Russian legislators continue to work on a package of amendments to legislation related to the reform of the OSAGO system. Consideration of another bill is scheduled for autumn, which should secure the right of insurers to increase the tariff range.
In accordance with the proposed amendments to the legislation, it is assumed that insurance companies will be able to expand the corridor by 30-40 percent both in terms of increasing and reducing tariffs. This is done to motivate car owners to drive more carefully.
Thus, when issuing policies for the next insurance period, conscientious drivers who avoid accidents will be able to pay less. But reckless drivers will be forced to fork out, which should encourage them to drive more carefully in the future.
At first glance, everything looks prudent and balanced. However, lawyers saw a serious flaw in the project. It concerns the freedom that will be given to insurance companies in determining the size of the corridor. In other words, the agent may, at its discretion, raise the price of the service to the allowable maximum, while refusing to symmetrically reduce the cost of policies to the legal minimum, experts say.
We add that the changes prepared for adoption also involve the abolition of a number of provisions that take into account the regional aspect, as well as engine parameters. At the same time, not only insured events, but also an analysis of driving style in general will serve as additional parameters for setting tariffs. This means that any serious sins, such as speeding, driving into the oncoming lane, captured by video recording devices, driving while intoxicated, will affect the cost of the OSAGO policy.
This will give companies a more sophisticated tool to price their services. Social activists and auto experts saw two problems in this. Firstly, the likelihood of abuse by insurers in an effort to make money, which will lead to an increase in the maximum price bar, while maintaining the minimum at the current level, without providing any bonuses to accurate and experienced drivers. And secondly, observers saw the principle of double punishment in such a system. That is, a driver who has already been fined for violating traffic rules will also overpay for the policy.
According to autosocial activists, this trend may further spread to other spheres of life. And negligent drivers will be punished everywhere, from the cost of maintenance to additional fees for utilities. Although this may seem fair to some, it directly contradicts one of the constitutional principles, according to which a citizen cannot be punished for the same offense twice.
When buying a used car, the most important are the condition of the engine, transmission and bodywork. The fact that the interior of the car is clean, the rims are beautiful, does not mean anything if the engine has hidden problems, or was poorly maintained by the previous owner. Engine repairs are very expensive. Of course, it's difficult to assess the mechanical condition of an engine during a quick test drive, which is why we highly recommend having the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic before purchasing. To help you be more informed, here are some tips on how to determine the condition of an engine before buying a used car.
Check the entries in the vehicle's service book.
The service book may be missing, and you should not fully trust him. But the entries in the service book provide some evidence that the car has had regular maintenance. Pay attention to oil change records. You will know if the oil has been changed on a regular basis or not, which is fraught with engine wear. As a rule, the manufacturer indicates the engine oil change interval in kilometers (or miles). There are also restrictions in the time period - 3 months -6 months - 1 year. The car can stand and not go on the road, and the oil in the engine will still lose its properties - that is why the manufacturers have also introduced a temporary restriction. Depending on the manufacturer, the recommended oil change interval varies from 7,000 to 15,000 km. We determine the operating conditions, and they are difficult for us, which means we need to change them 2 times more often. We count at 10,000 km. No more, so that the engine does not break.
We look at the records of the replacement of toothed belts. If the timing belt or chain has not been changed, the replacement will cost you a lot of money, depending on the complexity of the engine. By postponing the replacement of the belt, you may have to repair the engine in case of a broken belt.
When inspecting a used car, carefully inspect the engine. It's good to have a flashlight with you. Make sure the engine is off, the transmission is in Neutral or Park, and the parking brake is on. What you need to look out for are leaks, the smell of burnt oil or antifreeze, signs of bad repairs, or a lack of regular maintenance and "race" modifications. Sealant coming out from under the gaskets, missing nuts and bolts should alert you. Just because everything looks clean and shiny doesn't mean it's okay. Car dealers clean, wash, marafet before showing them to customers.
Let's look at a few examples:
Signs of Poor Service
Acid deposits on battery terminals
If the battery looks like the one in the photo, then it is unlikely that this vehicle has been serviced regularly.
