Mazda's 100 Point Checklist

[mts]

Originally posted by "classic_martini"

 

Hood Components

1. Hood release

2. Hood prop rod/gas struts;

 

Engine Compartments

3. Valve cover gaskets

4. Cylinder heads & gaskets

5. Belts

6. Hoses

7. Oil change & new oil filter

8. Air filter

9. Starter

10. Engine idle speed

11. Engine pressure test

12. Engine diagnostic test

13. Engine mounts

14. Acceleration performance

15. Cruising performance

 

Transmission Components

16. Fluid level

17. Operation

18. CV boots

19. Drive axles

20. Shift points

21. Brake/shift interlock/neutral safety switch (automatic)/clutch switch (manual)

22. Transfer case (4x4s)

 

Exhaust System

23. Emissions

24. Muffler

25. Pipes and hangers

 

Battery

26. Battery condition/charge

 

Cooling System

27. Coolant level

28. Coolant condition (35°F or lower)

29. Radiator condition

30. Cooling fan blades

31. Coolant recovery system

 

Braking System

32. Brake fluid

33. Parking brake

34. Rotors

35. Calipers

36. Drums

37. Pads/shoes (50 percent of life remaining)

38. Brake operations

 

Steering System

39. Power steering fluid

40. Power steering pump

41. Rack and pinion assembly

42. Alignment

 

Wipers/Washers

43. Washer fluid level

44. Wiper operation/wiper blades

 

Seating Areas

45. Adjustments

46. Safety belts

47. Headrests

48. Carpet condition

49. Floor mat condition

50. Seat fabric condition

51. Door trim panel condition

52. Fold-down latches

53. Headliner condition

 

Instrumentation and Controls

54. Instrument panel gauges

55. Horn

56. Lighters/power outlets

57. Cup holders

58. Ashtrays

59. Window controls

60. Mirrors

61. Door lock controls

62. Steering wheel controls

63. Glove box

64. Speed control

65. Heating/ventilation/air

66. Rear window defroster

67. Sun visors

68. Moonroof

69. Courtesy lights

70. Remote deck lid release

71. Remote fuel filler door release

72. Factory alarm system

 

Suspension Components

73. Shock absorbers

74. Struts

75. Suspension mountings/Stabilizers

76. Chassis lubrication

 

Fuel System

77. Fuel tank/fuel lines

 

Lights

78. Headlamps (high, low, aim)/fog lamps (if equipped)

79. Parking lamps

80. Hazard lights

81. Brake lights

82. Backup lights

83. Turn signals

 

Air Bag

84. Readiness/system condition

 

Audio System

85. Radio/cassette/CD player/speakers

86. Antenna

 

Exterior

87. Windshield and windows

88. Body side panel condition

89. Hood condition

90. Door condition

91. Deck lid condition

92. Grille condition

93. Bumper/fascia condition

 

Luggage Compartment

94. Luggage compartment

Weather-stripping

95. Luggage compartment trim

96. Luggage compartment lights

 

Tires and Wheels

97. Tire condition (50 percent of tread remaining)

98. Spare tire condition

99. Wheel condition

100. Jack and wrench condition

 

ALSO - this is from a Xedos 6 "how to prepare for buying guide" - so replace Xedos 6 specifics with Milly s or l:

 

When ringing a seller I always ask the same questions,

1/ How long have you owned the car? this will tell you a lot, the longer the better and beware of anything under a year or wonder what has made them sell it so quick.

2/ Has the car had any accidents that they know of? this will put them on the spot and you normally will get a honest answer, if they say yes make the repair your first check to see how well it was done, walk away from bad repairs.

3/ Has the car a service history? if it hasn't got some sort of service record I would leave it, first cars need to be serviced and second you will have no way of confirming the mileage.

4/ Has the timing belt been changed? They need changing every 60,000 miles and don't break this rule.

