Foreign used 2008 Toyota Scion XB.

Shares the same design platform as the Camry.

A badass.

Youths oriented.

Designed for the trendy, fashionistas demographic

Fully loaded with ipod dock, aux, usb and premium sound system options.

Belong to the exclusive Scion culture with this exclusive car for just 4M.

07060940113

Gwarimpa Abuja

2013 Honda Pilot.

Bought December but rarely used.

Still foreign used grade. Some dealers could delete the registration and sell as foreign used.

3 Row seats. Factory Reverse camera. Untampered engine and gearbox. Chilling ac.

Spotless fabric upholstery.

4.8M.

Gwarimpa Abuja.

Call 07060940113

Tokunbo grade Nigerian used Honda Accord upgraded to 2012 body kits.

No error lights. No check engine light. Only tire pressure monitor sensors light on.

2.650M. Slightly negotiable.

Gwarimpa Abuja 07060940113

Sharpest in town. Buy and travel as long as you can drive.
Gwarimpa Abuja 07060940113.

EuroAsia or AsiaAfrica model of cars are best suited for our environment than the EuroAmerica models.

Reason being that the hot climate of the middle east and Africa are factored in their design and built.

This means the car will rarely overheat and the suspension system will be more solid given our terrain.

These are important factors buyer should consider besides the fact that the interior designs or aesthetics of some of this models are richer. Especially the Dubai models.

Take this Nigeria used 2013 Camry for example.

For just 4.3M you can own this fully loaded beast of a Camry.

Stand out from the rest with its unique design.

Car is in buy and travel as far as you can drive condition.

Location: Gwarimpa Abuja. 07060940113

WHY YOU MUST KNOW IF YOUR CAR ENGINE IS TIMING BELT OR CHAIN DRIVEN AND IF AN INTERFERENCE OR NON-INTERFERENCE ENGINE.
This post covers:
-what a timing belt or chain is and what it does.
-When either is due for change and why.
-What interference and non interference engines are.
-How to check if your car uses a timing belt or chain, or an interference or non-interference engine.

INTRO

Do you love the power of the popular Toyota Camry or Honda Accord V6 engines and how fast they pull?

Do you also love that they are usually 'full option' (a colloquial term for the highest trim) and come loaded?

It will interest you to know that some model year Toyota and Honda V6 engines are made with timing belts and are interference engines.

Meaning, they need replacing at a certain mileage of use because if they snap (and they must), it will damage your engine. Same goes for any car brand model engine that is built with a belt and is an interference engine.

Peugeot users already know this. That's why most of them carry spare belts in their booths. Lol

WHAT IS A TIMING BELT OR CHAIN?

Timing belt or timing chain is a belt or chain (inside the engine for chain and beside the engine for belt) that keeps the pistons, camshaft and crankshaft synchronized. They basically harmonise the different working components inside of an engine.

If your timing is off, no matter how little or insignificant, it could cause serious damage. Examples are Incorrect ignition timing, engine misfires, rough idling etc.

It is important to know if your engine has a timing belt or chain to determine what form of maintainance is required. For timing belt, maintenance involves replacement while
timing chain maintenance involves lubrication and general servicing. A quick search through Google or your car manual will help you learn the recommended maintenance schedule for your engine.

Example of how to search? On your search engine widget, type: is 2004 Honda Accord Euro sport timing belt or chain.
Or
Is 2011 GMC TERRAIN interference or non-interference engine?


NOTE
A timing belt is made of rubber while a chain is made of metal.

Advantages of belts
Belts run more smoothly than chains.
Belts have less engine noise.
Belts are cheaper to make hence more affordable.
Belts are much easier to replace if damaged.

Disadvantages of belts.
Wear out faster because they're rubber
Need replacing after a certain period of use
Will most likely break when used beyond the recommended mileage.

Advantages of chains
Chains are Stronger.
Chains last as long as the lifespan of the engine and will not need replacing except in rare cases. Moreso when recommended maintenance aren't properly adhered to.


Disadvantages of chains.
Timing chain damage is more devastating because metal particles could damage other engine components.
Timing chains are more expensive because they cost more to make being metal.
Chains Increase engine noise.

INTERFERENCE AND NON-INTERFERENCE ENGINES.

Now you know about timing belt or chains, it is also important to know about interference and non interference engines so you know what becomes of your engine if your car timing belt or chain snaps - how severe the damage will be. This should help in being cautious in maintaining these crucial components so you don't get stranded and incur expensive repairs.