Smell of oil under the hood
Shiny Engine Compartment This engine looks clean and shiny, but you smelled a strong smell of burnt oil. This is a sign of possible problems in the future, think twice before buying such a car.
Leaks
Coolant leak
This car is running fine, but close inspection showed coolant leaking from the radiator. At a minimum, this car requires a radiator replacement, but sometimes, a cracked radiator can be a sign of a more serious problem. It is best not to buy a car with such a problem.
Check for oil leaks. They may not be visible from above, a tip is to look under the car using a flashlight. Check the underside of the engine and transmission. Everything must be dry. There may be some dampness, which is not so critical, but there should be no leaks.
Low oil level
Check the oil level. The oil looks dirty, the level is low. This means that either this engine is running out of oil, or the oil was changed a long time ago. The engine wears out faster when the oil level is low. The oil level should normally be close to the "Full" mark.
Normal oil level
The engine oil in this car looks clean and the level is normal. Looks like the oil was changed recently.
This test can tell a lot about an engine. If you are unsure of your knowledge, ask a mechanic friend to help you. With the engine off, remove the oil filler cap and look under it.
Oil filler check
For example, in the left photo, you can see that there is a lot of black carbon deposits under the cap. The visible parts of the internal engine and the cork itself look very dirty. This is usually a sign of poor service. In the right photo, everything looks clean.
Increase in engine power.
Be careful if the used car has been tuned. Done right, changes can make a big difference to a car. However, a poorly done "chip-tuning" of an engine can lead to many problems. Especially if the parts changed (camshafts, crankshaft, connecting rods, etc.). If the car was subjected to "chip-tuning", most likely the engine was running at maximum loads.
Cold Starting Can Reveal Many Hidden Problems The best way to uncover hidden problems is to start a cold engine. The first thing this will show is the condition of the battery, because if the battery is bad, you may have to buy a new one. After starting the car, all warning lights on the dashboard should go out. For example, the "Check Engine" light is on. This means that the engine computer has detected some kind of failure. This may be a minor problem, but fixing it will probably cost a lot of money. There is no other way to know how serious the problem is until computer and instrumental diagnostics are carried out.
Exhaust smoke
Blue Smoke from a Car's Exhaust Here's another example: you start your car and notice blue-gray smoke coming out of the exhaust. The exhaust smells like burnt oil. Blue smoke means the engine is burning oil. It is better to refuse such a purchase.
Test drive During a test drive, listen to the engine, watch for vibrations, check how the engine pulls. When starting, the engine should run smoothly, without shaking or hesitation. If you feel that the engine is noisy, there are dips during acceleration, it accelerates unevenly, then there is a problem. The idle speed should be stable. Ride as long as possible; sometimes problems cannot be identified on short trips. It is best to try the car in all modes: acceleration, braking, pulling away, at high speed. Monitor the engine temperature on the dashboard. After the engine has warmed up, the temperature gauge should remain somewhere near the middle of the scale. Even if everything seems to be going well, we highly recommend having your used vehicle properly inspected by an independent mechanic before purchasing.
Read 1925 once
When purchasing a used car for yourself, you must be very scrupulous about its assessment before buying at the inspection stage. The main feature of a used car is that the previous owner does not bear any warranty obligations to the buyer. Therefore, it is recommended that at the stage preceding the acquisition of the car, as much as possible to identify all possible shortcomings so that they do not make themselves felt at the moment when it will already be your property. As a rule, the first thing the buyer examines is how the car looks on the outside, in terms of touch-ups, etc. But without a well-functioning engine, a beautiful body has no special value at all. So, you should definitely look under the hood of the car you are buying.
How to properly check the engine when buying a car
The very first and, perhaps, the main thing is not a word about the fact that you have little understanding of car engines. It is necessary either to say nothing at all and mysteriously remain silent with a smart face, or to pretend to be a hardened motorist who has seen so many engines in his lifetime that he himself can already design breakthrough novelties blindfolded. Speak measuredly, clearly, be calm. Never express joy when you hear something you expected. You need to put on the so-called imperturbable mask, absolutely without emotions.
Analyze all seller responses. If he starts to “pour water” or evade the answer, then something is clearly wrong, and in the past there is some kind of “sin” regarding this car. Pay attention to the seller's reaction when you inspect the car. Does he allow you to watch wherever you please, or in some places he tries to distract you and transfer you to another topic.
