocking, large amounts of rust on the body, things of that nature because that usually means the car needs work. Certain dash lights can be ignored like the tire light and sometimes the engine light but anything else and any flashing lights mean you should probably stay away from that car. Once you start the car make sure to listen to it and look at the exhaust while the car is on, if something just doesn't seem right trust your instinct even if it is wrong but don't completely think that something is wrong if it's only one thing that doesn't seem right. Furthermore, you really ought to learn a thing or two from great videos and creators like this one before you go and buy used cars because it can be helpful.
Glad you appreciate it, I have a more detailed inspection series as this was meant to be a quick overview
That magic toothbrush haha I love your videos.
Awesome thanks
Those break rotors were brand spanking new still had the machining marks from the factory which means they're good quality to begin with
Yep. They already had 1000km on them from a weekend road trip
Love your videos and that tooth brush!!
Greetings from South FL
Rust is a hard to avoid red flag. Once a coworker wanted to sell me his chrysler minivan. We took it to our mechanic friend to get it inspected. Looking under the car on the ground it looked alright but once it was on the lift OMG rot everywhere and even he didnt know how bad it was. Turns out this guy lives right on the ocean so salty air really took its toll.
Another time I was looking at an accord at a lexus dealership and there was surface rust all under the car and on engine componets under the hood. It drove ok but I wasnt gonna take any chances with a possible flood car.
Yeah, it's dogde caravan - 10yrs in the snow belt and it's rusting pile of s...t
Agreed. Rust is a deal breaker for me (unless it's a parts car, who cares)
Please check fuel/brake lines for rust/rubbing, I got burned recently on a truck I bought, can easily cost over 1k to replace, and the vehicle is undrivable if either are leaking.
Agree, that's another good point.
Tires on a used car will tell you 90% of the story. Part of my job involves inspecting used cars. If a used car has expensive tires in good shape, 99% of the time, it means the owner took good care of it with regards to everything else. If the car has brand new cheap Chinese tires, it means the vehicle has many issues and just before putting it for sale the previous owner put some new tires to help sell it. Also look at the production date of tires on the sidewalls. It will tell you how old the tires are. If the tires are way older than the vehicle then it means the owner bought used tires and put it on the vehicle. If the tires are worn out, mismatched or in bad shape then it means the owner didn't do much with regards to any other maintenance either. You should not buy that vehicle.
Is there super repaired car from heavy accident in USA? In other places a completely crushed car can be disassembled and done some most careful metal work, repainted, and treated to make it like original ageing paint. Will higher labor cost prevent this in developed countries?
They can even mimic factory welding points when replacing body panels.
Yes. Labor and parts is expensive in north America
It’s Important to see what color smoke comes out on start up.
A used cars dealership that will talk you for 10 minutes about little dents and scratches - R U N
Yeah not interested
Be nice to know the PSI compression of an engine. 🤔
You need a compression check. Way out of the scope of this quick inspection
@@speedkar99 yeah I know. Be cool if the car told you the compression on the dash board. There is a way to do it electronically now with certain tools.
Wasn't sure if you'd throw the toothbrush at the end. Did not dissappoint
Definitely deserved
You wield that toothbrush like a magician with a magic wand!
I’m looking at buying an 08 lexus gs350 with 120,000 miles on it. Mostly dealer serviced, regular oil changes, new brakes. Needs all new tires but she wants 7,000 for it. Seem like a good deal? Cosmetically in decent shape, has some scratches and small tear in drivers seat. Kbb has it for minimum 7,500
Yep sounds good. Is it AWD?
@@speedkar99 rear wheel drive
Check the transmissions too. Smell it. If it smells smokey, run away.
Agreed. This one does not have a dipstick
Those OBDII scanners are dirt cheap and have bluetooth connectivity, perfect little gizmos:)
Yep they work good for quick diagnosis
Good for basic stuff. Sometimes for really good diagnostic it's a few ks, these days hard to work without them and most likely no an option in the future. Even for bleeding brakes on something like 15yr old BMW X5, one has to activate the pump by scanner. And rear brake pads replacement on cars with electric parking brake - again, scan tool to move the pistons into their original positions. Michał, niedługo to bez laptopa z scannerem za kilka tyś dol to nie wiele da się zrobić, bo tanie scannery nie mają wszystkich opcji i oprogramowania do wszystkich marek samochodów.
Nice review! I’m looking at Lexus IS250 and these are known for carbon buildup issues. During test drive how would I know if there is buildup? Would it sound and run rough?
