When it comes to buying second-hand cars, many people love and fear them. They love because second-hand cars have a very obvious price advantage compared with new cars. They are afraid that friends who don’t know second-hand cars will sell problem vehicles. The damage is okay, after all, it can be removed and replaced without any harm. But if the engine of the vehicle has suffered a serious accident, it is like a person’s heart has a problem, and it is very likely that the car will crash and people will die. So how to identify whether a car’s engine has undergone major “surgery”? Today I will tell you some tips. Although it cannot be said to be foolproof, it can easily identify most of the accident vehicles.
1. The upper bracket of the water tank frame
When opening the engine compartment cover, first observe whether there are traces of replacement and repair on the bracket on the water tank frame (the yellow dotted line area in the picture). Because when the vehicle has an accident, because the position of the water tank frame is forward, it is very vulnerable to damage and deformation. In general, there are two types of brackets on the water tank frame of the vehicle: detachable and non-detachable.
When observing the upper bracket of the water tank frame, it is relatively simple to use the non-detachable frame. Since there will be deformation after the accident, it is only necessary to observe whether there are traces of sheet metal repair on the frame. In addition, for the metal frame, we can also look at the laser welding spots at the connection between it and the inner lining of the fender to see if there are any traces of grinding on these welding spots. If these conditions appear, then the upper bracket is likely to be newly replaced.
In addition to the non-detachable metal frame, the more difficult to observe is the detachable plastic frame in the picture. Such frames will need to be replaced after being subjected to an accident, so extreme care should be taken when looking at such tank frame upper brackets. The most important point is to observe the screws at the junction of the frame and the fender lining, and carefully observe whether these screws have been twisted (generally, the screws here are rarely touched), if the screws on the screws If the paint is gone, or if the screws show obvious signs of being turned, then it is almost certain that the car has had an accident and had the radiator frame replaced.
In addition, to judge whether the frame of the water tank has been replaced, you can also touch the edge of the inside of the frame. If it feels smooth and flat, it means that it is an original part. If it feels rough to the touch, then it’s possible the tank frame has been replaced. The most important point is that there is a label on the bracket on the original water tank frame, but there is no label on the replaced one, so you must not miss this point when looking at the bracket.
2. Front fender
The front fender is a cover of the vehicle. Usually, if there is deformation caused by a collision, the fender will be replaced. In this case, you don’t have to worry too much, but this does not mean that we can relax the fender. Because if the front fender is hit hard, it is very likely to damage the inner engine compartment.
Check whether the front fender has been replaced. Open the door and look at the connection between the fender and the A-pillar of the vehicle to see if the screws at the connection have any traces of twisting. If the paint on the screws is even and smooth, then the fender should be original and not replaced. If it is found that the paint on the screws has been worn off, and the screws have obvious signs of being twisted, then the fenders of this car must have been replaced after an accident. In addition, through the small iron piece under the screw, you can also check whether the fender has been replaced. The inspection method is the same as that of the screw, or to see if the paint on the iron piece has fallen off.
In addition to checking the connection between the fender and the A-pillar, we can also look at the condition of the fender lining in the engine compartment. If there are traces of sheet metal repair here, it can also indicate that the fender of this car is damaged and replaced. Pass. However, since the fender is a cover part, looking at the fender alone does not necessarily mean that the engine compartment is damaged. It still needs to be judged based on the overall situation in the engine compartment, but we cannot ignore this point during inspection.
3. Observe the front longitudinal beam
Many friends may be unfamiliar with the front longitudinal beam of the vehicle. Generally speaking, the front longitudinal beam is a part of the body frame, which is mainly responsible for the energy absorption after the front impact. Generally, the front longitudinal beam is stamped by alloy steel plate. It is grooved or I-shaped. Although most models are now equipped with front anti-collision beams, in the event of a severe collision, the front side beams really play a protective role. It can be seen that the integrity of the front side beams is related to the safety of the entire vehicle.
Since the front longitudinal beam is “buried” in the middle and lower end of the engine compartment, it takes a little trouble to check it. During the inspection, if the front longitudinal beam is found to have obvious folds or traces after being repaired by sheet metal, then it can be concluded that the car must have had a serious collision. If the wrinkles are not obvious, we can compare and observe whether the paint surfaces on both sides of the lower front side member are consistent. If the paint surfaces on both sides are inconsistent or have fallen off, then the car may have been hit.
After observing the front longitudinal beam, we also need to carefully observe the connection between the front end of the longitudinal beam and the anti-collision beam, because this position bears the brunt when hit by an accident. We should check whether its paint surface is complete and whether there are traces of sheet metal repair. In addition, after a severe impact, the iron sheet at this connection will be cut and replaced. At this time, we should check the solder joints at the connection to see if it is damaged. Flat specifications. If traces of repair are found, it can also be concluded that the car has been hit and belongs to the category of accident cars.
4. Shock absorber seat
The shock absorber seat is generally located at the rear end of the engine compartment, near the front windshield. If a car has a frontal collision and the shock absorber seat is deformed, then the car is not far from being scrapped, and there is almost no repair value. In other words, if the shock absorber seat is deformed, what will happen to the front engine and other main components.
When checking the shock absorber seat, first of all, check whether the colloid around the shock absorber seat is cracked or repaired. In addition, since most of the joints between the shock absorber seat and the fender liner, the front longitudinal beam and the firewall are coated with anti-corrosion colloid, we should also check the condition of the colloid at these joints to see if they are cracked or fall off. Happening. If you’re still not sure, one more tip, since the shock absorber mounts are snug against the front fenders, if it turns out that the fenders haven’t been replaced, the shock absorber mounts must not hurt. Another thing to note is that when checking, compare the shock absorber seats on both sides from left to right. If the colloid of one side of the seat is deformed and cracked while the other side is intact, it can almost be concluded that the deformation The seat on the side of the crack was hit.
There are many benefits and benefits of second-hand cars, but when buying a second-hand car, you must check carefully, not letting go of the slightest detail, just like the inspection in the engine compartment introduced today, because you may miss some key points if you don’t pay attention link, which led to the purchase of an accident vehicle. Finally, I hope that today’s dry goods will help you understand used cars.
Content source: Snail said car.
