Looking at buying my wife a golf as a 2nd car and found one I like the look

Would it be wrong to plug in my vcds and just check stuff

Granted most people will be aware of what one is and what it does but if they are arsey thinking I'm going to knacker their car by doing so would you just walk away

Not sure if its the done thing to do

Its only what a mechanic or the AA man would do on an inspection.

Personally I've not sold a car privately for quite some time. However I'd be selling my car "as seen".

So you could put any fancy equipment away as it's going nowhere near my car until it becomes your car - then knock yourself out.

If what I'd say is the same as the majoirty of people I don't know.

 

I will have told you everything you need to know about the car. If you don't believe me then we have a bad relationship already - so you might as well go and find another one.

Edited 1 July, 201510 yr by Stoofa

Personally I've not sold a car privately for quite some time. However I'd be selling my car "as seen".

So you could put any fancy equipment away as it's going nowhere near my car until it becomes your car - then knock yourself out.

If what I'd say is the same as the majoirty of people I don't know.

 

I will have told you everything you need to know about the car. If you don't believe me then we have a bad relationship already - so you might as well go and find another one.

Fair comment bro

Its only what a mechanic or the AA man would do on an inspection.

True true but that's an official guy/gal not sure if they would accept a guy and laptop plugging into their pride and joy

VCDS can reveal faults that aren't obvious to the driver so there are potential advantages of running a quick scan.

 

I personally wouldn't have an issue with it, however it would be sensible to ask the seller if he or she have any objections prior to viewing the car.

If it was me, and i was selling my car, i wouldnt let just anybody plug it in and start fiddling!

If it was me, and i was selling my car, i wouldnt let just anybody plug it in and start fiddling!

Kind of what I was thinking

Alarm bells on this car have me sceptical

It's a mk4 golf convertible which has done 120k

It's a 2.0 which from what I understand was a unit built in Mexico with potentially upside down piston rings causing excessive oil use

Seller claims they have had new engine fitted at a dealer along with a gearbox (again diff was common fault on these) at a cost of 5k engine was fitted a 81k gearbox not long afterwards

Currently sorned so legally can't really be test drove on the road not sure which way to proceed

Mot expires in September but if I offer near asking price they will 12 month it I offered to leave £100 deposit if I like the car to cover mot cost and the remainder upon pass

Move on to another ??

Problem is I have found a lovely low mileage example but my Mrs won't entertain it as it is automatic (even though she has only driven a few of my old company cata which were autos)

Are you wanting to check for fault codes or change the settings?

 

I can't see why a genuine seller would object to you running a quick scan for fault codes, especially if they are present. They might even learn something 

 

I can also understand why someone might be a little worried that you don't have a clue what you are doing and risk damaging the car.

 

This is why I suggested asking the seller before you go and view the car. If they say no then you take your chances, if they say yes then its a result?

Just wanting to check for any current active stores codes that's all nothing sinister

I have emailed and asked the seller and a link to what a vcds can and can't do also a link to carrying out a full autoscan video so they can see first hand what I am asking for

I await the response

Before I bought my current skoda I used my blue tooth dongle and used the torque app to check for faults.

I was looking at a megane gt which had a fault show up which should have triggered eml.

The guy obviously knew as I could see his face drop when I asked if he minded me checking.

It's your cash and if the seller refuses then to me their trying to hide something.

would you buy a car from someone who refused you the right to check? Lol. Obviously no.

^^ thanks

Can they prove the engine was done at a dealer. I just bought a polo and phoned the dealership to check the service history was legit.

When I bought my Yeti (private sale) I asked in advance of visiting that I'd like to run an electronic diagnostics scan to look for any fault codes.

As the seller was happy there wouldn't be any and I showed him what I was doing and explained it to him, he was more than happy to let me do it.

It threw up no fats and I bought the car.

Had he not let me I think I'd have looked elsewhere.

As I know what VCDS is, I'd be happy to let someone scan my car (if I was selling it) or wood offer to do it for them with them there.

I recently met a fellow Briskodian while he (unbeknownst to me before hand) had a prospective buyer looking at his car. I ran a scan, made a couple of minor changes, spoke to the buyer separately and everyone was happy. There was one fat code stored and I explained this to the buyer who was happy to receive additional information.

Everyone is different, but I'd ask and would consider a refusal negatively.

I wouldn't let anyone scan my car with VCDS, mainly as its a Jag so wouldn't work with it

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I normally take my obd reader and ask. If they say no, I start walking.

Vcds would do a basic diagnostic read on most makes.

I've scanned vehicles before buying.

 

Girlfriends TT scanned fine, no codes showing so we bought it (and it's been great ever since).

 

We looked at a T5 van which drove fine, was a definite contender until we plugged it in and it showed an intermittent boost fault. So we walked away and potentially saved ££££.

 

The T5 that we did buy I scanned and it was all OK.

 

I meant to scan the Octy but got over excited and forgot  :no:

 

I'd have no problem with anyone scanning mine and I would think a seller has something to hide if they didn't let me.

 

I probably wouldn't ask a dealer if I could scan a car, though I'd do it as soon as I got home and go back to use the warranty.

It's like being a doctor.  If the patient walked in & the Dr just lifted their skirt & had a look then obviously offense would be taken.  If they explain what they are about to do & why then the patient happily drops their knickers.

 

So if you explain what you are doing, ask permission & get the owner involved in the process then i'm sure there wouldn't be an issue.

 

About the only thing you need to be careful of if the car has been in storage is if the battery is marginal.  If it goes flat during the scan they will blame you.  Maybe hook a trickle charger or slave battery up during the process?

When my son's firlfriend bought a very nice-looking 2008 Golf from a main Vauxhall dealer, I went along and scanned it with VCDS. Despite having had a full service prior to sale, VCDS revealed that most of the modules showed error codes and the battery voltage was very low. They agreed to fit a new battery and, when we returned a week later to check it again, the air bag light was on. The garage suggested that the scan I did had triggered it! They had to take the Golf to another garage to have it cleared as they had no diagnostic kit for VWs. I have also scanned a number of cars for my other son and advised him to walk away from most. One had a massive differmence in mileage reported by VCDS and the speedo reading. It was being sold with a recent MOT done early, but an online check of the previous MOT revealed that it had unrepairable damage.

I will have told you everything you need to know about the car. If you don't believe me then we have a bad relationship already - so you might as well go and find another one.

I prefer to trust what I can see and check - not what I am told, so that would would rule out buying from you. And how on earth can you know what a buyer needs to know about a car?

If they explain what they are about to do & why then the patient happily drops their knickers.

 

That doesn't work with my wife.....

I'd ask first, and if the seller said "no" respond "well there are plenty more out there so I won't waste my time coming to look at yours when you might be hiding something".

Cars on a SORN & for sale.

Instead of putting down a Deposit, and if you want to buy a car,  

invest under £60 and offer to put the car for a Pre Booked MOT at your expense,

just arrange with the seller to have the Insurance Cover in place and for them to give up 90 minutes of their time for you both to take it for 

a new MOT.

I'd ask first, and if the seller said "no" respond "well there are plenty more out there so I won't waste my time coming to look at yours when you might be hiding something".

 

and then proceed to be told where to go?

and then proceed to be told where to go?

Well, I've effectively just told him to park his car somewhere very uncomfortable"