here is what I would look for in buying a car. some of these may seem odd - but keep in mind, by checking various systems and how well they have been maintained can give you a pretty accurate picture of how well the truck has been maintained throughout its life. i would first start with the most obvious areas/ check for rust around the bottom of the door panels - this should not dictacte weather to buy or not, but it can give you a good indication of how well kept the truck is. i notice you are in boston, and i would expect a great deal of rust from what i hear of new england winters. if there is little or no rust, then you can safely assume that it has been moderately well-kept. also, check the oil change sticker (if there is one) if it is expired, then you can bet the car hasn't been serviced regularly. oil changes are vital to the well-being of a car, so if it has been serviced regularly, you can expect it to be a pretty reliable vehicle for you. also, check the oil dipstick. is it too low? is the oil a funny color? i would also do this with the transmission dipstick (Seeing as how the A4LD is much less reliable than the engine.) heat KILLS transmissions, so if the fluid is odd-looking, then you can bet the tranny will fail. i would also get a DVOM (Digital Volt-Ohm Meter aka multimeter) and check the battery voltage. it should be about 12v - (this is what i have noticed in my truck - it will not even start at 11v, but i have a LOT of electronics that are always on, so some trucks might start at lower voltages) low voltage means the battery is dying. higher voltage means there is a faulty voltage regulator on the alternator. checking the battery is vital since you depend on it to start the car, and if the battery or alternator are not working properly, then they can cause problems with many other systems. i would also check to make sure that it has a jack, lug wrench and a spare tire. nothing is worse than having a flat on the side of a highway, going to change the tire, and you're missing one of the parts (happened to me on the way back from school - of course it had to happen on the one day it was 5 degrees out and i had decided to wear shorts for the trip home) if you do decide to buy it, i know you will not regret it. my family owns 3 explorers, and although they do require their share of maitnence (usually by my me) they are a lot of fun, and i still love driving my explorer as much now(if not more) than before i replaced my tranny brakes and engine.
). Please lemme know!
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