Your Handy Guide on Purchasing & Servicing Cars in Australia
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Contents Part 1 – Car Market in Australia
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1.1 Learning from Car Market Statistics
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1.2 Buying a new car V.S. buying a used car
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Part 2 – Critical Specifications of a Vehicle
6
2.1 Engine
6
2.2 Drivetrain
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2.3 Other considerations
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Part 3 – How to Buy a Car Explained in Steps
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Step 1: Search and Shortlist Cars
12
Step 2: Call Owner to Seek for More Information
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Step 3: Vehicle Inspection and Running Test
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Step 4: Make Payment and Transfer Registration
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Step 5: Renew Registration for the Vehicle
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Part 4 – Servicing Your Car
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References
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Part 1 - Car Market in Australia 1.1 Learnings from Car Market Statistics In 2019, there are 19.5 million registered vehicles in Australia [1]. Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data counted 1,062,867 new vehicles sold in 2019 [2], while auto analysts Manheim estimates the size of Australian second-hand car market to be around three million units per annum [3]. The average age, or service life of a vehicle in Australia is 10.1 years [4], and the percentage of vehicles by age is shown in the Figure 1.1.
Percentage of Vehicles by Age 21% 30.50%
21.20% 27.20%
Up to 5 Years
6-10 Years
11-15 Years
16 Years and Over
Figure 1.1 Percentage of vehicles by age in Australia
Additionally, approximately 800,000 registered motor vehicles (excluding motorcycles), or 4.4% of the national vehicle fleet, are scrapped each year [4]. Table 1.1 lists new car sales by brands in 2019 in Australia [2], while Figure 1.2 shows sold vehicles’ brands by country of origin. Top selling models in Australia list in Table 1.2 gives an insight of what models are popular [5], which helps to compare the popularity, reliability and price between each model. The benefit of buying a car of popular model is obvious - it will significantly reduce the cost on maintenance and parts, as parts are more likely to be readily available as well as be of cheaper price. It would also be worth to know which car models last for longer travel distance without major repairs on engine or transmission system. Car models such as
Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord or Honda Civic are likely to reach more than 300000 miles or 500000 km, according to experienced car mechanics [6]. Table 1.1 New car sales by brands in 2019 in Australia Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
Brand Toyota Mazda Hyundai Mitsubishi Ford Kia Nissan Volkswagen Honda Holden Subaru Mercedes-Benz Isuzu Ute BMW Suzuki Audi Lexus Land Rover Renault MG Volvo Car Skoda LDV Jeep Porsche MINI RAM Peugeot Jaguar Fiat Haval Great Wall Ssangyong Alfa Romeo Infiniti Maserati Citroen Chrysler Ferrari Bentley Lamborghini Aston Martin Genesis McLaren Lotus Rolls-Royce Alpine
Sales 205,766 97,619 86,104 83,250 63,303 61,503 50,575 49,928 43,868 43,176 40,007 38,604 25,311 23,307 17,310 15,708 9612 8879 8634 8326 7779 7001 6480 5519 4161 3204 2868 2445 2274 2053 1706 1401 1040 891 571 482 400 292 257 191 147 129 103 88 57 55 35
Share 19.93% 9.46% 8.34% 8.06% 6.13% 5.96% 4.90% 4.84% 4.25% 4.18% 3.88% 3.74% 2.45% 2.26% 1.68% 1.52% 0.93% 0.86% 0.84% 0.81% 0.75% 0.68% 0.63% 0.53% 0.40% 0.31% 0.28% 0.24% 0.22% 0.20% 0.17% 0.14% 0.10% 0.09% 0.06% 0.05% 0.04% 0.03% 0.02% 0.02% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% < 0.01% < 0.01% < 0.01% < 0.01%
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Table 1.2 Top 100 selling models in Australia in 2019
Sold Vehicles' Brands by Country of Origin in 2019 5.78%
11.15% 13.07% 55.59% 14.41%
Japanese German Other
Korean American
Figure 1.2 Sold vehiclesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brands by country of origin
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