INTERFERENCE ENGINE

An interference engine is an engine design that has insufficient clearance between the valves and pistons in a manner that if the chain or belt breaks the piston and valves collides hence causing catastrophic damage to the engine.

What use is interference engine design you may ask? The design offers an improved compression ratio. By filling the engine with more combustion, it allows for increased performance and fuel efficiency.

NON-INTERFERENCE ENGINE

A non-interference engine is the opposite of an interference engine as described above. Basically, the pistons won't collide with the valves when the chain or belt breaks hence there won't be engine damage. Simply replacing the damaged belt will get the engine running again. And that's the advantage. The disadvantage is low powered or performance engine.


WHEN YOUR TIMING BELT BREAKS IN AN INTERFERENCE ENGINE.

If your timing belt breaks while the engine is operating, the camshaft stops turning but the crankshaft will keep turning and as a result the pistons will still rise in the cylinder and crash into the valves damaging them.

WHEN YOUR ENGINE TIMING BELT BREAKS IN A NON-INTERFERENCE ENGINE

If the belt breaks in a non-interference engine your engine won't suffer any damage but it will stop running. This is because in a non-interference engine, the pistons won't collide with open valves.

For the mechanics of how interference and non interference engines work search and watch on YouTube for better understanding.

Generally, timing belts are due for change if the car has clocked 60k or 80k miles or its equivalence in kilometres.

Some cars shipped to Nigeria with timing belt engine that has exceeded 80k mileage may have been replaced by the previous user if the car shipped with it service history. Beware some may not ship with service history so you have to find out and change it yourself. Or if its a low mileage car, change when it is due according to manufacturer's recommended mileage.

(If your car doesn't have owner's manual you're advised to download the PDF file online to your phone and possibly print a hard copy.)

However, some cars bought damaged or sold at auction as damaged, salvaged, stolen etc may not have been changed hence you need to find out and possibly get experts to replace. And when replacing, it's not just the belts. Components like the water pumps etc are replaced alongside.

Mind you, car mileages can get rolled back by sellers. We have experts with the right tools to roll back the actual mileage of any car. Some will outrightly buy another instrument cluster or speed clock with low mileage readings to replace a high mileage reading. This is why it's not enough to use mileage to judge or determine the age of a car and if you should buy or not. Moreso, engines and gearboxes get replaced too hence basing your judgement on mileage readings becomes insufficient.

CONCLUSION

Like I've already advised in my previous posts, always research whatever car you want to buy before buying as basic information like this should help you determine your choice of a car that should serve you best given our peculiar maintenance and lack of parts problems in Nigeria.

Don't forget I'm your neighbourhood car plug. I buy, sell and as well consult (read as inspect cars, with a professional scan tool, on your behalf before you pay) for buyers at a reasonable fee.

07060940113.

I'm based in Abuja.

Share this post so others on your list will benefit as well.

PS: go through my wall to read up on other important car tips that will be of immense benefit to you.

Sorry sir. Too low.

Rare to find Euro model 2004 Honda Accord CL9 TypeS. (Sport)

Won Japanese car of the year award.

Tokunbo engine recently installed.

DIRECT LEFT-HAND DRIVE FROM FACTORY.


Use the same mechanical and electrical parts as EOD/DC

Incredibly fast 4plugs engine.

Dual exhaust for better fuel efficiency and more horsepower because sport.

Chilling air conditioning.

Compact for easy maneuverability.

Neat interior and exterior.

Legs don't pull like EOD/DC.

Undeniably better option to Civic and EOD/DC.

Best Honda for Uber and Bolt use. No contest.

Colour change repaint. From white to black.

Buy and travel condition.

Papers have expired and need renewal.

1.6M

Displayed at Eagle Best Way cars lot by Setraco Gate Gwarimpa Abuja.

I'm your neighbourhood car plug. I buy, sell, swap and also help with inspection and purchase for clients for a fee in Abuja or anywhere else depending.

07060940113.

Thanks chief. Still trying to get a hang on how to respond as I'm new here. Lol

Trustme2:
Educative

They keep inventing new ways. Thanks too for this information

vastolord4:
Some panel beaters now change some digits on vins.. once a car has successfully been stolen. Naija people just tire person, always install a tracker

Thanks chief

HOW TO USE CHASSIS NUMBER aka VIN TO IDENTIFY:

*If a vehicle is stolen,
*flooded,
*involved in an accident and
*the actual year made. Etc

Chasis number or VIN is a combination of numbers and letters (17 characters in all starting from 1981 when it was made compulsory) used to identify a particular vehicle, place/country/region made, the maker, model, security code, year of production and serial number.

