What to look for when buying used
Iam looking at a 2003, 325xi. What do
I need to look for engine wise and
tyranny wise before buying. It has
157k miles.
your mis-spelling of transmission is making me laugh such that I can hardly type. tyranny-wise, like feeding your tyrannisaurus rex-....to answer your question, yes-engine wise, smell the exhaust, pull a spark plug and do a compression test listen to the smoothness of the idle---transmission, pull the dipstick and smell and look at the color, inspect for drips and check coolant lines for abrasion...leakage---and the level -hot!
First thing I do is run a vehicle history report such as carfax or autocheck. One owner vehicles usually have been taken care of better. If you're buying long distance, like over the Internet, I'd strongly recommend having the vehicle inspected. If you're doing the test drive check that all accessories work (lights, wipers, radio, horn, etc.). Look for signs of abuse such as broken door handles, missing or broken knobs on the dash. Watch the lights & gauges on the dash. Be sure all are working & not giving any warnings such as "low coolant", ABS, check engine, etc. Be sure the engine starts & runs smoothly. Same with the transmission. Should shift smoothly with no strange jerks or noises. See if you can get some kind of warranty. Even 30 days, on an older model, is good. HTH. -Jim
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