Make/Model Toyota Hilux Ford Ranger Toyota Corolla Hyundai i30 Mitsubishi Triton Mazda CX-5 Mazda3 Toyota RAV4 Nissan X-Trail Mitsubishi ASX Nissan X-Trail Toyota Prado Hyundai Tucson Mitsubishi Outlander Holden Colorado Isuzu D-Max Toyota Camry Subaru Forester Mazda CX-3 Volkswagen Golf Honda CR-V Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Kia Sportage Nissan Navara Hyundai Kona Honda HR-V Nissan Qashqai Toyota Kluger Mazda BT-50 Honda Civic Subaru XV Hyundai Accent Toyota Yaris Toyota C-HR Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Isuzu MU-X Volkswagen Amarok Mazda2 Volkswagen Tiguan Subaru Outback Mazda CX-9 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Mercedes-Benz C-Class Suzuki Swift Kia Carnival Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Kia Rio Toyota HiAce Van Holden Commodore Hyundai Santa Fe Mercedes-Benz GLC
Sales 47,649 40,960 30,468 28,378 25,819 25,539 24,939 24,260 21,757 20,806 19,726 18,335 18,251 17,514 17,472 16,892 16,768 15,096 14,813 14,355 13,810 13,802 13,645 13,412 13,342 11,731 11,653 11,371 11,357 10,531 10,062 9963 9853 9378 9222 8419 8371 8198 7747 7210 7168 6998 6798 6676 6493 6477 6270 6127 5915 5857 5770 4|P age
52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
Volkswagen Polo Ford Everest Honda Jazz Suzuki Vitara Kia Picanto Holden Trax Mercedes-Benz A-Class Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace BMW X3 Holden Equinox Subaru Impreza Holden Astra Audi Q5 MG3 Ford Mustang Hyundai iLoad Kia Sorento MG ZS Ford Focus LDV T60 BMW X5 Lexus NX Volvo XC60 Audi A3 Ford Escape BMW 3 Series Holden Acadia Toyota Fortuner Jeep Grand Cherokee Volvo XC40 BMW X1 Mitsubishi Pajero Holden Trailblazer Nissan Pathfinder Hyundai Elantra Mazda6 Ram 1500 Toyota HiAce Bus Mercedes-Benz GLA Mazda CX-8 Renault Koleos Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe/Cabriolet Suzuki Baleno BMW 1 Series Range Rover Sport Mitsubishi Lancer Land Rover Discovery Sport Skoda Kodiaq Audi Q2
5723 5333 5263 5253 5237 4808 4689
1.2 Buying a new car V.S. buying a used car Selecting a car should not solely based on subjective preference. Buying a car that not suitable for you can result in extra expenditure of thousands of dollars on maintenance per year, and significant depreciation after a few years.
4665 4583 4562 4518 4188 4152 4017 3948 3919 3777 3729 3682 3529 3498 3471 3406 3362 3326 3135 3125 3033 2986 2858 2847 2847 2813 2712 2644 2612 2609 2577 2562 2551 2533 2496 2277 2269 2202 2197
The pros and cons of buying a new car are summarised as below:
Pros: Simple process to buy; Reliable and care free in the first a few years.
Cons: Expensive; Depreciation - lose significant amount of value in a few years; Stamp duty will also be higher (3% of the car price); Higher cost of insurance (e.g. comprehensive car insurance is normally required). Pay extra care for the car (e.g. worry about car be stolen or be scratched while parking).
The pros and cons of buying a used car are summarised as below:
Pros: Cheaper; May get most of the value out of the car; Less depreciation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not lose much money when you re-sell the car; Not need to pay extra care for the car.
Cons: There may be safety issues not identified if you not know much of cars; Reliability maybe not as good as that of new car; May have defects, or expensive to fix.
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Part 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Critical Specifications of a Vehicle The most important parts of the car are the engine and drivetrain. This guide will not go through the detailed design of the engine or drivetrain, but will compare the pros and cons on critical parts or specifications.
Cons: Secondary forces are not balanced, which ultimately limits the size of the engine; Rarely exceed 2.5 litres to 3.0 litres.
Horizontally-opposed boxer engine
2.1 Engine Engines are measured by displacement, usually expressed in litres (L) or cubic centi-meters (cc). A four-cylinder engine of total volume of 1840 cc (each cylinder 460cc), will be rounder off and referred to as a 1.8L engine. Larger engines tend to produce more power, specifically more torque, and consume more fuel. The most common engines are of four cylinders, six cylinders or eight cylinders, and the differences will be explained from 2.1.1 to 2.1.3. 2.1.1 Four-cylinder Engines Inline four (straight four) engine
Figure 2.2 Horizontally-opposed boxer engine
Example car models: Subaru Forester Subaru Impreza Porsche 911 Pros: Primary and secondary forces are well balanced, making the engine smoother; Less weight on the crankshaft, resulting in less power lost to rotational inertia; Lower centre of gravity, keep vehicle more balanced and more stable.
