Ask the Mechanic: How to attract a buyer and make a quick sale

Hello Paul, when selling a car, what are the most important and inexpensive things that can improve its value?

Geoffrey

Hello Geoffrey, buyers will base their own valuation on first overall impressions and on closer inspection of details. On both of those counts, the car should first and above all be spotlessly clean, not just a wash and polish of the primary surfaces, but a meticulous valet job on every detail, inside and out, under the bonnet, in the boot, in the engine compartment and on the floor and under it.

In every nook and cranny, along and between creases, around every knob and dial on the dashboard, even the reflectors inside the lights. Not everything can or needs to look brand new, but it should look clean.

The cleaning process will reveal any unsightly damage; rust, dents, cracks, oil leaks, tears, scratches and scrapes, missing screws, crooked rubber seals, perished wiper blades, torn floor mats or seat fabric etc. Fix them. Track down any rattles or squeaks (which you might have got used to) and fix those, too. “Well-repaired” is as positive an indicator as “replaced”.

Anything the buyer might look at or test should be correct. Next, make sure all the driver controls work as they should. The headlights, the indicators, the wipers, the horn, every bulb inside and out, the glovebox clip, the door latches and locks, the rearview mirror adjustment, the seat slides and adjusters, the handbrake ratchet, the levers and knobs, and even the jack and wheel brace.

On that note, consider the tyres. They have a major impact on what the car looks like. They don’t need to be new (that could be cause for suspicion) and they should not be overtly polished. Just clean, black, and with plenty of even tread (including the spare) is both visually appealing and technically reassuring.

If your car has elegant or desirable accessories, do not remove them. Even if you want to charge separately for them, leave them on when showing the car; accessories are attractive. A comprehensive service record or a recent inspection report also does no harm. Pre-sale preparation is as much about care as it is about cash.

WHERE CAN I GET SPARE PARTS FOR MY DEMIO?

Hello Paul, it has proved quite difficult to get spare parts for my Mazda Demio. Could you assist me by connecting me to where I can get a ‘link assembly front stabiliser? I have been in contact with car dealers but it has proved difficult to get spare parts for Demios.

Lucy

Hello Lucy, Mazdas are regaining popularity in Uganda after some years in the doldrums and the number of sales and service and parts outlets are expanding to match.

The brand has main agents, branches, approved dealers and independent specialists. A quick visit to the internet will give you lots of connections. The Demio is now an established model here, and stabiliser links are not an obscure component.

Workshops, large and small, in main centres or in small and remote towns, have systems for getting almost any part, almost instantly, delivered almost anywhere (often in a matter of hours).

All they need is a picture of the part on WhatsApp to trigger a nationwide network search, find the bit, pay for it with mobile money and get it to where it needs to be, using taxis and boda bodas. .with ingenuity, speed and economy that would astonish the most efficient delivery systems in the Western World.

WHAT CAUSES MY CAR TO JERK WHEN SLOWING DOWN?

Hello Paul, my car jerks only when slowing down from any speed and when it gets to 40 mph exactly. I am thinking maybe shifting gears or transmission is the cause?

Juliet

Hello Juliet,

Normally, when you slow down, the automatic transmission of a car should down shift as it monitors engine speed, wheel speed and the brake system to do so. This downshift should be smooth and barely noticeable.

When the transmission down shift is a noticeable or a violent jerk, it will mean the transmission has issues with its fluid levels, fluid quality or communication from engine and wheel speeds. The automatic transmission performance during upshifts as you accelerate or downshifts as you slow down can be affected by the wheel speeds which are monitored through the ABS Anti-lock Brake system.

The wheel speed information can be affected by wrong size tyres or faulty ABS speed sensors attached to each wheel.

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