what to look for in a used dsm

[burntheblobs]

I am looking at buying a 1g turbo awd dsm really soon, and I want to make sure it was taken care of. What preventative maintenence should I look for and what are some tell tale signs of abuse? I'd appreciate anything you got.

 

[djsm1769]

test drive the dsm u choose. ask for receipt on what has been done to the car also look at who your gonna buy the car from i got lucky my 2nd talon i got, the car was driven by a 41 year old woman that was original owner. look for leaks under motor, any axle broken

I am looking at buying a 1g turbo awd dsm really soon, and I want to make sure it was taken care of. What preventative maintenence should I look for and what are some tell tale signs of abuse? I'd appreciate anything you got.

 

[Pulsr]

Do a compression test on the motor.

 

[BGGSTin]

Along with the above try to find one that has nothing done to it [i.e. performance stuff] General maintainence reports would also be nice but if you find one with no mods on it the less chance it was beat on. Have fun and hope you find one soon

 

[jayboogie]

look for...

-paperwork
-records? last oil change/timing belt change.
-how many owners
-rust in all places: hatch, wheel wells, any surface rust
-check gauges, do they all works?
-lights: turn signals, etc.
-does it come with a working A/C? heat?
-let it run and idle for a while so you can check if it has cooling problems.
-check OIL, does it smell burnt?
-have a friend go with you to double check everything. - check for leaks, have him look at your exhaust when you test drive it... is there any blue/any colored smoke?
-find out as much as you can about the car.
-does the turbo spool quickly?

basically, if there's any doubt in your mind that the car isn't good, wasn't taken care of, won't last you long... DONT BUY IT. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE OTHER CARS AND OTHER GREAT DEALS. ALWAYS.

 

[EuroEclipse]

you guys are forgetting one of the good things to check for also.

since it's AWD, go into an empty parking lot and crank the wheel ALL the way to the left and back up. then do it with the wheel to the right as well. if you hear any creaking and nasty sounds coming from the transfer case, it's damaged and will need repair or replacing.

 

[mtwollet]

Don't Have the owner drive the car and see how hi he can max out boost before fuel cut arrives without knowing whats going on internally WTF

count on have to resolder the fusebox connections for the fuses if the previous owner put a bunch of fuse taps in the fusebox for accessories

As stated above make sure your SRS light if any is working so that the owner dosen't pull a fast one on ya. Tust me it happens to people...

 

[WoodyAnderson]

For a 1G, ask if they've replaced the Capacitors in the ECU. If not, do it first thing after you buy it. Capacitors cost about $5, but if you wait til it fails, it's +$200 for ECU rebuild.