Figure 2.1 Inline four (straight four) engine
Example car models: Toyota Corolla Mazda 3 Honda Civic
Cons: Engine is wider and occupy more space; More complex â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two cylinder heads, two valve trains; Maintenance can be challenging due to limited space.
Pros: This is the most popular type of engine; Small, compact and lightweight; With only one cylinder head, less probability of malfunctions; Primary forces are balanced; Easier to work on (e.g. spark plugs, valvetrain); Much cheaper to maintain.
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2.1.2 Six-cylinder Engines
V6 engine
Inline six (straight six) engine
Figure 2.4 V6 engine
Figure 2.3 Inline six (straight six) engine
Example car models: BMW E46 M3 CSL S54 Toyota 2JZ Jaguar XK120
Pros: More powerful than straight-4 engine; With only one cylinder head, less probability of malfunctions; Primary forces are balanced; Easier to work on (e.g. spark plugs, valvetrain); Much cheaper to maintain.
Example car models: Nissan Maxima Volkswagen Passat BMW M3
Pros: Compact and can easily be used for both FWD and RWD vehicles. More powerful than 4-cylinder engine; Rigid design.
Cons: Two cylinder heads means added cost, complexity, and weight. Tends to be less reliable than inline four or inline six engines.
Cons: Packaging can be difficult due to the length.
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2.1.3 Eight-cylinder Engines
2.1.4 Engine with Turbocharger
V8 engine
A turbocharger, or turbo, is a turbine-driven, forced induction device that increases an internal combustion engine's efficiency and power output by forcing extra compressed air into the combustion chamber. Illustration of a turbocharger:
Figure 2.6 Turbocharger Figure 2.5 V8 engine
Example car models: Toyota LandCruiser Mustang 307 CID Coyote BMW M5
Pros: Good balance, depending on the crankshaft type and firing order (flatplane vs crossplane). Rigid design. Allows for high displacement.
Cons: Like a V6, the V8 engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weight can be high. Additional rotational inertia and friction (more moving parts). Cost and complexity will be higher. Packaging is large, typically restricted to RWD/AWD vehicles.
Pros and cons for engine with turbocharger are summarised below:
Pros: More powerful.
Cons: Expensive to buy; Higher maintenance cost; Loss in fuel economy.
2.1.5 Car with Hybrid Power Pros and cons for car with hybrid power are summarised below:
Pros: Environmental friendly; Economical in fuel cost; Promoting new technology.
Cons: Can be difficult if not have access to charging station; Higher maintenance cost on hybrid power system and battery; Tend to be less reliable than traditional cars.
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2.2 Drivetrain The drivetrain includes the transmission, the driveshaft, the axles and the wheels. It works in conjunction with the engine to move the wheels. The drivetrain system is an essential component of a vehicle and the transmission is an integral part of the drivetrain. There are three main types of drivetrains: Front-wheel drive (FWD) Rear-wheel drive (RWD) Four-wheel drive (4WD) All-wheel drive (AWD)
RWD means that the power from the engine is delivered to the rear wheels and the rear wheels push the car forward. The front wheels do not receive any power and are free to manoeuvre the vehicle. The weight of a RWD vehicle is more evenly spread than a FWD vehicle, so it has a better balance of weight. The disadvantage of a RWD vehicle are that they do not perform well in poor weather conditions such as rain or snow because they are more prone to loss of traction during slippery road condition.
4WD means the power from the engine is delivered to all 4 wheels all of the time when 4x4 is engaged and has an option to operate in a RWD to conserve fuel. The advantage is that it provides the versatility and power to take on any terrain or weather condition. The cons is that it operates in RWD format most of the time and has less traction than a AWD vehicle.
2.9 All-wheel drive (AWD) 2.7 Front-wheel drive (FWD)
FWD means that the power from the engine is delivered to the front wheels of your vehicle. The pros of a FWD vehicle are that they typically get better fuel economy. Since the weight of the engine is located over the driving wheels, a FWD vehicle can maintain better traction when turning or driving in the snow.
