Well, tomorrow im going to look at a 97 civic ex (used)... well long story short when buying a used car what should I just quickly look at.. like the basics, I have seen the body of the car, it is in great shape as far as body, and clean nice white paint... but as far as how do i just see if the engine is good? please help
btw it has 115,000 miles
thanks in a advance!

 

drive it see if it still has power.. check for leaks...

 

Check the oil and other fluid levels. If you can, do a compression test. I'd suggest that if you're not sure what to look for, take it to a mechanic. If that's not possible, or you're not able to check it out to your satisfaction, I'd pass.

 

When you test drive it, test the steering for tighteness, as well as the suspension. Look into the spark plug hole for any oil leaks. Have somebody rev the car to redline and see if it smokes any. Check all the electrical stuff. Look for loose wires, wires going nowhere, etc... Get up to speed and turn down the stereo, roll up the windows, and listen to the suspension for noises, cracks... Feel any vibrations... etc. Just common sense.

 

thanks guys, I really appericate it ! come on more info !!!

 

Look for a big snail-like metal object between your engine and radiator. That means your car is quick.

 

your smart bro, you should open your own shop !

 

If you can look under the car for any oil leaks. Look at what condition the bolts are in on the oil pan (just found out 2 weeks ago that half of mine are very rusted, and I had some oil coming out between the oil pan and block.

 

See if the seller has any records of any scheduled maintenance. The timing belt should've been replaced. Go underneath the car and check the condition of the boots around the axles and steering rack. Make sure all the electrical works, like all the windows going up and down. Make sure the wipers work with the washer motor. Make sure ALL the lights work - parking lights, reverse lights, headlights, high and low beams, check for signs of grime covered oil, underneath the car and around the cylinder head (both at the block and the valve cover. If you can jack up the front end of the car, make sure the wheel that's lifted off the ground does NOT wobble. If you can, bring a code scanner to make sure there are no stored codes in the computer.

 

Look at its smog results, average or better? Check that the block serial number matches smog and the car.
Check ODBII and timing.
Check dipstick for soot.
Check for scrapes on oil pan and transmission.
Check motor mount rubber.
Check radiator hose is full of fluid and check that fan comes on.