What to look for in an engine
To inspect the power unit of the purchased car, you will need:
- work gloves;
Clean rags;
White list.
So, start looking around.
1. External examination
Open the hood of the car and look around the entire engine compartment. Look for oil stains and drips - these are the first signs of an engine malfunction. Even small signs in the future can turn into big oil leak problems for you. Pay special attention to the areas around and distributor.
The causes of leaks can be hidden in leaky gaskets, rubber seals and loose hose clamps. Another cause of oil leaks is a poorly fitting cylinder head cover. Take a good look at the joint and make sure it is free of oil and sealant. Even if the seller brought the engine back to normal in advance, he could still miss something. Feel free to expose! For example, traces on the hood from the inside may indicate an engine malfunction, inspect it more closely. If there are scratches on the bolts and nuts, even minor ones, it means that someone has already opened the motor, and this is clearly not without reason. But it's good if you were notified that the engine was scheduled to be sorted out recently.
2. Check the condition of the engine oil and antifreeze
Check the oil with a dipstick, antifreeze - simply by unscrewing the cap of the expansion tank or radiator. The oil should be transparent, without visible impurities and small chips, not too viscous and not exude incomprehensible odors. There should be no extraneous plaque or streaks on the dipstick.. Bubbles in the oil are the first sign of a leak, and this is a very serious problem. In the case of coolant, the presence of air in it means that it is leaking directly into the engine. And there are two reasons for this: either the gasket leaked, or the head of the block cracked, and this is completely unacceptable. Antifreeze is a corrosive liquid and can damage piston rings, which will subsequently cause irreparable damage to the entire engine.
3. Oil filler cap
Inspect the cover outside and inside. Under it or on the neck itself there should be no foam or white coating. The presence of the latter clearly indicates that antifreeze has entered the engine. And what will happen to the engine in the future, we have already said in the second paragraph.
4. Candles and rubber elements
Hoses and seals must not be damaged, even small cracks are unacceptable. If it is dirty and dusty under the hood, put on gloves, do not be lazy, and use a rag to wipe all the nodes and inspect them. Old soot can hide many defects. If possible, unscrew a couple of candles, you can learn a lot from their appearance. If they are in order, then they will have a thin layer of light grayish or yellowish coating. Slight wear of the electrode is acceptable. If a crack appears on the surface of at least one candle, then the engine will work with a knock. If abundant light deposits appeared on the candles, the oil was chosen incorrectly.
If the center electrode of the spark plug is melted, this can indicate many problems, ranging from early ignition and low-quality fuel to problems with the valves and ignition distributor. The formation of a hard build-up, like a glaze, which consists of soot, or severe wear of the electrodes means that the oil or fuel used was with numerous additives. Oily ones serve as an indicator of excess oil in the lubrication system and serious wear on piston rings, cylinders and valve guides. Soot on them indicates a poor formation of an air-fuel mixture or a clogged air filter that needs to be replaced.
Checking the engine in operation
1. Start the engine and rev a little on the spot
when starting, it should not rattle and make other extraneous sounds. The engine should start on the first try, no matter how warm it is and what weather conditions are “overboard”. It should work without interruption, absolutely smoothly. If the motor began to pull, extraneous vibrations are observed, the rhythm goes astray, there is only one conclusion - the engine is troit. So, one of the cylinders stopped working. The reason may lie in a faulty ignition system, poor performance of one of the candles, an over-enriched fuel mixture, or a burned-out piston. In any case, discuss this problem with the seller. Estimate how much the repair will cost, and knock off a couple of times more for the car.
2. Check instrument readings
When the engine is running warm, the arrows of the temperature and oil pressure sensors should be within normal limits, ideally in the middle position.
3. What kind of smoke comes out of the exhaust?
If, when starting the power unit, abundant white smoke came out of the pipe, but soon completely disappeared, then there is absolutely no need to worry: this is most likely a simple condensate. If the smoke does not stop coming out of the pipe, then the smell and color can quickly diagnose the problem. If the smoke is white or has a slight bluish tint, which quickly dissipates in the air, leaving a sweet smell, this means that there is antifreeze in the car's engine cylinders.
