Need help with car problem

[HillbillyGeek]

Buying a cheap vehicle for my 16-year-old to drive will save $671 per year on insurance. We found a 1995 Toyota Tercel that only has 82,000 miles for a little over $4K, but I noticed one problem that could be major. Dunno.

It is leaking transmission fluid around one of the seals. The dealer let us take it home for the night, and this morning there were 4 red drops in the snow. What do you think? Could this be a deal breaker?

Here's a pic of the spot that it's leaking.

[The Quadfather]

It's just my 2 cents here.... but any dealer that won't let you take used car off the lot to have your own mechanic look at it, I would not trust. We recently bought a 2004 (used) Outback, and in this economy those guys are DESPERATE to sell cars. It was evident during the bargaining process. Think of it this way... if they stand behind the quality of the vehicle then they should have nothing to lose by your having it inspected. Maybe it's only a $150.00 seal, or maybe the 4K car needs an $1800.00 tranny.

Good luck, and I'll be in touch w/you to see if you were still interested in carpooling to that bass seminar.

[A9]

For under $200 you can have a mechanic do a "Buyers Inspection" for ya....They'll look at everything, tell ya what looks good and what looks wrong...I took two cars to get inspected this summer as I was in the car market...Found two cars (Audi's) with significants amount of damage and problems..Never woulda thought it looking at the cars. Clean, awesome shape, look like they were babied. On the 3rd try, the car passed (Acura) and I've had zero problems in the 7,000 miles I've driven it....

Quad's right. Dealerships have to be reaaaaaaaal desperate to sell cars...If you do go for the car, have them fix it before you buy it. Your the one with the bargaining power.

Don't go in to the dealership with your heart set either, if they see someone who's iffy and is interested in cars elsewhere they are more likely to cut you a deal....If they see someone who's set on one specific car, then they know you are going to buy it no matter what, so they won't drop it down for you, or atleast as much. Go in there, and don't be afraid to walk out on them a few times if they can't get the price lowered enough. There's NO reason to buy a used car for the sticker price. There is always room to drop it down lower.

[fishaholictaz]

I would pass#-o I wouldn't buy any car leaking fluid it is all down hill from there unless the deal is KILLER but that doesn't sound like a killer deal much better deals around probably.

[tommytitan08]

As having my degree in automotive technology it doesn't seem to be a big deal. Once the axle shaft has been removed the seal should come out, and a new seal should go right back in and the axle shaft should go right back in. If you were to buy a repair manual and do the repair yourself it may take someone with no mechanical experience about 2hrs. If you need further information feel free to E mail me or PM me and i will give you contact info to talk about this.

[Coastfishin]

4K for a 95 Tercel sounds high to me#-o Even if it's in mint shape!

[The Quadfather]

As having my degree in automotive technology it doesn't seem to be a big deal. Once the axle shaft has been removed the seal should come out, and a new seal should go right back in and the axle shaft should go right back in. If you were to buy a repair manual and do the repair yourself it may take someone with no mechanical experience about 2hrs. If you need further information feel free to E mail me or PM me and i will give you contact info to talk about this.

That's if it's only a bad seal.

[HillbillyGeek]

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate the help!

We returned the car tonight. On the way to the dealership, the "service engine" light came on. I also noticed that there was a slight "chirp" that sounded like a belt.

Yesterday I was excited to find a car this old with less than 100K miles, but now I'm beginning to understand why the previous owner traded it in.

They have a 2001 Corolla that looks pretty good, but it will cost almost $6K after tax & license fees. It has 95,000 miles on it. That's still a lot of money though, plus it will cost more to insure. It might be a good idea to avoid dealerships & focus on private sales. I don't mind spending $200 to have an independent mechanic check it out. If it helps us avoid buying a lemon, that's $200 well spent!

[A9]

If you go private, craigslist and Autotrader.com are good bets...

Make sure to run every VIN # thru Carfax and/or AutoCheck. I looked at cars over the summer, and found some that had crashes/records listed for Carfax but not AutoCheck, and vice versa....

Good luck whatever you end up with.

[tommytitan08]

Make sure you don't pay more than blue book value for a vehicle. If you buy from a dealership make them show you the invoice price of what they paid for it and offer them up to 500 dollars more. Carfax isn't really all that reliable. I almost purchased a nissan titan that had a clean car fax and after filling a finance application, i noticed a decal was missing from the rear left fender. I asked about this and they told me it had 8000 dollars worth of damage to the rear end. Good luck.

[kavykid2k6]

cv axle seal- mother of a pain to replace. but cheap at the same time. it sounds like a mechanics speacial to me.

[ChrisB]

Thats a transaxle seal, other wise known as a halfshaft seal. If you think they are a pain to replace, you should be changing oil and thats it It wouldn't have been a big deal, but glad you didn't buy the car knowing the SES light came on. It sounded painfully high $$ for a 95 Tercel.

[mallard83]

Part of the negotiating process. Make them fix any problems and its a deal. Although, the pricetag seems high for the vehicle in question. Tell them to throw in 10,000 shares in GM stock and you'll take it. LOL. JK. Don't get suckered into that.

[hewesfisher]

Thats a transaxle seal, other wise known as a halfshaft seal.

Bingo, and they're a cake walk to change if you have the knowledge. Even at a mechanic shop it shouldn't be more than a couple hours labor. Now, the CEL, or SES, well who knows what that could lead to so it was a good decision to forego that one.

Carfax is like a computer, garbage in, garbage out. I have worked in the collision industry for the past 6 years, and I laugh when people talk about Carfax reports, biggest waste of money anyone can spend. You're better off having a certified collision shop and/or mechanic shop check it out than spend money on Carfax, and most will do it for a nominal fee or free.

You wouldn't believe the number of brand new, less than 50 mile cars I have repaired only to be returned to the dealer who promptly places the car on the lot and sells it for new. I did one, won't even mention the model, and it involved replacing the roof skin, both fenders, hood, replaced a wheel and tire, suspension components, repaired both quarters and doors, new bumpers, an aftermarket windshield, and I forget what all else. The entire car was repainted in the process too. The dealer is "top rated" by the vehicle manufacturer too!#-o

We can't force the dealer to make full disclosure to any prospective customer, we don't own the car, and our customer is the dealership. There are several car dealers here in Spokane I would never, ever, buy a car from.

[The Quadfather]

Thats a transaxle seal, other wise known as a halfshaft seal.

Bingo, and they're a cake walk to change if you have the knowledge. Even at a mechanic shop it shouldn't be more than a couple hours labor. Now, the CEL, or SES, well who knows what that could lead to so it was a good decision to forego that one.

Carfax is like a computer, garbage in, garbage out. I have worked in the collision industry for the past 6 years, and I laugh when people talk about Carfax reports, biggest waste of money anyone can spend. You're better off having a certified collision shop and/or mechanic shop check it out than spend money on Carfax, and most will do it for a nominal fee or free.

You wouldn't believe the number of brand new, less than 50 mile cars I have repaired only to be returned to the dealer who promptly places the car on the lot and sells it for new. I did one, won't even mention the model, and it involved replacing the roof skin, both fenders, hood, replaced a wheel and tire, suspension components, repaired both quarters and doors, new bumpers, an aftermarket windshield, and I forget what all else. The entire car was repainted in the process too. The dealer is "top rated" by the vehicle manufacturer too!#-o

We can't force the dealer to make full disclosure to any prospective customer, we don't own the car, and our customer is the dealership. There are several car dealers here in Spokane I would never, ever, buy a car from.

Wow! that statement says a lot.