Police Vehicle Auctions - Tips For Buying Used Cars
By Jake W Johnson
Are you considering getting a car from police vehicle auctions? Although many of the cars that you will find in something like this are likely to be in good condition you can never really be too sure. The only way that you can protect yourself from getting a bad buy is by double checking the car you are going to bid for. You do not have to be a professional or a car mechanic to be able to check on the basics of a car. Read on to find out what basic things you should check before bidding for a used car at police vehicle auctions. This is especially important since unlike used car dealerships not all cars in an auction like this will have gone through an inspection and can be guaranteed. • Mileage. Do you really want to find out in a cinch whether or not a car has been driven around a lot? Check the mileage. This will give you the exact number of miles that the car has been driven. The standard insurance for brand new cars runs up to 36000 miles for three years or roughly 12000 miles a year. If the odometer of the vehicle reads below this number then it's a good sign that the car has not been used much yet. • Tires and general condition. Of course you cannot just rely on the numbers that you get. You need to take this side by side with the actual condition of the car. There are times when odometers have been moved back so looking at numbers alone can deceive you. Look at the tires and check whether they look new or run down. It should be in fairly good condition without any treads sticking out. Also the general condition of the car itself should be good showing little or no signs of wear. • Check Car reports. If you have the chance to take a look at the car before the police vehicle auction or you get a catalog then run a quick background search about the car. This will allow you to know whether or not the vehicle has been in any major accidents or has been part of some natural disaster. This is a very important procedure that you do not want to skip out on. Some cars get into accidents and get fully restored but they never really work as well as they used to. • Listen to the engine. Most auctions give you a chance to see the cars before the bidding starts and some will even allow you to start the engine. If you get this opportunity take advantage of it. Make sure that when you run the engine of the car there are no strange sounds such as ticking, clanking, whistling and the like. All you want to hear is the smooth hum of the engine. Any other extra sounds can be indications of problems. • Look inside and outside. Take a good look at how things look both in the inside and the outside. Carefully inspect the outside for any dents, mismatched paint and the like. You will also want to take a close look at gaskets on windows and around the doors. On the inside you will want to check on upholstery, flooring, paneling etc. Do not forget to look under mats and in places that are not obvious. Just because you do not see it does not mean that there is nothing wrong. • Test Drive. Nothing can help you figure out more how good the condition of a car is than by trying to drive it. Although a lot of police vehicle auctions will only let you start the engine it will still be worth a try to ask if you can take it around for a bit. If not just try to observe what you can with the engine running. Try pumping the gas, keeping it idle and shifting gears. Jake Johnson is a car enthusiast who likes to share his knowledge with others through his articles on police vehicle auctions and other related topics. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jake_W_Johnson
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