VIN could basically tell you the history of a used vehicle as well as other crucial information even if brand new or used.

The VIN or chasis number serves as the fingerprint of the car. No two vehicle have the same number. And it is different from the engine number. Chasis is the body or frame of a vehicle.

REASONS IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO CHECK ARE:

i) To identify a vehicle

ii) For record purposes

iii) History or background of a vehicle. In case you're buying a used vehicle, to be sure its not a flooded, accident, stolen, salvaged or a vehicle wanted because it was involved in a crime etc.

There are dedicated websites one can visit to input any vehicle VIN to confirm its history from vehicle databases.

Some of this websites will give you few details for free and charge you for the full report, others may charge you completely. And there are some that are for free but we all know anything offered for free comes at a cost that may not be too obvious or in manner beyond monetary payment.

Example of one of such websites is CARFAX. You may get a free VIN check at the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), VehicleHistory.com or iSeeCars.com/VIN etc

iv) To ensure you're buying a vehicle of a particular year as advertised by the seller and not an older or a newer model.

This last reason is important in Nigeria as most sellers or buyers have no idea the year model of the vehicle they sell or want to buy. They simply believe the seller who could be genuinely ignorant or intentionally misleading.

Some dubious sellers will deliberately overstate the year model to be more modern than the actually year. This is so the value is increased and they can justify the price put on it.

Some even write the wrong year in the vehicle purchase receipt or sales agreement and will gladly show it to you as proof when in fact the chasis indicates a different year altogether. This is why it's important you must verify from the chasis to be sure it conforms.

However, beware some go to the extreme of peeling off, scrubbing off, painting on or outrightly falsifying or replacing the number just to achieve their dubious objective. For the former, its enough red flag to forgo buying the vehicle because it could be a stolen or wanted for a crime. For the later you may have no way of knowing except you verify from the Customs or VIO if such a VIN exist or not by cross referencing with the registration number. So it's important to verify before you find yourself in trouble.

Noteworthy is the fact that this often occur if a model is of the same generation (I touched on classification of models in generations in my previous post) but different years. For example, some will advertise or tell you a 2003 Camry is a 2005 year model simply because they all have the same design platform and its hard to tell them apart physically so if you don't know how to use chasis number to confirm you will be buying wrong.

Although some year model state the manufactured date at either the driver or passenger door or pillar, its best to use the VIN to verify because a vehicle could be 2004 but the manufacturer year will be stated as 07/03 (the first two indicates the month while the last is the year) meaning July of 2003. A car with a date like that is a 2004 car and not 2003. Reason is that any car manufacturer date stamp showing from the month of July is approximated by the manufacturer to be the next year model. So if the month date stamp is from July to December, the year stated is approximated to be the next year. The chasis number tenth character will confirm this, using this 07/03 example you will find '4' as the tenth character on the VIN which means 2004 model.

Point to Note: cars made from 2000 to 2009 will be represented on the chasis with numbers. From 2010 represented with an alphabet. For example, the number '0' represents 2000. '1' represents 2001. '2' 2002, '3' 2003 and so on to 2009 represented by '9'.

Then from 2010, alphabets are used. 'A' represents 2010, 'B' 2011 'C' 2012 etc. At the footnote of this post are characters that are exempted to avoid mix-up.

Alternatively, you can simply copy the VIN and put on your browser to search and the year model will surface. If it doesn't it's most likely a questionable chasis number.

WHERE TO SEARCH FOR THE VIN ON A CAR

Some car manufacturers or some models have their Chasis number in less obvious places like most that have theirs on drivers side windscreen, driver side door, pillar or passenger side door or pillar. Some have it chiselled on the frame inside the engine bay but on the body and not any component of the engine of the car. Pictures below are examples.

So it's important to search for it. Remember the chasis number consist 17 characters. Some Nigerians go to the seat belts to confirm, but the easiest place to find it is as stated above.

4- INFORMATION EMBEDDED IN THE VIN/CHASSIS NUMBER ARE:

i) First three characters represent world manufacturer identifier, which includes the country of origin, vehicle manufacturer, and division.
ii) The next five digits/letters: These represents the vehicle by brand, body type, engine size, model and series.
iii) The ninth character is the security code.
iv) Position ten lets you know the model year.
V) next is the Assembly plant.

vi) The remaining characters is the serial number of the car.

So before you buy or sell any car it's crucial you know about this and what they represent to be adequately informed.

