ok la.....me not sifu la....me just a fellow JEDI like u all are :D
yes like aja had....like i had....brought a trustworthy...a mechanic who knows abt EVO is important....not just any mechanic....coz evo setup involves 4WD, AYC, u need to check the shafts, long shft, prop shfts, drvieshafts if they are in working condition....or if they r already LOOSE liao like something %^&^^* hahaha (just kidding) becoz if the shafts r loose, certain extent is acceptable...too loose of coz means gearings for lsds maybe makan a bit as well....n of coz IMBALANCE SHAFTs will contribute to imblance handling n disturbing effects....well dats why some cars dun run ulu yam too often though ( i think la, shaft must have probs )
well anyways....if u r new to this planet evo....no fren or associate or mechanic near you physically.....dis r the list of things u can actually have a check:
NOW lets begin......visualizing u r stepping into the recond area where the evo lies........dealer recommend u THIS EVO car......take a look at the FRONT....
- check the gaps of the bonnet, the bumper, the lights the fenders alignment.....uneven alignments sometimes r aftermath of shoddy work due to claim workshops (be it msia or jp)
- do not be attracted to the fact that the evo is NICE in front of u....check the paint job...if its TOO NEW...something is not rite...as evo 7 manufacuring date is 2000 or 2001 ......if dealer tells u they refurbish the paint to make it nice....ask them WHY
- then as usual ....buka bonnet take a GOOD LOOK into the engine bay....check all wiring....of coz u wont know which wiring is wat to be exact n specific....but checking the wiring layout as in.......if there is any funny wire protruding here n there ( fact is, the car might have various gadgets hooked up, such as boost controller or meters or more meters......just to make sure the disaseembling is smooth otherwise u may encounter a tough time next time to discover dat some electrical probs occur...worst case being and last thing u ever wanted is a SHORT CIRCUIT)
- then check PAINT JOB in the engine area....if paint job is lacklustre of color...its norm...coz due to mothernature, the grease, time will fade the color...in fact originally the color in engine bay is SOLID look.....if its TOO METALIC....something is ALSO NOT RITE.....meaning to say....maybe had a crash, n the paint job touching up....
- then check the front beam under the hood..take a CLOSE DEEP LOOK into the bottom area of the radiator, there is a horizontal BEAM, check the entire SUB FRAME....u should make sure that this looks normal and not having RUST or funny looking alignments....
- after the above checks, more or less chassis in the front is alrite....then take a DEEP CLOSE look at the engine itself.....usually u cant spot a healthy engine with it.....u need to rev it let it running.....LISTEN (macam beyonce sing the listen song, haha just kidding) listen carefully....squat down at either side and listen carefully....if there is any metal knocking sound....if got....meaning internals maybe faulty.....dat is a MAYBE.....also check the bearing the belts movement if its smooth enuff
- then radiator n fan check on the temperature handling.......dis is best done after a test drive.....to see if the fan is kicking in properly.....DO NOT ignore this as a problematic fan sign...maybe a result dat the car was MODDED earlier on, (the history maybe a worst case scenario, had a burnt gasket b4).......of coz which had been replaced.....
- check the manifold area, dat is the so call exhaust manifold or alternate term HEADER to listen if there is any leaking noise.....stock manifold is hard to crack....but have come across FITTING is problem therefore there is a gap on the manifold with the turbo....this part is at the FLANGE area....
- inspect the ENGINE MOUNTINGS.....4 pieces....usually only 2 pieces able to see...coz the other 2 very hidden up....check if engine mounting is in working condition
-intercooler, do not be DECEIVED by seeing wording like JUN or HKS or Greddy on it, sometimes any Intercooler can be sprayed on with wordings, I actually was offered by some shop to do it last yr. Meaning to say dealer may tell u its a HKS intercooler, but of coz, its just as stock as any stock intercooler.
Now after this, if can take a TEST DRIVE.....the test drive is the MOST IMPORTANT STAGE..........
- Gears engaging....should be smooth....however...old n dirty gear old could result to unsmoothness....dis needs to be double check by a few actions, while driving and cross check the gears when the car is stationery
- testing the ACD n AYC.....CHECK if the 3 traffic lights r ON....( like F1, all ON means got fault la, u need to use the MUTII or MUTIII to check on the fault light then, usual cases could be DRIVE SHAFT probs, or AYC PUMP, or even electrical probs )
- testing the AYC / 4WD in action....go 1 by 1......1st TARMAC, the grip should be there, even though u maybe equip with snow tyre but there grip should be the strongest of the 3 settings TARMAC, GRAVEL, SNOW; go with slow corners, then try more corners, watch n FEELLLLLLLLLLLL how the car behaves.....a problematic AYC will at times sound (or should I call it MOAN ) it out to u.....with tuk tuk tuk....or sometimes noise could varie....
- BRAKES....check the rotors ....b4 the drive, feel it with your midas touch......check if the inner plate is alignning with the edge of the rotor, any uneveness will result in wobbling feel, most probably rotor is gone or sometimes a WARP DISC or uneven disc; the braking feel should be EASY GOING, if much effort is needed, it could aso be with the pads, this can be verify by checking at the pads too.
- the driving feel can be in a few sub stages, slow drive, cruising, mini launch(drag) if can .....to check a few things such as , gearings (any faulty syncros), shaft shafts ( imbalance shafts ) , handling should be smooth .....uneven handling could result in crooked rims, alignment lari, or supension link probs
- listen to the sound of the engine , feel the response, the turbo , if the feel is too sluggish, most probably it is wiser to walk away from this choice
- also take note on hear changing, feel the clutch ....if its almost time to worn off....or problematic gearing or clutch plates
Finally After the drive, check the INTERIOR carefully, a lot of ppl were too happy or excited with the drive and often miss to check the interior, try to dig the carpet at the side of the chasis to make sure there r no DENTS, or funny looking holes (ex- roll cage installation ) or kereta potong sign
- check the aircon, if there is any foul smell
- additional :if u have a sunroof, make sure the sunroof works without HASSLE ( meaning sunroof must be able to close smoothly and align with the roof lining well); watch out for WORN rubber linings at the glass area and windows area, u do not wan to be singing RAIN DROPS FALLING ON MY HEAD ( when there is a on going thunderstorm out there and u r stuck in a jam)
- as for others such as recaro seats, dashboard, door trims seat belts, make sure they r all in place nice n steady.......your airbags r dependent on your seatbelts functioning...
After dat, the last piece of area is your TRUNK, check the in trunk where the spare tyre is, watch for some UGLY GLUE marks on the chasis, it means dat the back is INTACT like a virgin, dis is done during manufacturing.....watch out for rust.......jap cars r usually without RUST proof
Well hope this summs up a bit for u ....happy hunting...n once again MAY THE FORCE BE WITH U :)
