List of checks and test when looking at a car. Need help....

[alex1985blue]

Hey Guys and Girls,

As a few of you may know I am looking at getting myself a X5. I have put together a list of things to check and test that i have got from the buyers guide, as well as checks I have done through the years of buying carsto try and create a comprehensive guide that other members are able to use.

However there are a few things I am unsure how to check, so I was hoping someone can shed some light on these areas. Hightlighted in bold.

Body:

Crash Damage around front legs
Crash Damage around rear wheel well
Signs of offroading (damage) on the underside
All Panel gaps even
Boot opens into two ok
Stone chips
Scratches and dents
Paint chips on edges of doors, and boot
Rust
Straight sides and all mouldings match up (looking down the car from back to front or visa versa)
All doors using internal and external handles work
Drain lines on roof and doors (rust issues?)
Vin Numbers match up with V5 and rest of numbers on car. (I have spoken to BMW and apparently there are numbers on the wings, engine bay, under the dashboard and boot but where exactly are they??)

Electrics:

All one touch windows work, on all switches
Electric mirrors
Folding mirrors
Cold Aircon
Stereo and CD changer work including all discs load up and play ok
TV and satnav work. (How do you tell it the Tv is Analogue or Digital?)
Parking sensors work ( Is there any way to test them without driving the car close to a wall? )
All lights come up when the ignition is turned on, and then go out when started
Any Flashing lights
Lights ( Test: Side lights, dipped, main beam, all indicators, brake lights, fog, and reversing lights and hazard lights)
Sunroof opens and shuts, on all settings
Wipers work on all modes
Electric seats work
Heating element works on seats
Heating works, directing to all different settings (Test all settings: Auto, recirc, etc)
Missing or dead pixels on dash display
Telephone is there and works. Call yourself with the owners permission
Service light ( How many green lights)
Tyre sensor on dash playing up?
Check that both keys start the car, open and lock all doors and boot
All functions on the steering wheel work
Check cruise control works including speeding up, on, off and resume modes.

Mechanicals:

Tyre condition
Tyre Make. Good or bad brands?
Disc condition. Lips on discs
Pads. Lots of pad left or running low
Bushes on the front and back. (How do you test if they have worn out or not?)
Do X5s have ARB bushes?
Anti Roll Bar links (try to move them about, Loose ball joints = needs to be replaced)
Have a general good look around the underside of the car. Any old looking parts, bolts missing, rusty areas, oily patches etc
Condition of springs. Paint flaking away, or rusty, or cracked. Need a torch.
Condition of dampers. Use the old bounce each corner trick if possible, and look at the dampers themselves for oily patches where the seals have gone.
All 8 CV joints. 2 on each corner. Split rubber outer gaiter. Hear a clicking noise? when turning or driving?
Droning rear diff
Feel the alternator just after startup when cold to make sure that it is smooth or vibrating. Vibrating slightly means bearings are starting or have gone.
Feel the Aircon pump just after startup when cold to make sure that it is smooth or vibrating. Vibrating slightly means bearings are starting or have gone.
Ball joints. (How do you check these?)
Leaking from the rocker gasket. Have to take the engine cover off.

Test Drive:

Brake judder through the pedal or in the cabin under light braking and hard braking
Gearbox changes into all gears ok, reverse, make sure that in semi automatic all gears can be selected.
Also try the kick down and make sure it works. Drive along in top gear slowly and floor it. The car should kick down and take off.
In manual mode put the car into top gear at 30mph and accelerate. If the revs go up and the speed does not the clutch is slipping.
Listen out for droning from the diffs?
Listen out for clicking from the CV joints.
Power delivery smooth
Test the cruise control. All modes shown in the electrical section.

Misc:

Damp floor mats (leaking door seals)
Condition of spare sheel and tyre
Tool kit

Right that is my list. Have I missed any check that I should be doing that I have not posted?

