Yes, a car will rust more vigorously in a heated garage.
@sgtrock21 I hear you on that. If I was to buy a car from anyone, do due diligence and all emotions end at transefr of the vehicle. Too many people I see 6 months to 2 years later you did me wrong on a family transaction.
So, I am still looking for a “tell” if there is rust in the gas tank. How would I go about checking for that?
Do not worry about rust in the gas tank. This car has no more chance of rust in the gas tank than any other 2007 car or truck. Low miles does not increase the chance of rust, that is a factor of time and environment.
A fine car! Take it out on the interstate for an hour at 75 or 80 and limber it up a little, get everything warmed up, get it’s blood pumping! Cream Puffs like this don’t come along everyday!
Caddyman, thanks fo your post… I was so waiting for your opinion. You have never steered me wrong.
I wouldn’t worry about a rusty gas tank. I think it’s plastic.
Okay guys,
I have made the decision to buy. I am getting it at whole sale! The car is really in great shape. Please respond in order of importance what things I should change right away. I am not doing the work, will have a garage do it. Example, tires, coolant, belts, transmission fluid, etc… I guess I am asking what must I do right away, what should I wait and see to do, and what isn’t really needed. I am going to buy new tires for sure, as the ones on the car are flat spotted. I also am going to replace the battery. Other than that, at least to my eyes, everything else looks rock solid.
Thanks for your input.
That requires an eyes on inspection, something that would be difficult from over the internet. I think you said that she had all the maintenance done at the dealer, if so, as owner of the car, you should be able to get a printout of all the maintenance that has been done.
You can also look for a date code on the tires to determine how old they are.
Since the car was kept in a garage, the tires will not have been subjected to as much UV radiation as tires kept outside would get, but they are still exposed to all the other elements that degrade tires over time. There are many opinions on how long you should keep the tires but in the end, that is up to you.
Once you have the maintenance history and the maintenance schedule in the owners manual, and the date code form the tires, you should be able to figure out what is needed. If you want your mechanic to inspect/help, be sure to give him all this information and between the two of you, you should come up with a plan.
After consulting with your mechanic, if you feel uncomfortable, like the mechanic is recommending too many things and it adds up to a big bill, post back.
In my opinion, I would be wary of too many “flushes”. I prefer a simple drain and fill in every case except brakes. Brakes need to be flushed so that air is not introduced into the brake system.
Do the tires and battery immediately. Check the serpentine belt for cracks on the inside and check the fluids. You can do this yourself. Also squeeze the coolant hoses and look at them to make sure they are OK. You can look at the coolant in the overflow bottle. Depending on the condition of the trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant, and oil you may want to change some or all of them next. The belt is cheap and can be done at the same time. Change the coolant and radiator hoses at the same time.
A car that fails to stop is a worse problem than a car that fails to run. So I’d start with a brake inspection. Visual inspection of the brake fluid, then remove all 4 wheels and visual inspection of the pads and rotors. All that shouldn’t take very long. If this vehicle has rear drums, this will take longer, but still worth the time to do it, remove the drums and check the rear brake shoes and drum inner surface.
GM V6 motors are prone to intake manifold gasket failures, which in some cases can cause coolant to contaminate the oil and destroy the engine. On a car that’s been sitting more than driving, gaskets can deteriorate. So not something to live in mortal fear of, but something to keep an eye on. (check the oil frequently)
I owned a 1998 Regal with the same 3.8L V6 that the 2007 Lucerne has and I never had any problems with the intake manifold gaskets.
So did you take it to a mechanic for inspection before buying?
No I didn’t…but for a good reason. The car was serviced locally, had, as it turns out, only 4,600 miles, and was owned by my neighbor’s (and friend) sister. I am also friends with the nephews who made the decision to sell. They sold it to me for 8k. I assured them that even if something is wrong no hard feelings period. They are as honest of people as I know and I am a very trusting person of my close friends.
At that price, anything possibly wrong can be fixed within my budget. It needs tires and a battery for sure. I did look at it very carefully as a layperson, but didn’t have the dealer hook it up to their computer.
Sounds like you got a good deal! Whatever repairs and service you need to do will still make it worth while.
Before you spend a lot of money on new tires, do a thumbnail test on them first. Just scrape your thumbnail across the side wall and see if you scrape up any black residue from deteriorating rubber. If you thumbnail stays perfectly clean, the rubber is in good shape.
Look for any checking (small cracks) in the rubber. Also check the date code as I recommended above, tires are good for 8 to 10 years.
The flat spotting will work itself out with a few days of driving if the tires are good. If the battery is starting the car now, an autoparts store can do a load test for you and give you an idea of the remaining life in it. The money you save can earn some interest while waiting to replace those parts eventually.
I doubt that you will have any brake trouble, but if the brake fluid is anything but clear as water, then it should be flushed to prevent any future issues, but the rest of the brakes should be like new. The coolant should be a clear color. If it is the slightest bit cloudy, then it needs to be changed, but the dealer should have changed it at 5 years if they were following the maintenance schedule.
The car is now mine… Everything checks out… I did the oil change and fuel filter, all other fluids, belts, hoses, etc. were great! Dealer gave her a clean bill of health. Now I do need tires.
What specific brand does the community recommend? Size 235/55R17. I live in Wisconsin.
Go to tirerack and research tires. A lot of reviews there, also look on car specific forums.
It is also somewhat personal, some prefer quiet, some want better traction and so on.
Congrats on the new baby… er, car. In Wisconsin, you’ll probably want winter tires on it this time of the year, switching to all-season tires when the snow stops. Some people get a second set of cheapest steel wheels to mount the winter tires on as it makes the switchover twice a year simpler and cheaper. In Wisconsin the only situation where I’d not buy winter tires is if I wintered in Florida. Anyway, treat the car right and it will serve you well.