Before finalising the purchase of a used car, it is necessary to check the vehicle thoroughly. From the interior to the car body, everything should be in usable condition. Apart from other parts, the vehicle body is a must to check, as repairing a deteriorating car can cost you a fortune. That said, for self-inspection of the vehicle, it is not necessary to have profound mechanical knowledge. You can check whether your car’s body is intact or not, just by inspecting its physical condition.
Let’s go through the steps for a thorough car body intact inspection.
When to Do Car Body Inspection
Before initiating the car body inspection, here are some conditions that will aid you in the process.
- Always carry inspections during the daytime and in an open environment. Natural light enables buyers to observe the vehicle and identify dents, ripples and scratches.
- Make sure that the vehicle is parked in an open space and you can get a 360° view of the vehicle.
- To check the underbody, park the vehicle on an incline or use a jack to raise the vehicle from the ground.
Once you have catered to these conditions, let’s move towards vehicle body inspection.
How to Do Car Body Intact Inspection
Following are the steps to inspect whether the used car body is intact or not.
Check Underbody Rust
Rusting is a common phenomenon that occurs when iron reacts with moisture. Due to the close proximity to the sea, the high humidity levels in the UAE can catalyse rusting in cars.
That said, the first step in vehicle body inspection is to check underbody rusting. Start the inspection from wheel wells and rocker panels as they are more prone to underbody rusting.
Search for Dents
Dents, ripples and scratches indicate that the car body is not intact or the vehicle is accidental. Closely observe the front fascia and rear end of the car including the bumper, headlights, brake lights and hood. Moreover, inspect the car frame under the hood to ensure whether the body is intact or not. While inspecting, avoid brush marks and car scratches on the bumpers, as they are not an indication of major accidents.
Inspect Exterior Paint
Multiple factors can lead to car paint damage, including a decaying car body. Therefore, checking car paint is an efficient way of identifying an intact car body. Closely observe different panels of the car and look for colour differences. Usually, repainted panels do not match the original colour of the car, and the difference is visible in natural light.
Apart from that, use your palms to check the surface’s smoothness. Automobile companies use multiple layers of coating which makes the exterior surface smooth and shiny – this is usually missing in repainted cars.
Look for Aftermarket Modification
People generally opt for aftermarket modifications to increase the vehicle’s efficiency. However, in some cases, aftermarket modification is conducted to replace faulty parts. That said, during the car body intact inspection, make sure there are no major aftermarket modifications. If there are any, ask the vehicle owner to replace them with the original parts.
Perform Magnet Test
Auto repair shops often use body fillers to hide dents and damages on the exterior body. Typically, the body filler is made from polyester resin and therefore, it does not attract magnets. For that reason, it is easier to identify car body fillers using a magnet.
To detect a car body filler, simply place a magnet on different car body panels. If the magnet is not attracted to a specific part, it indicates the use of body fillers showing that the car body is not intact.
Symptoms of Decaying Car Body
Car body decay is a major problem for vehicle owners and it is better to get it repaired at an early stage. That said, here we have mentioned some common symptoms indicating a decaying car body.
- Cracks on the car frame.
- Paint flaking off from the body.
- The appearance of bubbles on the exterior paint.
- Hissing sound when braking.
- Rusty water leaking from the car.
These were all the necessary steps to perform a car body intact inspection. A decaying or rusted car body is a serious problem, as it can reduce the overall efficiency of a vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to closely inspect the car body. For a complete inspection, you can visit vehicle testing and inspection centre in Dubai and other Emirates.
However, if you want to reduce the hassle, browse through these used cars for sale in the UAE available at dubizzle. Here you can find a myriad of second-hand cars in perfect condition, within your budget.
Stay tuned to dubizzle’s auto blog for more information on how to inspect a used car body.
Related Posts