PS: letters Q, i and O are exempted for VIN of cars made from 2000 to 2009 that uses numbers while the 'Z', 'i' and '0' are exempted from models 2010 that uses alphabets.

*VIN from 1980 to 99 is same as from 2010 to date and are represented by alphabets.

*It is from 1981 that car makers were mandated to start using VIN.

Thanks chief

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS OF ONLINE CAR SHOPPING IN NIGERIA

Firstly, I must state that the whole idea behind this series is not to "spoil business" as most dubious sellers will allege, or demarket existing dealers. Or form 'holier than thou'. The whole idea is to offer better services as sellers and for the buyers to be better informed and get value for their money as should.

INTRO

I'm sure many online car shoppers have seen cars they like, made contact but most often got frustrated by the seller or even got outrightly scammed. To avoid this situation the following are some basic heads ups to determine if you should go ahead to make contact, travel down or even make payment (though I strongly advise against paying for any product that the cost runs in tens or hundreds of thousands not to mention millions without satisfactory physical inspection)

CAR LOOKS SHARP.

Remember smartphone cameras this days are incredibly advanced hence can make anything taken a shot of with it look amazing. Same goes with car pictures. Some dealers have high-end phones with sophisticated cameras. Also, some have photo editing apps to perfect the images. So don't fall for how sparkling the car looks in pictures because it may look otherwise in reality. Go physically inspect the car if its closeby or contract someone, in the location of the car who is knowledgeable about cars, inspect for you before you decide.

DISPLAYED PICTURES OR VIDEOS

Some sellers show you only pictures of the part of the cars that are good and leave out the parts that aren't. For example, some dubious sellers will deliberately leave out posting the engine or post only pictures of the engine part from an angle that will leave out details that could make you not consider making contact. For example, if there are many bypassing wiring and relays, oil leaking and accident impacted parts, they won't post such pictures. And they will count on the fact that you may not ask them about those parts or that once you've spent time and resources to arrive the location of the car you won't mind.

And if you remember enough to ask they either feign ignorance, tell you they're not with the car at the moment or become downright rude saying you're asking irrelevant questions or that you should come physically to inspect it yourself to your heart content if you're serious, which, on the norm, is best but then the car isn't in same location as you so you need this basic information before determining if its worth the trouble of taking a trip to the location.

So to avoid this, if car is at a location far away from you that could take hours of travelling time and cost, demand the following pictures and/or videos:
1-pictures/video of all the seat in close shot angles,

2- the doormats and windows controls,

3- the roof,

4- the dashboard in full,

5- the instruments cluster that includes the odometer to know the actual mileage, error lights and the rpm needle. Make sure to insist the pictures are taken as the car is on.

6- Video of the engine revved to determine the sound if healthy or cranky,

7- sides of the engine to determine if its been opened and worked on-though not all engine that have been opened portends serious issues (reason is cars gasket have time they are supposed to be replaced at certain thousand kilometres to avoid their overheating. Same with timing belt replacement for timing belt engines- a topic for another day. but many Nigerians hardly know this and rarely adhere to manufacturers recommendations hence conclude such as proof of serious engine issues which its not usually is)

8- underneath the car for possible rust and oil leakages. Rust because flooded cars etc

9- tyres

10- booth. Under the booth mat to ascertain if it has been hit from behind. A serious impact should deform it enough to tell.

11- video of the exhaust as they rev the car to see if the car is smoking or not as some won't tell you until you arrive the location.

12- windscreens for cracks. Those buying for Uber or Bolt use will need this as the car won't pass their inspection with a cracked windscreen.

All or some of these information can be provided for you by a serious seller who, sometimes, own the car or in whose care the car is. Meaning the person should considerably know about the car to give such information.

However, it still had to be said a sincere person may still not be pleased with such requests and could get turned off but then you should be encouraged by the fact you're about to part with hundreds of thousands or millions of your hard earned money to pay for it hence deserve whatever information about it to decide if its worth your buying. So if the person is not too pleased that is enough red flag on its own. Your communication skills or tact will also determine the response you get. So do well to speak responsibly to the seller as, from experience, most buyers can be ill mannered.

Personally, as a reputable dealer, I will avail anyone such information of any car I'm selling that is in my possession or not mine or in my possession but have verified.

WHEN SELLER HAS MORE THAN A CAR LISTED .

Some sellers don't own the cars the list. Never seen it or, if more than one, them. Have no direct access to the actual owner or car.

