Buying a used car can be several things: an adventure, a pleasure (yes, there are people who like to spend hours looking for that ideal deal), a disappointment or an authentic Russian roulette game.
If you bought your used car at a stand that delivered it to you after a good review, congratulations, much of this list is not for you. However, if you decided to immerse yourself in the world of second-hand vehicles sold by private individuals, you should read and follow the advice we give you, as the price of not following them can be quite high.
It deals with the documentation
It's not enough to take the money and pay the former owner what he's asking for the car. To really become yours, both you and the seller must fill in the Single Form for car registration (which you can get here).
Then just go to a Citizen's Shop or a notary to register the car in your name and make the sale official (at the Citizen's Shop the process costs €65 and takes about a week to receive the Single Document in your name) .
In addition to the property registration, don't forget that in order to drive the car, you still need to take out insurance, so here's another issue that you'll have to resolve before you can hit the road.
Finally, and still in the world of car documentation, it confirms that the car is up-to-date (also mandatory) and that the painful time of year when you have to pay the Single Road Tax is approaching.
take the car to a mechanic
Ideally, you should be able to do this before buying the car, but we all know that most salespeople will not jump for joy when you ask them to take the car to a garage you trust “to see if everything is ok”.
So what we advise is that as soon as you buy the car, take it to a mechanic to see how far your assessment was correct and to prevent more expensive repairs.
And please, if you go to see a car and you have doubts about its mechanical condition, don't buy it! He believes that some of us have already done it and are still sorry today.
Change all filters
When the car is at the mechanic (or if you prefer, when you have some time) change the car's filters. Unless the car has just come out of an overhaul, chances are, the oil, air, fuel and passenger compartment filters are already in need of overhaul.
And even though it may seem like a waste of money to replace a set of filters that might have been able to travel a few thousand miles more remember: the best maintenance action on a car is preventive, this is the key to achieving high mileage.
Change engine oil
Unless when you take the dipstick out of the oil it comes with a “golden” tone, it's best to change the oil. after all if you're going to change the filters, you'll take advantage and change everything, right? Don't forget that old oil is not as effective in lubricating the engine of your “new” car and if you insist on using it you could be seriously reducing the average life expectancy of your car. It is always preferable to prevent and avoid situations like the one you can read in this article.
Change the coolant
As you may have already noticed, the car's fluids should follow the same path as the filters and all be replaced after you buy it. One of the most overlooked of the essential fluids for engine operation (unless you have an air-cooled Porsche 911, then forget about this part) is the coolant.
Bearing in mind that in our country there are quite high temperatures, we advise you to change the coolant in your car and since you will be “hands on” check the status of the entire cooling system. Although there are those who say that as it works in a closed circuit it is not necessary to change it, the tendency is that over time it becomes an electrolytic solution due to the different metals it comes into contact with and consequently becomes a corrosive agent.
Whatever you do, never, ever use water as a coolant, unless you want to corrode your engine, then you're welcome.
Read the instruction manual
Finally comes the most annoying tip. We know that reading instruction manuals is a drag, but we can't help but insist that you read your new car's manual.
The minutes you'll spend reading the manual will pay off, as from that moment on you'll know exactly what each light on the dashboard means and how to use all the equipment in your car. In addition, this is where you usually find data on maintenance intervals, tire pressure and, very importantly, how to set the clock!
Subscribe to our newsletter here
We hope these tips will help you get the most out of your new car and, preferably, without any problems. And if you're looking for a used car maybe this article will interest you: DEKRA. These are the used cars that give the least problems.