Anything under the hood I can look at to see buildup?
Rough idle or down on power. No easy way to tell without pulling upper intake plenum and looking. Just figure if it's around 100k miles, and never had a valve cleaning, it's probably going to need it. Unfortunately gas treatments do not do much as fuel never sprays into the valves. Also check for good service history, either Carfax or Lexus drivers website (free). The 2.5 V6 is quite common to use oil as miles climb if owners went to long between changes.
@@matthewwolfe4509 Thanks for responding.
Lexus drivers website? Would you have a link? I Googled but did not find anything.
It would run rough. Scan for codes. Check oil level. If it's low it's been burning. Step on the has and see if it's blowing smoke out the tail pipe.
@@Unplugged704 UA-cam never seems to let me post links. Using Google I searched Lexus drivers and it was the 1st result. Has Lexus drivers in website address. It only works for US cars so that may not be a big help if you are outside the states.
You say no tools required, but you used your brothers toothbrush for something in the inspection. I'm confused now and I'm wondering if I should have a toothbrush with me when I make an inspection. What did you use it for?
Use it for pointing at things to see if they are good and solid
@@speedkar99 Got to say I love your channel. You tell it the way it is, with a nice amount of humor thrown in. Hope you keep this going.
Just bought one of those it only has 65k miles on it and the paint is flawless it's in immaculate condition stering wheel and gear knob have faded though
That’s a mint Lexus!!
Thanks
I think speedkar got lucky with this one. And rustproofed too 👍
If it's a GM car or CUV, I'd skip it
What car is that in the background? Is that a black IS350? Looks really tight.
G37
How to rust proof, can you make a video about that, or is there one that anyone can link me to one?
As always with favorite brush.
The wife's brush lol
The one video I watched was his brothers tooth brush lol great videos keep ‘em coming
@@speedkar99 At least she ends up with well oiled teeth.
Customer: I don't want CVT
Also the same customer: Wow look at this car(CVT installed)
The car:
Subaru WRX with CVT 😞
Sir, I did not see the all important "toothbrush" wear test. Maybe it is in the more detailed video that prolly has the drift test also?
On the test drive, yes
what are the gloves for?
Protecting my car from me
SPEED KAR 99 CAN YOU PLEASE PIN POINT THE PCV VALVE ON MY 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA SE ......PLEASE I BEEN TRYING TO FIND IT BUT I CANT 😫😩😩😩
See my Corolla mechanical review video
awesome video! are you Guyanese btw?
I am Canadian 😜
What year is that Lexus? She definitely has a good amount of milage on her....how much was it?
2007 Lexus GS350
I bought it 5 years ago
It's now got 277Km which is 172K miles
Some similar assistance for inspecting a bike please!? 🥺
I don't know enough about bikes
@@speedkar99 Alright 👍
Thank you!
The first step is having a good used toothbrush for inspection. Good stuff!!
I see a G37 in the background? That's yours? Looks clean.
My brothers.
@@speedkar99 as a G37 owner It would be great if you did a video on his car, if it's modded of course.
What's your take on heavier weight olds for older engines? You know, the age old debate. That Toyota has 100k miles! Don't put 5w-30 but 10w40/10w30 in it! I'm curious what the engineer thinks because I personally just put what the engineers specified into it but is there any truth to this kind of old school mechanic advice?
Thank you for the video. What OBD app do you use?🙂
Wow are those valves tapping or what ?
Direct injection makes that noise
Very helpful!
Thanks
The upholstery was good for a 270K car.
270k? In Poland this car will have 180k in few years
It's 277km 172K miles
speedkar99: Finds wife's purse
wife's purse: *chuckes* I'm in danger.
Agree haha
But who owned the toothbrush? Wife? Brother? Mother in law?
Wife
What year is this Lex? When approaching a Lexus for inspection they will all usually pass great made cars I drive a 97 and the term “ they don’t make them like they used to “ is definitely a good reference to these vehicles. You should do it on a different car say gm or ford and show us the difference lol
2007 GS350. I love it for it's quality. Your right, I needed to find a crappier car for this demonstration haha
Turns out he’s not giving hints he’s trying to sell the car lol
Not this one
Beautiful car indeed
Plot twist. Check for toothbrush and toothpaste
Haha
Toothpaste hiding under the seat
WOW ! SO HE'S INSPECTING A FREAKING LEXUS ?????
