Continued from Part 1 of How To Not Buy a Car Damaged By Flood…

Step 4: Take a quick drive. The fastest way to determine whether your car has flood damage is to start it. Check each component of the electrical system for proper functioning and no liquid oozing out of the vents or gaps. Drive the car to make sure that everything is working fine. If not, it’s possible that the vehicle was previously damaged in a flood.

Step 5: Hire a licensed auto technician to examine the vehicle. In the event that you lack faith in your own opinion, take the car to your mechanic for an inspection. If flood damage is detected by a mechanic, the vehicle’s warranty will be automatically voided (if the vehicle is still under warranty). Before buying a pre-owned vehicle, this is certainly something to keep in mind. Regardless of the apparent newness of the vehicle, have a professional double-check to make sure it hasn’t been flood-damaged and that the warranty period has not expired.

Step 6: Obtain a history report of the vehicle. Purchasing a Carfax vehicle history report can provide an added layer of protection against inadvertently purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle. The only thing you need is the VIN (or vehicle identification number) for a thorough record of any wrecks the vehicle was involved in as well as repairs or recalls. Please note that a Carfax report can’t guarantee to list all the damage that has happened to a car. A series of title changes may be an indication that previous owners have moved the car through various states in an attempt to conceal the severe damage the car has suffered. Occasionally, repair jobs are not picked up by Carfax due to changeovers with titles. It’s a good idea to sign up for a Carfax report, but be sure to use other sources of information as well when determining whether or not the vehicle has suffered flood damage.

Chuck Kosmider writes about buying cars and other car tips as a staff writer for HowToDoThings.com.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/how-to-know-if-you-are-buying-a-car-damaged-by-flood-845808.html