Clearly blue or gray smoke, which may also have a whitish tint, hanging in the air with a light lilac or gray haze, means that oil is leaking into the combustion chamber. If the car “shines” with such surprises, it’s better not to risk turning a blind eye to it, because repairs can be very expensive for you. And, finally, it signals that the air-fuel mixture burns inefficiently. The reasons for this are several malfunctions: coking of air jets, depressurization, malfunctions in the lambda probe and. The consequences in this case are such that the engine wears out much faster, and exhaust toxicity becomes prohibitive.
4. Test drive
If the car you like passed all the above tests with a bang, then it remains only to ride it. The first mistake that used car buyers make at this stage is a long one. Often they are limited to a short trip around the bazaar, but this is not enough to fully understand what kind of car they drive. If the car engine has exceeded all your expectations in a short distance, ask the seller to drive a few more kilometers. Agree that you compensate for the expense and time costs.
It’s better to check now than to waste later on malfunctions that were not detected in time, puzzling over the question of where to find a good minder cheaper. Focus on the sound of the engine, do not turn on the music and anything that can drown it out. Listen to the engine with the windows open and closed, accelerate, experiment with hard accelerations and observe the behavior of the car. Accelerate to 100 km / h or more, if traffic rules allow, and understand if there are any vibrations and jerks, how the engine sounds, if it makes extraneous noises, knocks and other annoying and abnormal things.
5. Re-diagnosis of the motor
At the end of the trial test drive, look under the hood again and check if there are any smudges and if everything remains as it was before the race. If after a trip you were embarrassed by some hint of leakage, but the engine is clean and looks good, most likely this is just the owner’s move to sell the car faster - he washed the engine. But if other points do not bother you, then this place of oil leakage is nothing terrible, and you can safely buy a car for a small discount.
If the engine kicked like an unbridled stallion during the journey, and then spat out a lot of oil streaks, then refuse to buy such a car. Pay the cost of gas and keep looking, because this car is not for you. This car will be purchased by someone who likes to repair, not drive.
And let's summarize. If all of the above is not enough for you, or you doubt your strengths and capabilities, take a person who understands with you or go to a service station and order a comprehensive check of the engine. Thus, you will protect yourself and minimize the likelihood of buying a car with a "finished engine".
For any person, the purchase of a new car is always a responsible and exciting process, since this is not beer and they do not buy it every day, but maybe only once or twice in their lives. This refers to the bulk of Russian citizens who are not particularly burdened with large incomes.
A small remark for a better understanding of the essence of the issue:
Honey, why did you marry me after 2 weeks, and you have been choosing a car for the 3rd month already?
You see, dear, buying a car is a serious matter!
Indeed, without knowing what you need to pay attention to when buying a car, you can buy a car that looks like it is shining like a toy, which will pull a lot of money for its constant repairs.
Affairs of the Heart
As you know, the engine is the heart of the car and the further fate of the vehicle will depend on its condition. Will you just ride, enjoy the ride with your 4-wheeled friend, or will you constantly hang around the doorsteps of auto repair shops, leaving your hard-earned …
The only plus in this situation is that you will learn a lot from your wife about yourself and your relatives ...
So, let's focus on what you need to pay attention to when purchasing a car, namely how to check the engine when buying a car.
For any motors
First and foremost! This applies to both new and used cars. A running engine should not externally differ in any way from a non-started engine, that is, it should not be visually visible that it is working.
Black soot;
Wet spark plug from unburnt fuel.
In a serviceable engine, the spark plugs are dry and have a light brown to dark brown color.
Engine operation
A properly adjusted engine should start on the first attempt, in extreme cases on the second, run smoothly at idle, smoothly pick up speed and reset it when the gas pedal is released.
In this case, no extraneous sounds, rustling or knocking should be heard. When dialing the working one, the electric fan for blowing the cooling radiator should work. This in turn will tell you that the thermostat opens according to the set opening temperature and creates a constant circulation of the coolant.
