Moby Asked:

Does anybody know anything about Pennsylvania car auctions?

Reply:

At car auctions many of these cars are sold "as is" (although some auctions provide free 90-day warranties). This is often why many people are afraid of them. You usually can't test drive them either. But you can start and inspect them prior to the bidding ... and this is very important.

However, if you're buying a later model vehicle, it will come with whatever Manufacturer's Warranty still remains on the vehicle.

But whether a vehicle is under warranty or not, you still should check it out. The following will take about 10 minutes and is actually no different than what you should do anyway ... even when buying from a Car Dealer or "By-Owner" seller.

We've done this to literally thousands of cars and they have always served us very well in avoiding the "junk cars". If a car doesn't pass these simple tests with flying colors, we simply move on.

***** Start the engine and listen for any unusual sounds or knocking. Make sure the exhaust is clean. Check the air conditioning, heat and all the power options (windows, seats, sunroof, etc.). Then, with your foot on the brake, put the car in drive and reverse several times. Make sure the car doesn't lunge at all or make a clunking sound when you shift into another gear.

***** Check under the seats, floor mats and rugs to look for dampness (do this in the trunk as well).

***** Pull out the Generic Drugs oil stick. Check the oil for white bubbles (water present) and feel for grainy fragments. Also pass on a car where the oil is thick to the point of pasty. We'll also sometimes pass on a vehicle simply if the oil is very, very dirty (unless everything else is super great) because it is likely an indication that the owner didn't maintain it.

***** Also, do the same for the transmission fluid. It should not be dark brown or have a rancid smell. Check for leaking spots and stains under the car. Check the tailpipe for a gummy soot.

***** Check the exterior for rust, paint bubbles (possibly future rust), welding marks (particularly in the door frames, trunk and engine area), paint that doesn't quite match, gritty surfaces, paint overspray on bumpers and lights, and body panels out of alignment. Also, check the engine compartment for new bolts or bolts which don't match in color. And check the lights and turn signals.

he good thing is that you don't have to be a mechanic or an "expert" to do these things (although you're welcome to bring someone like that with you if you want). Do this a couple times to your car and your friends cars and you'll see that spotting the important problems definitely isn't brain surgery.

When we're getting an outstanding price on a car, we also don't sweat the "small stuff". After buying a car, if it turns out to need brake pads, an alignment, maybe a couple of new tires and so forth, we're fine with that. We budget $200 to $500 per car for minor fixups ... for every car. It's well worth it because of the low purchase price.

I'd also strongly recommend getting the CarFax Or AutoCheck (we prefer Autocheck because it's cheaper and just as good) history report prior to the auction on the cars you're interested in. Cars are announced days before the auction so there's plenty of time to do this. Many auctions supply these free. But if they don't, it's a small price to pay given your likely purchase price.