All-wheel-drive systems power both the front and rear wheels all the time. But in practice, there are two types of drivetrains that are called AWD. One does, in fact, drive all the wheels continuously, and some manufacturers refer to this as full-time AWD. The second, often called part-time AWD or automatic AWD, operates most of the time in twowheel-drive mode, with power delivered to all four corners only when additional traction control is needed.
2.8 Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
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For car transmission, there has always been debate on manual and automatic transmission. You can select the transmission type based on the usage of the vehicle, as well as the driving skills of the driver.
Pros: Cheaper to buy and maintain; Suitable for carrying or towing heavy load; More reliable; Tends to be more fuel efficient. Cons: Can be challenging for in-experienced drivers, especially during urban driving Automatic transmission is shown in Figure 2.12:
Figure 2.10 Transmission shift knobs
Manual transmission is shown in Figure 2.11:
Figure 2.12 Overview of automatic transmission
Pros: More convenient for urban driving; Easier to drive and comfort of driving. Figure 2.11 Overview of manual transmission
Cons: More expensive to buy and maintain; Not suitable for carrying or towing heavy load; Might not as reliable as manual transmission. 10 | P a g e
2.3 Other Considerations
2.3.2 Hand Brake Type
2.3.1 Ground Clearance
There are two types of hand brakes: manual hand brake and electronic hand brake. Although electronic hand brake is of advanced technology, it is likely to be less reliable than manual hand brake, and maintenance cost can be high. We will recommend manual hand brake in this guide.
Figure 2.13 Ground clearance of a car
In most cases, car of higher ground clearance is recommended, especially when driving in rural area and national parks. The pros and cons of car of higher ground clearance are listed below:
Pros: Car undercoating is less likely to be damanged when: There are objects/animals on road; Driving on uneven terrain; Driving close to road curbs; Driving on steep ramp.
Figure 2.14 Manual hand brake
Cons: Higher centre of gravity, not as stable as car of lower centre of gravity when turning at high speed.
Figure 2.15 Electronic hand brake
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Part 3 - How to Buy a Car Explained in Steps Buying a new car is relatively simple. Buying a used car from a dealer can also be simple, as the cars have been inspected and are likely to be road-worthy, but meanwhile the dealerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s price is more expensive than that of private sale. Here we will introduce how to buy a used car from a private owner. Once you have learned how to buy a used car from a private owner, you will find it much easier to buy cars from dealer. Now you are equipped with knowledge of car fundamentals, and it is time to apply your knowledge into practice to select a used car that suitable for you.
Step 1: Search and Shortlist Cars For private sales, it is easy to get sales information from popular website such as Gumtree, Car Sales etc.
Figure 3.1 Vehicle valuation tool from Gumtree
Keep in mind, cars of the same model can still be different, as cars are used for different purposes, driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s habits are different, and defects are different. After shortlist your cars, it is time to give the owner a call to ask some questions, so that you can work out the car value with more information.
Gumtree Cars https://www.gumtree.com.au/cars Car Sales https://www.carsales.com.au/
Step 2: Call Owner to Seek for More Information
Search from website. Pay special attention on:
Questions to ask over the phone:
Car model; Which year it was built; Registration status; Odometer; Defects and roadworthy certificate; Weight of vehicle; Why the owner want to sell the vehicle
1. Why are you selling it?
Warning: Do NOT buy an unregistered vehicle, or the vehicle that registration has expired. Normally these cars have critical defects that will not pass inspection, or expensive to fix. If you found a few cars that appears to be good deal, search for its market price (Figure 3.1), and history trade records for the same model.
2. How long have you owned the car? How many kilometres you put on it since you own the car? 3. Are you the first owner? If not, how many owners are you aware of? 4. What do you use the car for? 5. Do you have service records? 6. Any defects you are aware of? 7. Did you do any major changes on the car, such as engine / transmission / suspension change? 8. Have you done any work on engines? E.g. replacing head gasket. 9. What other work you have done for the car? When did you change transmission oil, brake pads, brake fluids, radiators, coolant, drive belts etc.? 10. What car are you looking to get now? Why? If you are satisfied with the answers, then the next step is to arrange time for car inspection. 12 | P a g e
Step 3: Vehicle Inspection and Running Test
2
All seat belts are functioning.
On the day of vehicle inspection, it would be handy to bring the following items:
3
Seats are in good condition, seats are adjustable.