Cheers

Alex

[richjt]

i'm glad you posted this Alex it will help me to in looking for a X5

[Dan1502]

Interior condition including the notorious steering wheel cover.
Condition of leather and wear consistent with mileage/age.
Has it been smoked in? (Check all ashtrays and take out tray and look below, check lighters for use, look for burns etc).
Has it had pets in? (Hair, scratches, rips etc)
Sit in back and check everything.
Check all rubber seals for overspray/evidence of respray.
Toolkit complete?
First aid kit present?
Torch still in glovebox?
Wipers all ok?
Condensation in lights?
Cracks in lights?
Carefully check all paperwork - if receipts present do they match the service history? what's been done?
Battery condition - hard to check on these but how old?
Alloy wheel condition - do they need refurbishing?
Door seals etc - are they in good condition (expensive to replace and not covered by warranty)
Check all bodywork looking along the panels from different angles and look again - don't forget the roof!

Probably more but that's all I can think of for now.

[alex1985blue]

[quote=""richjt""]i'm glad you posted this Alex it will help me to in looking for a X5[/quote]
No worries buddy. Thats why I did it.

Just really need my few questions answering. as I have no idea how to check the specific items

Cheers

[X5Sport]

Freeview receivers were installed from approx Oct 2004 builds onwards. Before that they will be analogue only. Build date is normally on the offside wing inner in the engine bay.

Parking sensors will work if you walk in front of them. Should change beep rate as you get nearer and go constant at about 30cm.

If you see one with Comfort seats there are a lot more electric adjustments to check over the Sport seats. You should get an electrically powered steering column reach & rake adjustment system with Comfort seats.

One thing you could do is download an Owners Manual which will give you info on options and how they work.

For the Satnav, is the map disc a proper BMW OEM one and reasonably new. They're £175 a pop fom a Dealer. Some people use duplicate discs of less than proper provenance and these can prove unreliable in use. MkIV (widescreen) system is DVD based, MkIII is CD based.

[AW8]

Vin Numbers match up with V5 and rest of numbers on car. (I have spoken to BMW and apparently there are numbers on the wings, engine bay, under the dashboard and boot but where exactly are they??)

Sticker visible through windscreen bottom left corner.

Sticker below catch on drivers door jam.

VIN plate in engine bay right hand side on inner wing facing engine & next to build date stamp.

VIN stamp on drivers side suspension turret in engine bay.

Obviously to verify paperwork - On paper on V5, Service book, dealer invoices & old MOT's plus reg number on tax discs old & new




How do you tell it the Tv is Analogue or Digital ?

Don't know - I dont have digital but 2004 car onwards should if fitted/optioned. More importnat is to check if it has TV by checking main menu , if NO television wording then assume no TV even if it has NAV.




Parking sensors - any way to test...?

Get someone to walk in straight line towards each sensor - long gap between tones increases to constant noise when close.




Do X5s have ARB bushes ?

Yes


Bushes on the front and back. (How do you test if they have worn out or not?)

Noise & jolts accelerating (kick down) & vibration & poor steering control when braking hard from 50-60 to standstill, (vibes may also be from front discs) .





Ball joints......How do you check these ?

With difficulty. IMO X5 too heavy to easily check same if on the ground. Driving over bumps & listen for noise & feel for knocking & play though similar could be other bushes..................A BMW dealership with own MOT is a sure recipe for a vigilant suspension check with signs of wear being likely to be found , (as well as this highlighting other issues & importantly testing emissions are fine). You could offer seller a free MOT at your expense, just but make sure you're there & able to 1st hand see any potential list of fail items &/or advisories.





Also worth metioning that you need to assess seller just as much as the car......many may be defensive &/or fail to warm to you if you appear over zeaolus. If considering conducting a thorough inspection, first explain you are a serious buyer & looking for integrity rather than merely for haggling points.If they seem restless/bored stood by you explain you are happy to look around car on your own, but only if they are ok with this.........Maybe offer keys to your car as reassurance.

The trade buy and sell cars all the time & many do so without being anywhere near as thorough - just watch bulk buyers at auction. I appreciate that my buyers guide mentions lots of things & that folk may also have their own methods, but don't forget a good deal can also be about the relationship formed between buyer & seller- especially with some private sales. Chances of finding earlier cars absent of any issues is quiet slim IMO.

[Dan1502]

[quote=""X5Sport""]You should get an electrically powered steering column reach & rake adjustment system with Comfort seats.[/quote]

You get this with sports seats too. At least on the facelift you do. Comfort seats add lumbar but I think that's about it though I'm not cerain on this.

[richjt]

Taking all of the about points on board which would be the better buy ie.a pre facelift with service history/paperwork with lets say about 80k or a facelift with once again history etc with about 100k on the clock,
Looking round there doesn't seem to be to much difference price wise maybe £1000-2000

[AW8]

Impossible to say which hypothetical car would be better. I appreciate you mention paperwork as well as history but essentially it's the paperwork &/or inspection iof the car that should be used to decide.

Even if a car has full BMW service history it doesn't mean the owner authorised the dealer to execute work on back of any inspection recommendations. I know someone who bought a, (now) ,very nice BMW that had an Inspection done prior to being sold to him. From recollection the car had an array of service lights to indicate the recent inspection. He went to dealer & took issues with fact that though recently serviced there were items needing attention & eventually learned (possibly from a then embarassed seller) that outstanding prior recommended work had been passed on to him as the new keeper, the prior owner having failed to authorise work that was needed.

BMW service history check will only tell you dates/mileages of visits & which dealer dealt with the car. You then have to call each individual dealer. Dealer will tell you what has been done i.e Insp 1. Insp 2 etc or maybe info such as new header tank fitted. What they wont tell you is what work was recommended. Thus a car can have full history but owner may have been advised to have for example £2k of work done when last subject of an Inspection.

With my car I give some work recommendations to the indy rather thatyn the dealer so these visits wont show on a history check with BMW. A healthy wad of invoices/inspection sheets really is a good sign of transparency & a way to check what has really been done. Inspection stamps show mainly evidence of oil changes & maybe some filters & plugs. In reality I reckon a well mantained car may have as much or more spent on it thatn the sum total cost of Inspections alone. Fwiw if work recommeded on Inspections is done it is often done on another date as often a lack of available workshop time &/or immediately available parts can prevent it all being sorted on same day - if recommendations are actioned at all.


I'd buy either if they were good condition & well maintained cars. The later has more appeal due to the fresher look, (though occasionally I convince myself I prefer the smaller nostrils on the early cars), plus the more powerful engine & if an auto the 6 speed box which is of newer design. I'd also happily buy a car needing some sorting if the price was negotiated properly to (comfortably to me), reflect this.

Bear in mind my car had new front outer CV boots & rear subframe bushes done when car had done over 80k & its possible an 80k car might need these items very soon if not prior sorted (it's a case of when rather than if they wilkl need doing if not prior done).

A gentle life & well maintained 100k motorway car could have less wear to items than an 80k car that lives down the end of a potholed private track.

Asking prices really should only be a guide- especially from private sellers unless they indicate the asking money is firm.

Many folk dont want hassle of selling privately but feel need to advertise privately having been offered sometimes thousands below forecourt and private sale prices. A private offer £1500 under ask price may still ammount to significantly more than either their "p/x" or "we buy any car" quotes.

Pretty sure I mentioned this before to someone, but I know of 2 independents who have told me thay have had quiet a few newly accquired used E53 X5's in for work & where folk had inherited work that was required but not prior sorted. As most should know many get rid of cars to avoid bills.

[richjt]

on the pre facelift models looking at the top right hand side of the satnav/tv there is a button on the dash what is this for?

[alex1985blue]

[quote=""richjt""]on the pre facelift models looking at the top right hand side of the satnav/tv there is a button on the dash what is this for?[/quote]

Do you have a picture of it?

[Rusty]

[quote=""richjt""]on the pre facelift models looking at the top right hand side of the satnav/tv there is a button on the dash what is this for?[/quote]

Is this the traffic master thingy?


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