 

Straight after arranging the view, I logged on to http://www.hpicheck.com and for £12.00 I have a full check done on the car, it confirms the owners words, no record of serious accident damage, no mileage records and no finance owning, I can't recommend this check enough, this is my number 1 buyers guide piece of advise.

 

The next day we travelled the 50 miles to a private seller, the first thing I notice was how dirty the car was, it was in Satalite Blue, a dark metalic blue that shows every single mark and I soon realized that this colour will be very hard to keep clean. I check the bodywork first making sure all the panels are the same colour and that they all have the same gaps between them, remember the bodywork is probably the most important part to check, because it will be the most expensive part to repair if it's not right and you want your new car to look good, don't you. Once happy with the body I move onto the mechanics.

 

I get on my hands and knees and go around the car starting at the front and looking underneath for major oil leaks, then check the CV boots for splits and all looks well everywhere else. Then go to the sides, look under the sills for damage, big rocks, high kerbs or bad jacking up of the car can cause damage that can rust in no time and this also goes for the back of the car. Check tyre wear, make sure its even, this will confirm the car is driving straight.

 

Now lift the bonnet. Hopefully the engine is cold, start her up and listen for any noises, a light tapping is nothing to worry about as this is only the hydraulic tappets which is normal on this engine and should disappear as the unit warms up. If they don't stop or there were any knocking noices, walk away. Also when starting, ask a friend to stand at the rear and look for blue smoke as this will tell if there is wear in the cylinder head, again, walk away if there is, I will keep saying this because unless you are buying the car very cheap because of a known fault you don't want to be caught with big bills straight after purchase as most major repairs on a Xedos will be big bills. The engine when warm should be very quite and very smooth, when sitting in the car you should barely be able to hear it, if this is all ok now take her for a drive.

 

The car should drive like the engine, smooth and quite, it should feel quick and rev up to the red line easy. Turn full lock to the left and right and listen for clicking from the drive shafts, there shouldn't be any.

 

When you arrive back and you are happy with the car, ask to see all the paperwork and service history for the car. Check that any old MOT's tie up with the mileage and the address you are buying the car from is the same address as on the log book. When you are happy with this make your offer, take her home and enjoy one of the best cars you will ever own.

 

Now I have'nt obviously gone into everything, you must decide for yourself and if your not sure take a mechanic friend or even get the AA or RAC to check the car for you. This buyers guide is just about what I did to buy my car and now I can tell you, I have had the car a year now and haven't had to spend one penny on her, not one penny except petrol. She does 30+ to the gallon, everybody says what a nice car it is to travel in and there're rare, most drivers will tell you when you actually see another Xedos you nearly wave to them it's such a rare occasion. The Xedos is a fantastic 4 door saloon car that looks great, goes great and if you look in the Owners Cars section you will see just how good they can look with a new set of wheels and a bit of tinkering.

 

Now below I have listed a few of the things people have had go wrong, this is not saying these are common faults, it's just saying that these things have been known to go wrong so it's worth checking.

 

Rear calipers on pre 95 cars tend to sieze and I believe Mazda were charging labour only to replace them. I have also heard from people with later cars suffering siezed calipers on the front as well.

 

Rear anti rollbar droplink's will be picked up by good Mazda garages as worn and will need changing.

 

Automatic gearboxes have caused a few people problems. This can often be solved by changing the oil & filters but buying one with a bad box could be very expensive so check all is working well.

 

Engines that have high miles (130,000+) can start to smoke, this is normally caused by worn valves guides, not the end of the world but remember this is a 24 valve engine so again not cheap to fix.

 

Corrosion around the door mirror supports, this is not rust but corrosion causing the paint to flake. This is caused by the material used to make these brackets and can easily be touched in.

 

Noisey tappets during warm up. This isn't a problem but is annoying. I know someone who used STP engine flush and then a good oil and it completely stopped, I will be trying this on mine soon and will let you know.

 

http://www.xedos6.co.uk/buyersguide.html