I want to tell you from my experience. I did all of the things R&W said, but still got a car with a bad head-gasket. The dealer had drained enough coolant so that the reservoir and upper hoses were empty, and then refilled the reservoir with clean coolant. Since it was cold on our test-drive the thermostat didn't open. Dealers have some crazy tricks and a truly cunning used car dealer can think of a way to hide almost any problem.

Also, make sure the cup holder can hold an extra large cup.

Most important thing before you see the car - go to the internet and check the discussion groups pertaining the model your car you want to buy.

Finally a real world education after all those years in school. Thanks.

106 craigslist scamers didn't like this video lol

Also remember to do an undercarriage inspection as well... make sure u don’t have bad rails or tie downs they get torn sometimes when the vehicle gets towed... they are very important structural components

ChrisFix suggests you open the oil cap on an idling engine, but I'd say first make sure the timing chain isn't anywhere near it unless you want oil spraying everywhere. Don't ask me how I learned that.

Great video.....and I know you can't cover everything; but BRAKES you have to check the brakes. Brake jobs can costs anywhere between $500 and $1,000. A simple visual inspection of the rotor to see if there are any deep grooves cut into the surface is a must!

Your a poor mans Scotty Kilmer, at least you dont hate all cars that arent Toyota. Keep up the good work

This video would've saved me from all of the bad car decisions I've made so far. Thnx for sparing me any more!

You're the first guy I've seen that checks the oil filler cap (or just inside the valve cover) for build-up. That's the first thing I do when inspecting a car, it shows if regular oil changes have been made. Even a high mileage car will have a clean cap if the oil has been changed regularly and often. And if the valve cover is aluminum the color on the aluminum shows how often the oil has been changed. Light amber- every 3,000 miles. A little darker amber to light brown- every 5,000 miles. Very dark or black- hardly ever. A dip stick won't show this since new oil shows clean every time on the dip stick. IMPORTANT: There is one thing you did miss that's an easy one though. You mentioned oil and coolant mixing from a blown head gasket BUT there's one more thing with a blown head gasket (or cracked block) that's easy to check. Is the radiator or its overflow tank blowing bubbles? That would show a leak from the cylinder to the coolant (instead of oil to water or visa-versa) and is one of the main reasons people try to sell their cars quickly. A short test drive might not show a problem with that one but a longer one would cause loss of coolant and/or overheating. A coolant system full of bubbles doesn't cool very well. Since a leak from the cylinder to the coolant or oil is the most common head gasket leak it's important to check for those bubbles in the coolant. Unfortunately a leak from the cylinder to the oil usually won't show up unless there's a lot of blow-by but if it's that bad the engine will not run well. By the way most radiator shops will do a free (or low cost) CO2 tests on the radiator that shows if combustion gasses are entering the coolant.

Also, when you go on your drive test(?), make sure u have the radio off. And if the owner is with u and is talking a lot or talking loudly, that's a red flag.

7:51 Nice info. You can also check to see if the markings on the glass panels match. Usually insurance companies replace glass with the cheapest possible replacement and don't try to match manufacturers. So if there's matching glass all around, most likely there were no major accidents.

Don't let the owner turn up the radio volume when doing the drive test. Gently turn it down/off again to hear everything! Also, make sure you go into a bumpy/uneven road to hear any abnormal noises!

I wanted to say thank you for all your information you share to help all of us. I used your information in many of your videos in order to choose a used car. Just got a 2010 Infiniti G37 AWD xS (Sport version with all the bells and whistles and Bose audio sound system, etc and the awesome super duper suspension system) for 14K... It only had 47 K miles. THanks so much for all the help on explaining the engines.

This demonstration was hands down brilliant,thank you sir.

Really good pointers to look for before buying or doing a self diagnosis on your own car’s mechanical condition. Awesome stuff👍🏾

These are great videos. Really surprised your Patreon page didn't get more traction, (pun intended), you've already saved me about 500 bucks. Keep doing what you're doing. Loved these videos.

Very informative! Thanks a ton! One of the best videos out there for someone looking for a used ride. Best of luck everyone!

Great video. I learned some pointers. In priority order, according to the usual cost: 1) trans 2) body 3) upholstery 4) engine 5) front end

I'm so glad you bought an ecotec, now you could teach me all the maintenance there is!!!

Thank you for this kind of videos. It makes a difference when you need to buy a car!!

Wow! You are awesome!! I didn't have a clue regarding most of these things to check. Now I know! Thank you SOOOOO MUCH!

Thank you , this is a great video that can save regular people some serious cash.

Good Job man! Everyone should watch even if not for buying! Thank you, sir!

Hey there.. Just thought I would interject a point about the anti-theft VIN labels. We are discontinuing these labels as a cost reduction in the Auto Plant where I work. So you may not have the ability to compare numbers on doors and body panels for some late model vehicles.Use the fender and door hinge bolts as a guide. Peace!

Very well done. Important information that I definitely appreciate your passing along to me. The first thing I’m going to do is check out my own car! Thanks!!’

Excellent video! Covers all the important check points. Many thanks for making it.

Very Good, very timely, I’m buying a car! Thanks......

I learned at a young age never to run my hand in the inside of a tire without knowing if they are exposed belt wire. Ouch!

Excellent tips! Many of your inspection points are new to me, but seem really good.

I much prefer a car have worn tires. The evenness and type of the wear can tell you a lot about the condition of the suspension and steering and you can usually negotiate the price down based on needing new tires anyway.

very informative - thanks - my takeaway from this is everything should be relatively clean or free from sludge or build-up

I wish I had this video last week but oh well, great vid!

