The good news is that car purchases are on the rise. Surprised? Don’t be, I’m talking about used cars and trucks. I was reading this vibe on used car buying tools, on the Auto Channel and found them interesting and helpful.

Used cars are selling faster than new cars because with such a poor economy and dealership failures, a used car is a safe bet if you know what you are getting. The use of the above mentioned tools is a great idea. It helps with knowing some obscure happenings that happen to cars. Such as if the car was ever flooded out and then reconditioned and sold without telling anyone. Or even wrecked and fixed without divulging it to a possible buyer.

The other info provided by these devices is standard stuff. The one thing that these services can’t replace or tell you are the things one may find if you take a prospective car you want to buy to a qualified repair shop and pay a few bills to have it checked out personal by a mechanic you trust.

What I like about an up close and personal checkout is exactly that, a human being is physically taking a look. You can’t see or check these items over a computer or by putting the car next to the phone.

1. Engine compression test.

2. Take off the wheels and look at the entire brake system including brake hoses, pads or shoes, calipers and rotors. Look for brake fluid leaks at the calipers or wheel cylinders. Make sure there is no rust or corrosion on the metal lines. Tire wear and date code.

3. Radiator, hoses, belts, coolant condition, flow and freeze plugs.

4. Water pump and fan clutch assembly.

5. Spots of rust underneath the chassis in spots that may indicate a rust problem is starting. Bad wires and wiring harnesses.

6. Have the engine scanned for codes or underlying problems.

6. A good old fashioned test drive for at least an hour or two. It takes about an hour before you can determine if the vehicle really drives well and is comfortable. A ten minute test is nonsense…

These items I listed above can save buying a lemon. Quick story. When I owned my shop, I primarily bought my tools from the Snap On man, Bobby. We were good friends and he was my dealer for over 20 years.

He wanted to upgrade his truck and was going through some national classified adds. He found one somewhere in Iowa or Indiana. Anyway it fit his description and price. He decided to fly up and look at it first. He did not buy it because the owner misrepresented it. It was in terrible shape and probably was ready for a replacement engine. Bobby said “that was the best $600.00 I ever spent, flying up to see the truck and not buying a piece of junk that would cost way more to fix than the plane flight..”

That is the point. A qualified consumer is an educated consumer. Learn more by reading our GotEngines.com Blog for more useful auto buying information. Sign up for a free daily blog delivered to your mialbox. If you have something car related to ask, please do so..