GESS WHAT !!!????
hes not going to find anything wrong with that car .
now if hed been looking over a renault he would have been able to point out faults to look for lmao!
Agreed. Premium brand cars are generally better taken care of than your every man's Chevy Equinox
You can find issues with a Renault fresh out of the factory. And the video would not have fitted in 6 minutes :)
I have the AWD version of that same car :lol: No scanner reads tpms on that car except techstream.
I hate the tpms. How'd you get yours to go out? I have to hookup my techstream
@@speedkar99 Pulled out a digital tire gauge, one of the tires was at 24, so it did its job. I have a techstream clone, was too lazy to pull out the laptop. Long story, That obdlink MX+ is supposed to read it, but I worked with tech support and they couldn't pull the data. It is a bit different from other Toyotas. I can't believe they don't have the pressures in dash...
Just call you toothbrush man!!! But seriously though, your a good tech thanks for your help man in all your vids.
Thanks I'm glad you appreciate it
@@speedkar99 I'm a tech also and I was talking to another tech whilst I was cleaning my clipper and I was talking doing the same thing. It's amazing how you copy the same thing without noticing first hand. Haha
timing belt sticker?on a 2GR-FSE? that's new
No I just mentioned that as part of the video, the 2GR doesn't have a belt to change.
.......and make sure the letters "BMW" or "Audi" do not appear anywhere on the vehicle.....
I was waiting for this one 👍
I run a finger round the inside of the tailpipe to check for oil.
Good idea
Brilliant, thanks
Title: How to inspect a used car in 5 minutes
Video: 6 minutes long
Me: Confused thomas the cat face
The video is 5:59 long 🙂
@@speedkar99 on the home page of UA-cam it showed 6 minutes for me, when I opened it it was 5
:59.
But regardless, keep up the good work man, love the channel and I watch every single teardown video with pleasure
Can you please put some googly eyes on that toothbrush and make it the narrator lol
Haha that would be cool
Great video! thanks for making such a helpful video that will definitely make peoples lives easier. Love the way you present stuff, have an awesome day Speedkar99!
You are welcome
I like the tooth brush!!
270k kilometres very good condition!
Thanks. Trying to keep it that way
love you bro
I'm just glad you take so much pride in your teeth as you carry your toothbrush everywhere. That's awesome man. I never floss, but the wife gets on me constantly for that. Oh well, all gonna die anyway...toothless or not. :P
It's the same with my wife don't worry
the infamous toothbrush 😂
Does it again
One UA-camr wears a dress while repairing vintage electronics. This one has a toothbrush for a pointer.
Yes
@@speedkar99 You thought I was kidding:
ua-cam.com/video/ppj3gqUTt9E/v-deo.html
Holly ... this guy really looks special. 1949 TV how to get tubes for it, when many semiconductor parts are unobtainable today 🧐🤔
@@pliedtka He can make his own tubes.
Too simple check for me - no inspection mirror, no 'Toyota Techstream' program usage
Ok
Me puedes regalar el cepillo?
Bonjour
@@speedkar99 Monsieur. Comment toi't apelle?
First tip: bring a used toothbrush.
Is gs300 lexus a good choice, what are your opinion? Old with 2jz or the newer v6?
I always check the oil first. Youll be shocked as to how many cars will have little oil, no oil, or old grimey oil. Really? You wont even change the oil or even top it off!? Its an instant red flag to not buy that car and not buy from that dealer.
Agreed.
I waited until the engine was off to do underwood check
Should have checked the sides of the engine for water pump leak.
Step one: Grab your brothers toothbrush
That was my wife's toothbrush!
Aren't you selling that Lexus maybe? 🥺
Nah. I like my Lexus.
It’s a Lexus, business as usual, if it was another make would have been disaster.
Yep they sure are comfy and generally a good buy
Yeah boi...the brush is there
Sure is
Id just straight out avoid any nissan cvt vehicle. Speedkar has an awesome breakdown vid and Car Wizard just posted a vid of HIS nissan cubes cvt fluid after just 20k miles. It went from clear green to jet black in just 20k. If thats what car wizards cvt looks like imagine what your auction altima is like! I posted to watch speedkar99s cvt breakdown vid there.
CVT Subarus. The guy picked up the car from my friend shop, gets home and tranny dies - wt...? No, we didn't touch the tranny.
Agreed. I don't like CVTs. They are noisy and not suited to large vehicles.
Notification squad!🔥🔥🔥
Thanks
Lexus GS350, it’s already worth the money
Agreed. I love my GS