OBDII scanner Torch Pen and paper A few tools (if available) Jack and Jack stands (if available)
4
Is the headliner sagging?
5
Check internal lights working.
6
Check steeling wheel for wear and damage.
Exterior Check
7
Check gear stick and shift knob for wear and damage.
8
Check operation of hand brake. Reconsider if it is electronic hand brake.
9
Check clutch pedal, accelerator pedal and brake pedal. If car odometer is low, excessive wear may indicate odometer has been adjusted back.
10
Check under carpet for rust, stains, or holes
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Check all power windows are working
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Check both power mirrors are working
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Check rear view mirror in good condition
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Check air conditioners working in different modes.
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Check wipers and washer fluid works. Check rear wiper (if applicable)
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Check all door handles working (inside and outside)
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Check central power locks function for all doors
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Check horn is working.
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Check radio is working.
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Check car boot/trunk, Check if spare tyre and tools are available.
No. 1
Item Scratches, rust and dents
2
Condition of paint
3
Any cracks or holes on windows
4
Inspect tire tread for wear
5
Are all 4 tires/wheels the same?
6
Are brake rotors rusty? Rusty brake rotors indicate car not run for long time.
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Inspect under the car for leaks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engine oil, transmission oil, coolant etc. Wipe under the car to check any dripping fluids.
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Inspect under the car for cracks and rust
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Inspect suspension (tie rods, ball joints, shock absorbers, axle, steering rack boots not torn)
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Result
Inspect fuel tank is securely mounted and no sign of crack.
Interior Check No. 1
Item Turn on car battery and inspect car dash. Confirm all gauges are working. If the below two lights stay on, this indicates problem: Check Engine Light Check Airbag Light
Result
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Lights Check No. 1
Engine Bay Check Item
Dash light
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Parking lights (front and rear)
3
Number plate lights
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Low beams
5
High beams
6
9
Right Indication lights (front, rear and side) Left Indication lights (front, rear and side) Hazard lights (same as indication light) Brake lights
10
Reverse lights
11
Fog lights (if applicable)
Result
Scan engine with OBDII scanner, check for any fault codes. Note that P1000 means codes were cleared recently.
Before Start Up
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No. 1
Item Check car VIN number and Engine number. Confirm they are the same as that on registration paperwork.
2
Does hood open easily?
3
Inspect for leaks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engine oil, transmission oil, coolant Leaks can be seen at engine valve cover, hoses etc.
4
Check engine oil level, confirm engine oil is not frothy
5
Open engine oil cap, check there is no froth under cap
6
Check coolant. Note: Do NOT check if the car is not cooled down, coolant can be very hot)
7
Check brake fluid level and colour
8
Check steeling fluid level and colour
9
Check all hoses for sign of loose or crack. Pay special attention if hoses are made of plastic.
10
Check drive belts for tear / crack.
11
Check battery, check for any material build up, check insulation cover in good condition.
12
Check all electrical wirings and plugs/socket in good condition.
Result
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Cold Start Up No. 1
Item Check for any noise (ticking, grinding, drive belt slippage).
Item Conduct acceleration test, including: Regular acceleration Hard acceleration Confirm smooth acceleration with no knocks or hesitation.
2 Put into neutral gear, rev up the engine and check if the engine moves a lot. Moving engine indicates bad engine mounts.
Conduct turning test. Confirm no shifting / slipping.
3
Conduct brake test, including: Regular braking Hard braking Check for noise and stop distance
Does the idle drop and smooth out – this might due to dirt build-up at throttle.
4
Check for any noise and vibrations, confirm comfort driving experience
5
Confirm all gears can be shifted smoothly. When driving on high way, check RPM at top gear
6
After running test, open the hood again. Check for any smoke coming out from outlet manifold.
7
Inspect for leaks again – engine oil, transmission oil, coolant. Leaks can be seen at engine valve cover, hoses etc.
8
Inspect under the car for leaks again – engine oil, transmission oil, coolant etc. Wipe under the car to check any dripping fluids.
Does it take long to start?
3
Check exhaust for smoke, and colour of smoke
5
Result
No. 1
2
4
Running Test
Warm Start Up No. 1
Item Check for any noise (ticking, grinding, drive belt slippage).
2
Does it take long to start?