So they post pictures or videos likely downloaded or cropped from pictures posted in a car whatsapp or Facebook group etc or downloaded pictures and information from another seller from online buying and selling platforms like Nairaland, Facebook, . Or sourced directly from the owner who listed in either of or all of the platforms and whom some would have contacted to ask for the price etc.

This sellers I classify as car sales agent. And they are the majority. A legit hustle engaged in by all sorts as with any other business.

Usually, they markup and sell. Meaning they will offer the price more than the what the owner offered to sell or intends to sell as last price (this is the primary reason car prices keeps going up. A topic for another day).

They also will sometimes demand commission from the sellers for bringing a buyer to the seller as well as, sometimes, demand the buyer to pay them for linking them to the seller.

In situations where either the owner and selling agent or buyer and selling agent don't agree they won't connect you the buyer to the actual owner or seller or you the seller to the interested buyer and will rather you don't buy or sell no matter how badly you want to buy or sell the car if their demands aren't met.

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE A SINGLE CAR SELLER OR OWNER, A SALES AGENT AND AN ACTUAL CAR DEALER WITH A CAR LOT LICENCED OR OTHERWISE

on for example, click on the profile pictures, on Facebook marketplace click on sellers detail etc.

For other platforms not mentioned I'm sure those will have their own design.

Point is you will see either other cars or different products listed by the person if a sales agent or a dealer. Or you will see just a car and sometimes other stuff the person put up for sale that will give you an idea if the person is a regular seller or a dealer or not.

Either way, for a Nigeria used car, its best to buy from sellers who are in possession of the car and have driven it because they are more likely going to know the condition better having used it so should tell you more about it depending on length of their usage.

For sales agent selling on behalf of someone, the serious ones with proper marketing etiquette, may be sincere enough to tell you they will revert to you while they seek the information about the true conditions from the actual owners.

The rude, dubious and unserious ones will tell you everything is good even as they are not sure. You can deduce this from talking with them.

Another way of knowing the unserious, dubious or rude ones is they will most likely not provide you any of the information you request. Examples as stated earlier. Could be reluctant in providing you needed information. Won't be courteous. Won't call back. Won't respond to messages for days. Will read your message and not respond. Etc

You can also tell apart the liars by demanding a video of themselves with the car or their car lot and your guess is as good as mine what their reaction or result will be.

TIME WASTERS

These are who you contact about a specific car they advertised and asked them if the car is still available. They will ask you to come that the car is still available. Except it isn't but they won't tell you. They just want you to come first so they can market another car to you. Or they are hoping if you come the owner whom they got the pictures from will bring the car to them. Oftentimes the car won't be brought.

Once you arrive they will ask you to sit and will attempt to call the owner in your presence. Whatever they discuss they will turn around to break the bad news to you with the following excuses:

i) "sorry someone just made deposit for the car"
ii) "the car just got sold as you were on your way coming" etc

Something, if they were sincere, they could have just called to tell you before you arrived.

Then they will attempt to market another car to you. Often it will be more expensive and better than the one you came for. But of course its not usually the case but they already had put you in the spot hoping you will have an on the spot change of mind and buy another if available. Or propose to find you another.

How to beat this is to insist the seller send you a new picture of the car, different from the one you saw online, as proof the car is currently in their care.

If they say the car is with the owner, tell them to get across and confirm if it will be made available on your arrival before you leave for there. Get this assurances to avoid your time being wasted by inconsiderate and insensitive sellers..

SCAMMERS

Aside the fact that they state prices one third of the actual value of the car, they usually post cars stating locations that are discouraging for anyone to travel down togo for physical inspection. Usually border towns.

For example, they could post a car at the extreme or far parts of a State or city. Eg Sokoto, Zamfara, Taraba, Cross River, Ogun with the notorious Idiroko border, Borno, Niger etc. Reason is so you're hard pressed or hassled to pay a commitment fee for the car to be kept for you or pay some few thousands for it to be transported to you.

On , when you contact them via message they will send you a number to call. This is because they don't want to chat on the in-app message inbox as that will be evidence to expose them to the admin and earn them a block.

They also understate the actual year models of the said cars so as to justify putting a ridiculously low price without the app AI flagging it as scam. This is true on . Sometimes i spend my free time reporting them to jiji but not always do they get banned. And reason is because they usually post paid ads.

Also, I understand most will say anyone greedy enough to want to pay such low price less than an actual value of a car is greedy and deserves to be scammed. However, greed is a factor but there are genuinely naive people who think others cannot be that evil and trust the platform as a place where such could never happen. Some also do not know the actual market value of cars and out if ignorance won't bother asking those in the field for expert opinions.