Awesome video, keep it coming !!!

Great tips! I'm looking for a used car and this helps a lot!

Wow!! ... thanks I really appreciate you for making this video... once again THANKS.

Love this channel. Additional tip: For AWD cars tires have to be the same all around, same brand, same thread wear (within 2/32 across tires)... Otherwise run the risk of differential and transmission damage.

That was great because it was short and to the point!

When he showed me a lemon in the beginning to make a point I double-checked to make sure I had subscribed already. It was so. Great video, tips, and charming/silly personality! :)

As usual, Great video, thanks bro

That was so incredibly helpful. Thank you

Excellent explanations and for someone like me who is not familiarize with what is wrong with cars. Learned a lot.

Awesome, thorough video just what I was looking for, thanks. One of my go to checks is making sure the vehicle has\will PASSED emissions either by getting the document from seller or looking it up on Carfax. Many sellers sell cars that don't pass emissions and they are not honest about it. A vehicle that doesn't pass emissions could be thousands in repairs depending on what it is.

Thanks for your detailed and helpful tips. Checking for rust especially on the underside, including the bottom of the doors would be good to do. Using a magnet to check for Bondo under the paint would be advisable. Looking for dampness and water ingress into the cabin and trunk would be important too.

Another great vid, I learn a lot from your videos!

Back again, and I still appreciate you. Thanks, helpful post.

Your videos are so good I feel like I owe you money.

Really good and useful information. Thank you so much for your efforts.

Good video no hate, thanks very helpful thank you for taking your time on this I liked the video and I have been subscribed

These are great tips! Thank you 👍☺️

Very thorough I love how you tell us everything we need to know but of course there’s all these other want to be mechanics out there that need to tell us that you’re just a little bit wrong about something‘s and that you forgot this and you forgot, that screw them I’m listening to you.

Lol, i am going to aggrivate so many car-dealers now 😂👍🏻 Thanks for the awesome vid.

Hey, you sound like my college roommate. (and that was a long time ago). He taught me a few things about cars too. Nice video. Glad I subscribed, and quite a nice change from Scotty's videos, though I enjoy his videos too.

Awesome video, I feel a little better prepared to check out some cars. Thanks!!

Great info and video.. keep them coming.. wish i saw this before I bought my son a used car this past weekend.. :)..

You should also check the AC if it's not blowing cold air or cold enough that could indicate a problem with the cooling system.

Adding to tires, be careful if running your hands on the tread, exposed wires to fingers hurt but does indicate a bad tire. Turn car on and then turn steering wheel to the left, inspect left front tire, then turn steering wheel to the right, inspect front right tire A lump or broken belt on tire can be felt as a wobble when accelerating from a stop, and wobble goes away at higher speeds. Make sure all tires are the same size as the tire sticker on the door, unless it has custom wheels. If the wheels has a lock on it, make sure you get the key from the owner or used car place. If they don't have it, have them take them off. There is a lot more stuff, but yours goes through basics and very good info Wrenchets!

Thank you for sharing, wish I had done this!

great stuff in this video, thank you!

One of the most useful videos on youtube!

dont run your hands down tires without turning the wheels or getting down and looking. if there is metal exposed on the inside you can really mess up your hands

Outstanding guide to buying a used car. I bought a used car and it was a lemon. It was in a severe accident, but was pointed out by a mechanic long after. Under the driver's side door, he showed me where the frame had originally broke in half on that side and was welded back together. The transmission went out and the engine threw a rod.

This is awesome. So useful. I feel so ready to check out some used car today.

Thank you for the excellent tutorial!

Yay! Thank you for doing this video!!

Thanks for all your helpful tips!!

Thank you I reall like your video they are great.

wow! you did very good my friend. The video was very well explained. very good tips. Thank you i will become a follower on your next video. Happy 4th of July 2021!

This was VERY educational. Thanks!

Great info! Definitely worth a sub!

This was so helpful, thank you!

Great tips . I buy car's at the auction and you don't have much time to check a car out . So I stay outside and follow the car before it goes in the building check some of these things out while it sitting before it goes in the building . Got a 08 caliber 99k making nose it was the alltorator . I like the last part of your video now I will start checking these things out .

Thank you!

Great video, you are so honest. Thanks a lot.

That's a great informative very detailed video you have. Most of it I knew but a few of it I didn't, thank you. It's also good to have a vacuum gauge to check fuel pressures.

Thank you. I'll used your excellent tips on my next car purchase.

You do some really good videos!

WHAT A GOOD CHANNEL!!!

You are the man! I've learned a lot from watching your vids

Great video for an average person like myself. I'm not a mechanic, and don't trust any. Thanks a lot. I learned a few things.

I'm getting a car in the fall. Thank you!

Excellent information and presented well!

brilliant ! one channel to stop at for technical stuff. very detailed. thanks buddy. Nischal from Bangalore, India.

Superb. Thorough and to the point. I want him to be my mechanic!

Great information to share. Thank you

Good stuff, been doing this years ago.

Thank you so much for these tips!

Great advice! A tight engines oil will mostly be clean!

Great tips to keep in mind

Great video! I learnt a lot.

Most comprehensive video I've seen.

Great video, Thanks for the info

Thank you for the video. Help me a lot.

Nice detailed video. Well done.

Nice video. Pretty thorough!

Thanks for the great video!!!

Informative video! Nice!

Very good video! I love it!

Bro, you are amazing. Thanks