3
Check exhaust for smoke, and colour of smoke
4
Can you hear bubbling in radiator reservoir – this might indicate blown head gasket.
5
Does the idle drop and smooth out – this might due to dirt build-up at throttle.
Result
Result
After the thorough inspection, you are likely to find more defects than the owner is aware of, and work out the cost to fix these defects. Now you have a more accurate estimation of the car’s value, which will help to decide whether to buy this car or not. If you think it will be a good deal, work out how much you wish to pay for the car, and then bargain with the car owner. For more information of car inspection, refer to YouTube channel ChrisFix - How to inspect and buy a used car: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvKbarVt whUv6bjLhJSyaEOxaYy03j7QS 15 | P a g e
Step 4: Make Payment and Transfer Registration After the deal is made, you can make payment by transfer from bank account or cash. A copy of receipt shall be kept by both buyer and owner. Transfer registration is simple. The owner can submit the Notice of Disposal online (e.g. from Service NSW’s website). After the owner submits the Notice of Disposal, then you will be able to transfer registration online (e.g. from Service NSW’s website). Note that registration needs to be transferred within 14 days from the day of purchase, otherwise a higher fee will be charged.
Step 5: Renew Registration for the Vehicle Vehicle Safety Check (Pink Slip Inspection) To renew car registration in New South Wales, if your car is older than 5 years, you need to send your car for a Vehicle Safety Check, or Pink Slip Inspection. The inspection normally includes: Running test; Brake test; Checking damage of structures; Checking function of all lights, seat belts, wipers, doors; Checking condition of tyres; General inspection of engine bay and oil leaks.
Safety and Identity Check (Blue Slip Inspection) Safety and Identity Check, or Blue Slip Inspection is for unregistered vehicles, or the car’s registration expired for more than 3 months. It will be more though and normally more defects can be found for an older car. As a result, the cost for repairs can be high, sometimes even higher than the value of the car. This is the reason that you should never buy an unregistered vehicle.
Car Insurance Compulsory Third Party Insurance (CTP), or Greenslip, needs to be paid before renewing registration. The CTP does: Provide for compensation for people killed or injured in a motor vehicle accident. This includes pedestrians, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists, driver or other vehicles, and to a lesser extent, the driver at fault. Your greenslip does NOT cover: The driver at fault to the full extent of the scheme, except for fixed benefits for all injuries up to 6 months, or unless the driver is catastrophically injured; Damage to your vehicle or property; Damage to other people’s vehicles or property; Theft of your vehicle. Refer to the below link for more information. https://www.greenslips.com.au/aboutgreenslips/what-is-a-greenslip.html
It is recommended you send your car for Pink Slip Inspection at least one month before registration expiry date, so that you have sufficient time to conduct repairs if not passing the inspection.
Pay for Registration and Motor Vehicle Tax
Note: You should never let your car run out of rego, as driving a car with expired registration, or unregistered will result in heavy penalty. You will be ONLY legible to drive an unregistered car to the nearest inspection station.
Note that the higher weight of a vehicle, the higher Motor Vehicle Tax to be paid. This is the reason that you may avoid buying a vehicle with higher tare weight.
Registration fee and Motor Vehicle Tax need to be paid when renewing registration.
Cost of registration can be found from Service NSW’s website: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/registration/fees/ registration-costs.html#Safetychecksandinspections
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Part 4 - Servicing Your Car Servicing your car will significantly improve your car’s reliability and performance. A well-maintained car will have longer service life. You will be able to get service parts from retail shops, car dealers and auto wreckers.
Retail Stores In Australia, Repco, Supercheap and Autobarn are the most popular car parts retailers, and they also sell a wide range of tools and car accessories. Figure 4.3 List of parts that suitable for your car
Common service parts such as engine oil, oil filters, air filters to be replaced every 6 months. Parts such as coolant, brake fluids, drive belts, brake pads, wipers, etc. are replaced less often depending your car condition. Other parts such as engine mount, transmission oil, water pump, radiator, can be replaced as required.
Figure 4.1 popular car parts retailers in Australia
Now we will use Supercheap’s website as an example, to find out the parts that suitable for your car. Click on “My Garage”, you will be able to search your car by rego. Then all the parts that suitable for your car will come up.
Before buying any parts for your vehicle, always compare the price and availability between Repco, Supercheap and Autobarn. You will be able to search videos online (such as ChrisFix’s YouTube channel, Scotty Kilmer’s YouTube channel etc.) for servicing or replacing parts for your car.