Test Drive
In conclusion, you need to make a test drive on the car to check the behavior of the engine in various modes of operation. Make sure that its throttle response and power are normal, the car easily goes uphill without downshifting. During the movement there are no jerks, and no extraneous sounds.
After the trip, you should open the hood and re-examine the engine, if there are streaks on a clean engine, then this indicates that there are problems in the engine that the owner tried to hide before selling.
We hope that the tips given in the article will be useful to future motorists when purchasing their first or next car.
A contract engine is often called a "pig in a poke". Indeed, there is some truth in these words, because there is no way to fully and efficiently check the unit until it is installed on the car. Of course, it is impossible to install every contract engine on a car for verification, but there are a number of ways to more or less accurately determine its condition:
- the appearance of the engine;
- the condition of the spark plugs;
- cylinders and manifold;
- compression;
- oil filler neck;
- throttle valve;
- crankshaft condition.
Consider all these ways to check the condition of a contract engine before buying.
Advice! When you go to choose a contract motor, take a set of keys, gloves and a flashlight with you. This will make the inspection process much easier for you.
Appearance
First of all, the engine should be free of oil smudges and soot. If the seller tells you that the contract engine has traveled no more than 50 thousand km, and you see obvious traces of oil on the engine, do not believe him. Most likely, the real mileage of such a unit is at least 80 or 90 thousand km.
Also, there should be no obvious signs of corrosion on the contract engine. If they are, then the engine was stored in improper conditions. Most likely, he lay for a long time in a damp, unheated warehouse. You should not choose such a motor, because no one will undertake to say what microdestructions such storage could lead to.
We should not forget that sellers are often dishonest with buyers. They wash and polish engines, removing visible oil marks and corrosion. Too clean, downright shiny contract engines should be treated with great caution. If there are alternatives, it is better to refuse such a purchase. Or carefully inspect according to other criteria.
When buying, it is better to prefer a more “honest” unit:
Important! Be vigilant, do not forget that a dishonest seller can wash a contract engine to make it more attractive.
Spark plug
There are two main features for spark plugs. First, they must not have traces of oil or oil deposits. Also, the absence of candles or completely new candles should alert you, refuse to buy such a contract engine. Soot on the candles means that the valve stem seals are not working properly. Such a malfunction indicates that the engine has traveled more than 200 thousand km. Secondly, all electrodes on the candles must have the same color. This means that they were exploited correctly and evenly. These nuances are very important to check.
Important! If the seller does not allow you to disassemble and carefully check the motor, most likely he has something to hide.
Cylinders and manifold
After you have taken out the candles, look into the candle holes, shine a flashlight there and inspect the cylinders. Turn the crankshaft to make sure the piston group is intact. Next, look into the intake and exhaust manifold openings. Rotate the crankshaft to make sure all valves are working properly. Try to reach the valve and check its play. Pliers or a wire hook can help you with this. If you find a strong backlash, this is a sign of a high mileage of the car(about 200 thousand). You should refuse to buy such a motor.
Important! Before turning the crankshaft, make sure that the timing belt (chain) is not removed from the car.
Compression
Before buying, it is also worth checking the compression of the contract engine; for this, use the key. Turn the motor clockwise. After making one turn, the key will, as it were, spring back, after a few - “fail”. At this moment, the valves opened, the air was released from the cylinder. Check all engine cylinders in this way. Such a check, although it will not determine the compression value in the engine, will make sure that all cylinders are working properly.
Oil filler neck
Remove the oil filler cap and check that everything is clean inside and there are no deposits. Traces of oil soot or any dark clots on the walls indicate an untimely oil change in a contract engine. If you find coffee-colored deposits on the cover, it means that coolant is getting into the oil. In any case, it is better to refuse to buy a motor.
This is how the oil filler should ideally look on a unit with a mileage of 50-60 thousand km:
Throttle
As with the oil filler neck, the inside should be clean. There should be no traces of oil soot.
Crankshaft play
Remove the timing belt and shake the crankshaft. If you find a slight play in the horizontal plane, this is normal; it shouldn't be vertical. If there is a noticeable crankshaft play, do not buy such a contract engine. Most likely, the crankshaft bearings are badly worn out.
For a better choice, watch this video on how you can still check a contract engine when buying:
