Automotive City

Purchase used car

How Old is 'old'?
If budget is top priority then you should pick a smaller, newer car rather than a large, older car. A larger car will have higher running costs - fuel, maintenance, tyres and spares will need more money. Your best bet is to look for something almost new – a car two years old or younger. You could get a good deal because there are many car owners who don't want to be seen in 'yesterday's model' - they want to be seen driving only the latest cars. Buying a middle-aged car (3-5 years old) that has been treated well by its owner could be a great buy. Cars that have logged 14,000-18,000km a year are prime buys. Cars flogged badly by chauffeurs or heavily used ones are trouble.

Examine the Exterior
Look for signs of an accident, such as dents or new paint or chrome. Make sure the hood shuts properly. Check the body for rust or fill. Look under the car. Check for cracks in the frame, rusting or welding. Check the condition of the muffler, tailpipe and exhaust components. Look for signs of fluids leaking from the car, including oil, brake or transmission fluid. Push down the corners of the car to check the shock absorbers. If the car bounces up and down several times, the shocks are worn. Open the trunk. Check for a jack and the condition of the spare tire. Check for rust under the mats. Look at the tires closely for any signs of uneven wear.

Examine the Interior
Lift the hood and check the condition of the belts and hoses. Check the battery to see if it is cracked. Pull out the dipstick to see the oil level, and whether it's dirty. Check the parts and accessories, such as lights, horn, mirrors, seatbelts, radio, heater and windows. Make sure they all work. Have a friend check the outside lights for you. Make sure doors open and close easily, and that handles and locks work well. Check the dimmer switch, headlights and windshield washer. You should also check the odometer. It is against the law to change the odometer reading, and if you think someone has tampered with it, avoid the car.

Check the liens
When buying a used car, consumers should protect themselves by ensuring there are no outstanding liens against the car (for example: an unpaid loan). If there is still an outstanding lien, the car could be repossessed - even if you paid full price to the seller.

A Stolen Car
Always check the serial number on the Vehicle Registration card. Make sure it corresponds to the number on the car. Make sure the person who is selling the car actually owns it, and is not trying to sell a leased vehicle.

Making an Offer
If you decide to buy, you can make an offer either verbally or in writing. If there are conditions to your offer, write them down. For example, if you want your mechanic to inspect the car before the sale is final (and you have not already had the car examined), make the mechanic's approval a condition of the sale. If you need to borrow money to make the purchase, make your offer subject to getting credit at a reasonable rate. The seller may ask for a deposit. Make sure you state in your offer that the deposit will be refunded if the mechanic does not approve the car, or if you do not get the financing. As part of the offer, suggest the seller grant a 30-day warranty. The warranty should say that the seller will take the car back should any major problems arise with the engine or other parts of the car. This type of warranty will not cover accidents while the car is in your possession.

Avoiding Scams
Certified Check Scams - This scam is often perpetrated on sellers of used cars over the internet through classified ads and auctions. A buyer indicates that he wants to buy the car and pay with a cashier's check. At the last minute, the buyer creates a reason why he needs to write the check for more money and have the seller wire him the difference. The check turns out to be a fake, but it is often discovered long after the seller has wired the money. In addition, the seller is responsible for covering the money for the fake check. To avoid check scams, call the issuing bank before you accept the check and wait for the check to clear before you transfer the car into the buyer's name. The best way to avoid most scams is to make sure you never transfer ownership of your vehicle until you have the cash in your hand. That means, you either get cash from the buyer or wait for the cashier's check to clear. Avoid buyers who will never meet you or never wish you to see the vehicle in person (overseas). Avoid taking personal checks and allowing buyers to pay the car off over time. If buying, always verify the seller actually has/owns the item for sale and meet them face-to-face to view the vehicle. If you follow these few precautions, your buying and selling experience should go smoothly.

Dealer Tricks
If you are buying car from a dealer you must consider the dealer’s tricks. Most people dread going to buy a new car for one simple reason: the salesmen. I'm not saying all salesmen are out to get you, but we've seen our fair share of deceptive salesmen who use tricks or play on words to get that sale and make that commission. Nowadays, most car dealerships are trying to become "customer friendly". To help you find a good dealership and weed through the bad, we've compiled a list of dealer tricks and how to avoid them. If you ever find yourself in any of these situations, don't be afraid to leave the dealership. You can also let the salesperson know that you are leaving because of their trick and that you will not be back to that dealership to buy your new car. Word of mouth is one of the strongest forms of advertising and dealerships know this. Once you weed out the dealerships with poor customer service and poor sales tactics and find one you like and trust, you will be a loyal customer to that dealership and maybe even that particular salesman.

Closing the Deal
When you reach an agreement on the purchase price of a used car, you may be tempted to think you're home free. In fact, there are several crucial steps that need to be done correctly, or all your hard work up to this point could be for naught.

Change in Ownership
Always ask the seller for the car’s registration papers. These documents are required to transfer ownership of the vehicle. The certificate also provides the purchaser a chance to confirm vehicle ownership.

In Nutshell
Examine the car's repair record, maintenance costs, safety and mileage ratings in consumer magazines or online. Make sure all oral promises are written into the Buyer's Guide. You have the right to see a copy of the dealer's warranty before you make your purchase. Warranties are included in the price of the product; service contracts cost extra and are sold separately. Ask for the car's maintenance record from the owner, dealer, or repair shop. Test drive the car on hills, highways, and in stop-and-go traffic. Have the car inspected by a mechanic you hire. Find out as much as you can about the dealer from local consumer protection officials. If you buy a car "as is," you'll have to pay for anything that goes wrong after the sale. The Used Car rule generally doesn't apply to private sales.

Regular Service

Car-servicing is generally a time-consuming and sometimes expensive aspect of owning a car. Well, it’s not so inconvenient if you follow some of the steps to maintain your car.

Benefits of maintaining your car via timely service

Safety is of utmost importance and regularly maintaining your car will keep it in a safe drivable state.
Increase reliability – so you can avoid unforeseen breakdowns and being stranded
Lesser visits to the car workshop by identifying and resolving issues during periodic maintenance
Much higher resale value for your old car when you want to trade in for a new one!
Lower overall cost of ownership for you

What’s generally included in a ‘manufacturer’ recommended regular car service?

First and foremost a test drive in the car to identify any symptoms or issues in acceleration, gear changes, suspension, abnormal noises, etc.
Checking of the engine oil for either top up or complete replacement – based on your car’s specific service interval (could be every 10,000 km or 15,000 km or 12 months whichever comes earlier), engine oil would need to be completely replaced
Along with the engine oil – the oil filter would have to be replaced too at every service.\
The air filter of the car needs to be checked and cleaned (or if in a state that it cannot be cleaned, it has to be replaced). A clean air filter is essential to ensure proper flow of air into the engine and ensure efficient working of the engine
Checking of the coolant level and top ups or replacement as required. As long as the right coolant mix is in the radiator, it would prevent the engine from overheating
Inspection and cleaning (or replacement) of brake pads on all wheels is an essential part of scheduled service. If the brake pads or discs are worn beyond recommended levels, then they would need replacement.
Inspection and cleaning of spark plugs (in case of a petrol car). Rest of the vehicle would need to be thoroughly checked for any electrical issues, proper functioning of the car AC, fused bulbs, proper functioning of gear and clutch, tyre wear, body damages, refill of windshield washer fluid etc.
The car battery needs to be inspected, tested for proper voltage, terminals cleaned and distilled water topped up
Based on the initial test drive, if the vehicle tends to ‘pull’ towards either left or right on a straight road, then the car is in need of wheel alignment and probably balancing as well.
Some of the recent car models require a service interval reset or a scan of the vehicle using a diagnostics tool
In some cars there would be more work to be done based on the age or mileage – refer to your car owner’s manual or ask your service advisor for details.
Finally a complete car wash and depending on the condition of the interiors you could opt for an interior shampoo/foam cleaning. You will have a fully refreshed car back with you after this

There are certain things that one has to keep in mind while maintaining his car and getting them serviced in a timely manner.

Follow your vehicle’s service manual to identify your service intervals (“when your car needs a service”).
Keep track of services carried out on your car (“Service history” – usually through previous service bills).
Choose the right service provider for your car who offers good value pricing and convenience. If your car is under warranty, then any manufacturer authorized car workshop would be the recommended choice. However after the expiry of warranty, you could look at alternate options if you need
Get the service done in your presence if time permits, so you know what exactly is being done to your car. If not, at least make the service advisor explain to you what work is to be carried out and why along with evidence (e.g. pictures of worn out brake-pads).
Ensure you don’t miss or over-run your service intervals. In addition to the regular service, it is recommended to get the car inspected every quarter to be absolutely safe.
Cars like all other machines need regular maintenance and if you take proper care of them, the lower the chances that they will let you down on a drive.

Performance tuning

Performance tuning focuses on tuning an engine for motorsport, although many such automobiles never compete but rather are built for show or leisure driving. In this context, the power output, torque, and responsiveness of the engine are of premium importance, but reliability and fuel efficiency are also relevant. In races, the engine must be strong enough to withstand the additional stress placed upon it, and so is often far stronger than any mass-produced design on which it may be based, and also that the automobile must carry sufficient fuel. In particular, the transmission, driveshaft and any other load-transmitting powertrain components may need to be modified in order to withstand the load from the increased power. In almost all cases, people are interested in increasing the power output of an engine. Many well tried and tested techniques have been devised to achieve this, but all essentially operate to increase the rate (and to a lesser extent efficiency) of combustion in a given engine. This is achieved by putting more air/fuel mixture into the engine, increasing compression ratio (requires higher octane gas) burning it more rapidly, and getting rid of the waste products more rapidly - this increases volumetric efficiency. In order to check the amount of the air/fuel mixture, air fuel ratio meters are often used. The weight of this fuel will affect the overall performance of the automobile, so fuel economy is a competitive advantage. This also means that the performance tuning of an engine should take place in the context of the development of the overall automobile.