Car Dealers Car dealers also will be able to source parts for you. However, the price can be more expensive or not readily available.
Auto Wreckers Auto wreckers dismantle decommissioned or wrecked vehicles, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, are sold to metal-recycling companies.
Figure 4.2 Search by rego to find parts that suitable for your car Figure 4.4 Auto wreckers 17 | P a g e
The parts that sold at auto wreckers can be in good condition with much cheaper price. If your car is an old model, it might be easier to get parts from auto wreckers, such as front bumper, side mirrors, lights, door handles, etc.
End Life of Car
Sometimes you may be allowed use tools to take the parts from the car by yourself.
There are two main reasons that a car is disposed at an auto wrecker:
No matter how expensive your car is, you probably only get $100 cash back when the car is disposed at an auto wrecker.
The car had an accident and not economical to fix; Car not be able to pass inspection and not economical to fix. This is why you need to take good care of your car and service your car regularly. Figure 4.5 Parts that taken from the wrecked car
Figure 4.6 shows auto wrecker JapParts Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website https://bbtjapparts.com.au/ as an example, you will be able to fill in the information to check availability of the parts.
Figure 4.6 Search parts from JapParts Newcastle
Before you going to auto wreckers, always give them a call to confirm the parts are available to pick up.
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References: Cover photo: http://asiaperspective.net/2018/10/09/futureperspective-chinas-auto-market/ [1] 9309.0 - Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 Jan 2019 https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestprodu cts/9309.0Main%20Features131%20Jan%202019?ope ndocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=9309.0&iss ue=31%20Jan%202019&num=&view=
Figure 2.8 Rear wheel drive (RWD) https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/rwd-gearbox3d-model/1086310 Figure 2.9 All wheel drive (AWD) https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-modelawd-automobile-chassis-1252905 Figure 2.11 Overview of manual transmission https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3ds-maxtransmission-manual-hd6-dohc/581781
[2] VFACTS: 2019 new car sales results https://www.caradvice.com.au/817278/vfacts-2019new-car-sales-results/
Figure 2.12 Overview of automatic transmission https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3ds-maxcayman-981-boxster-transmission/736946
[3] 2015 Manheim Used Car Report https://press.manheim.com/2015-01-23-Manheims20th-Annual-Used-Car-Market-Report-Sees-GrowthStability-As-Key-Drivers-Of-Robust-Used-VehicleMarket-In-2014#assets_20295_122768-118
Figure 2.14 Manual hand brake https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F %2Fwww.torque.com.sg%2Fadvice%2Fare-manualhandbrakes-safer-electronicones%2F&psig=AOvVaw035KwwnRJzaUqtL0Wzplz J&ust=1589684377276000&source=images&cd=vfe& ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCICZ8LaytkCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
[4] Australia average vehicle age is 10.1 years https://www.caradvice.com.au/574207/australiaaverage-vehicle-age-is-10-1-years/ [5] Top 100 new cars sold in Australia in 2019 https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/top-100-newcars-sold-in-australia-in-2019-77618 [6] Scotty Kilmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkdV1IPcJ44
Figure 2.1 Inline four (straight four) engine Source: https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/4cylinder-engine-max/1121026
Figure 2.15 Electronic hand brake https://www.carthrottle.com/post/less-than-a-third-ofnew-cars-have-a-manual-handbrake/ Figure 4.4 Auto wreckers https://sawreckers.com.au/4-things-to-do-before-sellyour-car-to-wrecker/ Figure 4.5 Parts that taken from the wrecked car https://cceurodismantlers.com.au/ Back cover photo: Shutterstock.com 468042385
Figure 2.2 Horizontally-opposed boxer engine https://www.subaru.com/engineering/design/boxeroptions.html Figure 2.3 Inline six (straight six) engine https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-inline-6cylinder-car-engine-model-1268963 Figure 2.4 V6 engine https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-sectionedv6-engine-animation-1345306 Figure 2.5 V8 engine https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-2014chevrolet-silverado-v8-engine-model/737698 Figure 2.6 Turbocharger https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/6877turbocharger-compressor-3d-1319435 Figure 2.7 Front wheel drive (FWD) https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/wheelsuspension-engine-3ds/576324 19 | P a g e
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