A friend of mine running second car company business did teach me some technics to evaluate the car. Perhaps it helps you:
i) Examine the steering wheel. Normally the second car company doesnt brave enough to change the steering to a new one as it is very complicated and involves to many components ie airbag, power steering system, collapsebale saftey devices...etc. So if the steering condition is too bad with wear n tear everywhere, it means the car might be heavily used.
ii) Safety Belt. There is a sticker at the backside of every safety belt. The useful information on the sticker is the year of which the safety belt is made. Normally it is more or less same with the manufacturing year of the car. If the car is too old as compared with the year stated on the green card (those year of made or registration on the green card could be fake or not accurate for CBU car), the second car company will normally cut that sticker away.
iii) Engine. Check for any sign of oil leak mark. However, if the car's engine is too shinny clean without any dust or dirt, the car engine could have been thoroughly washed and the oil mark can never be tracked. Not even a mechanic can detect the problem of the leakage if the engine has been washed using chemical detergent.
iv) Check turbo charger. This could be done by engaging experienced mechanic. Or you test the car yourself. If the car is still powerful, then properly the turbo is still ok.
v) Check the smoke coming out from the exhaust. White smoke is a sign of big problem as engine starts to "makan" engine oil and overhaulling could possibly be the only solution (cost a bom!!!). Black smoke is ok, just need to service the fuel pump.
vi) Check auto transmission system by test driving the car. If the gear doesnt change automatically or jerking, it show some worry that the gear box might have got some problem (the worst condition is water leaks into gear box). Drain out the ATF (auto transmission fluid) n check if it is milky (water leaks) or still in dark black/pink colur(good) Normally the gear will change after it reaches 2000 rpm. My Prado's rpm is 2000 for 80-90km/hr driving, 3000rpm for 110km/hr driving.
vii) Check if the CBU car comes with Custom Form (declaration form) and duty paid form beside green card. This is very improtant to ensure the car is legal against law as many CBU cars in Malaysia are smuggled with a little Kopi Duit (This is the advice from a car runner). In Kuching here, the second hand CBU car without Custom form could hardly be resale or transferred (unless you pay Kopi Duit)
Hope it helps.
HI Tourist,
maybe you can help me, I found this car (Sabah), it looks very nice but I'm not sure with price:
Isuzu Bighorn (1999) 3.1 TD Auto new facelift CBU Japan fully imported asking 58K. I think not government car as Japan model, maybe only one owner (not yet checked registration card) mileage only 44.000 for sure already rolled back. Please give me your opinion. Urgent...Thank you very much
Ps. I just saw the registration card, and found out the car is not imported but Trooper model so that is mean is local assembled, got 7 seats but on paper only 5 seats and got Auto transmission but as I learnt from all of you Trooper doesn't come with Auto but only manual, in Malaysia. The first owner was a tyres company the second a company from Lahad Datu (I think something to see with planting), and I think there is a third owner who doesn't appear on registration card. Year made 1999 year registration 2000, but the car is in really nice condition, I would say too nice, also engine very nice and clean, also my mechanic says the car is too beautiful to be a 10 years old car. I'm just trying to figure out th history of this car...Please help me....