The specific ways to increase power include:

Increasing the engine displacement by one or both of two methods: "boring" - increasing the diameter of the cylinders and pistons, or by "stroking" - using a crankshaft with a greater throw.

Using larger or multiple carburetors, to create a more controllable air/fuel mixture to burn, and to get it into the engine more smoothly. In modern engines, fuel injection is more often used, and may be modified in a similar manner.

Increasing the size of the poppet valves in the engine, thus decreasing the restriction in the path of the fuel–air mixture entering, and the exhaust gases leaving the cylinder. Using multiple valves per cylinder results in the same effect – it is often more difficult to fit several small valves than to have larger single valves due to the valve gear required. However, it is difficult to find space for one large valve in the inlet and a large valve on the outlet side. Sometimes a large exhaust valve and two smaller inlet valves are fitted for improved flow. As the pressure generated during combustion provides more force to exhaust the waste gases than the force available to inlet clean charged gas, a larger inlet valve area is needed to provide easier flow. The two smaller inlet valves' total area is larger than that of the single exhaust valve and thus provides that easier inlet flow. This is why exhaust valves are typically smaller in area than the inlet valves.

Using larger bored, smoother, less contorted inlet manifold and exhaust manifolds. This helps maintain the velocity of gases. Similarly, the ports in the cylinder head can be enlarged and smoothed to match. This is termed cylinder head porting, usually with the aid of an air flow bench for testing and verifying the efficiency of the modifications. Manifolds with sharp turns force the air–fuel mix to separate at high velocities as fuel is more dense than air.

The larger bore may extend right through the complete exhaust system, using larger diameter piping and low back pressure mufflers, and through the intake system, with larger diameter airboxes and high-flow, high-efficiency air filters. Muffler modifications will change the sound of the automobile's engine, usually making it louder; for some tuners this is in itself a desirable effect.

Increasing the valve opening height (lift), by changing the profiles of the cams on the camshaft, or the lift (lever) ratio of the valve rockers (overhead valve, or OHV, engines), or cam followers (overhead cam, or OHC, engines).

Optimizing the valve timing to improve burning efficiency - usually this increases power at one range of operating RPM at the expense of reducing it at others. For many applications this compromise is acceptable. This can usually be achieved by fitting a differently profiled camshaft. See also valve timing, variable valve timing.

Raising the compression ratio by reducing the size of the combustion chamber, which makes more efficient use of the cylinder pressure developed and leading to more rapid burning of fuel, by using larger compression height pistons or thinner head gaskets, or by using a milling machine or "shaving" the cylinder head. High compression ratios can cause engine knock unless high octane fuels are used.

Forced Induction; adding a turbocharger or a supercharger. The air/fuel mix entering the cylinders is increased by compressing the air. Further gains may be realized by cooling compressed (and thus heated) intake air with an air-to-air or air-to-water intercooler.

Using a fuel with higher energy content and by adding an oxidizer such as nitrous oxide.

Using a fuel with better knock suppression characteristics (race fuel, E85, methanol, alcohol) to increase timing advance

Reducing losses to friction by machining moving parts to lower tolerances than would be acceptable for production, or by replacing parts. A common example of this is, in overhead valve engines, replacing the production rocker arms with replacements incorporating roller bearings in the roller contacting the valve stem.

Reducing the "rotating mass", which comprises the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, and flywheel. Doing so can improve throttle response due to lower rotational inertia, as well as reduce the automobile's overall weight. This may be achieved by using alloy parts instead of steel. However, a heavy crankshaft can void the need for a flywheel (which is common on V6 engines).

Changing the tuning characteristics electronically, by changing the firmware of the EMS. This chip tuning often works because modern engines are designed to produce more power than required, which is then reduced by the EMS to make the engine operate smoothly over a wider RPM range, with low emissions. This is called de-tuning and produces long-lasting engines and the ability to increase power output later for facelift models. Recently emissions have played a large part in de-tuning, and engines will often be de-tuned to produce a particular carbon output for tax reasons.

Lowering the underbonnet temperature, which has the effect of lowering the engine intake temperature, therefore increasing the power. This is often done by installing a type of thermal insulation (normally a heatshield, thermal barrier coating or other type of exhaust heat management) on or around the exhaust manifold. This ensures that more heat is diverted out and away from the underbonnet area.

Changing the location of the air intake, moving it away from the exhaust and radiator systems to decrease intake temperatures. Additionally, the intake can be relocated to areas that have higher air pressure due to aerodyamic effects, resulting in effects similar to (though less than) forced induction.

The choice of modification depends greatly on the degree of performance enhancement desired, budget, and the characteristics of the engine to be modified. Intake, exhaust, and chip upgrades are usually amongst the first modifications made as they are the cheapest, make reasonably general improvements, whereas a different camshaft, for instance, requires trading off smoothness at low engine speeds for improvements at high engine speeds. Furthermore, tuners may also use analytical tools to help evaluate and predict the effect of modifications on the performance of the vehicle.