Advice on buying

[jpbristol]

Ive seen a 1.8T only 3 miles away from me. Black 3 door which is what I want, 90k miles. Inside is a bit worn but thats not a problem.

Would you guys recommend getting an independent mechanic to view it to make sure i dont buy a duff?? I have no experience/knowledge of what to look for when it comes to used motors.

[matty james]

u could but go with a mate take it for a good drive , check oil ,coolant condition -make sure theres no knocks and other noise s while drivin , floor it to make sure its boosting ok. fling it round a corner to make sure traction control is working.make sure it aint puffing smoke from exhaust .take it to a vw specialist and get codes read on it and get a print out if poss. make sure theres no warning lights staying on the dash. use all the gears to make sure there ok .the list of checks goes on . but there the main 1s.theres always an element of luck when tryin to find a good 2nd hand car 

[matty james]

also try all the electrical things on it like lights-windows-heaters etc to make sure there working . and have a good look at its history -receipts and mots etc.

[Rhyso]

Make sure the car is cold and not been run up prior to arrival as that can hide a number of things

When up to temp make sure the gauge sits at 90. It should sit there all day long

Listen out for noises from the rear; they suffer from rear beam bush failure. Knocking from the front will most likely be anti-roll bar bushes

Bounce the suspenion on each corner to ensure the shocks are in good condition. They should settle almost immediately after you have bounced the car