Here's my second thread. I've gotten some good bites on my two Volvos I am selling, so I am expediting my research in hopes of acquiring my first BMW sooner, rather than later.
I don't believe in you aficionados doing all the work, so I thought I'd layout what I think I should do, and hopefully you all will chime in and add or subtract.
Thanks! Here goes:
I'm kind of playing off what I'd do with a Volvo, since that's what I know best, combined with general knowledge. How about I keep the general inspection to a minimum and ya'll get BMW specific if/when applicable?
1- General exterior overview for straightness, paint matching, signs of damage or repair. 2- Tire wear for evenness. Could be poor rotation or signs of mechanical wear. 3- Does the car sit straight? (Frame damage) 4- Visual inspection for leaks. 5- Under the hood inspection. Is the wiring exposed, broken, frayed? Leaks? If the engine has been professionally cleaned, run the car to see if a leak begins. Once cleaned there is no accumulation of dirt/ oil to tell. 6- Start the car, making sure all warning lights work upon ignition and no possible tampering was done. Rev the car a few times listening for evenness, no misses, no vacuum hesitation, smooth engine sound. 7- Under the hood engine running inspection for leaks, smells, sounds. 8- Shift the gears with the car parked. 9-Test interior electronics: radio, A/C, heat, doors, windows, mirrors 10- Open trunk and check for water or signs of 'nature' in spare tire compartment. 11- Test drive beginning in large parking lot, going in figure eights to check steering, suspension. 12- Take 10-mile test drive to get tranny fluid hot. Stop and inspect tranny for signs of leakage and or smoke. 13- Check for signs of overheating. 14- See how brakes handle after multiple use. Do they hold up? 15- Attempt to make some curves at speed to see of the suspension clunks, vibrates, or feels unstable in any way. 16- Accelerate/decelerate numerous times. 17- Park and thoroughly check for leaks 18- Give owner lie detector test with bright light. (Optional) LOL 19- Check reverse. 20-Look under the seats to see if the PO was a slob.OK, that's what I have off the top of the head. Any BMW specific topics that I missed? One thing I keep seeing is making sure you don't overheat the car and warp the head. Anything more like that?
Thanks!
Jamie B