I'm currently involved in tracking a scammer who used the amateurish "Custom Auction" basic format to scam a friend to a friend of mine and the person is by nature a trusting person as he is trustworthy himself so he didn't expect he will be that scammed. There are millions like him reason that basic scam formats still thrive till date.

Another format is the "RELOCATION" lie. That is supposed to make you believe they're desperate to sell hence selling as per distress.

However, distress or not, a car value should not sell below 70% of its actual worth. Except of course its totaled in an accident or some of its parts canabalized and will require enormous amount of money to fix.

How to avoid this is to simply don't bother. But if you're still excited at the prospects that it could be genuine, ask the person to send you a picture or video of him/herself with the car, send you a physical address, send you a WhatsApp location, send you anything at all that proves they are genuine before you proceed. But DON'T EVER SEND MONEY FIRST!

Some scammers will also put a cheaper price tag on a car they don't have but saw on another dealer profile or car stand. When you contact them they will encourage you to go for physical inspection first then if you like the car you come back to them so you both conclude the deal. But before you arrive at the supposed car location they would have called the actual dealer or owner that they have a buyer coming for inspection. You will inspect and perhaps get satisfied but unknown to the actual owner or dealer, you will leave to go conclude with the person and possibly convinced to make payment after which he or she will tell you to go pick up the car that they will call the person you saw and inspected it with to release to you. Only that when you return to the car stand you won't be picking any car without being asked to pay again. Then the person you paid to would've disappeared with your money.

How to avoid this is to simply insist on knowing the seller to his home address, know his or her name from government issued identity card, confirm the vehicle documentation is in the person's name, confirm from the person who is with the car he or she know the person who directed you actually own the said car and you can only insist on paying into the account and signing agreement only with who have his name on the car Proof of ownership document or previous sales agreement if the person isn't the first and only user in Nigeria.

REVIEWS

Always read and take reviews seriously.

Put it at the back of your mind if you must contact the person depending on the type of review whether negative or positive.

However, it is instructive to note that some leave bad review because their feelings were hurt. Some dubious dealers, as described at the earliest part of this post, familiar with navigating the platform can also, out of spite, drop a negative review just to spite and demarket you for writing a deserved review about them.

POINTS TO NOTE:

scammers, legitimate dealers, sales agent or individual owners can 'ghost you' (after they had assured you the availability of the car and answered all your questions and agreed on price) on arrival to the location they told you to come simply because they no longer have access to the car, have sold to another or a highest bidder, could not make it available, or simply couldn't get their intended gain from selling. Or car developed issues that wasn't existing prior to their contact with you or hoped to have fixed before your arrival.

These and many more I can't readily recall or know about are some of the challenges you need to know about before going online to shop for a car.

I'm open to an objective engagement, contributions, questions and criticism as that will advance more knowledge and throw up more information not captured here.

The end.

Next topic will be about VIN or chasis number. Its uses and how it is manipulated by some car sellers.

My name is Samuel Iyo. An ex soldier and your neighbourhood car dealer.
I buy, sell and consult on security matters as well as buy cars on behalf of client with a professional scan tool for a small fee.

I'm based in Abuja. 07060940113 is my call contact number including WhatsApp.

I'm just a call or message away for inquiries.

MECHANICS/SALES AGENT TRICK YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU PAY FOR THAT CAR

Normally, you need an expert opinion or a professional to accompany you into a business or deal you're not too familiar with its inner workings.

This is just to protect your interests and secure you a better deal.

Though it costs some money as professional fees apply but it's usually worth it than deal blindly Usually cost from 10k upwards depending on distance for inspection aside transportation etc

However, in automobile business, especially if you want to buy, you may need an automobile expert. In other words a mechanic.

And not just any mechanic; has to be one who specialises in the brand of car you're interested in.

But before this you would have done your personal research online, consulted users you know about the car brand, model and year to be sure its not a model that is problematic and parts are available everywhere as well as mechanics and electricians. I touched on this in my last post.

You also need to firstly find out cost of the major components like engine, gearbox, brainboox, body parts like bumpers, side mirrors, windscreen, dashboard components etc. This is crucial.

Back to the topic. In hiring a mechanic be sure it does not end with just hiring. Its important to hire a knowledgeable and trusted one who won't, as result of lack of knowledge depth about the particular car brand you're interested in, could encourage you to buy a bad car, or as a result of greed, get compromised by the car dealer or seller.

In my experience, I've had car sales agents or mechanics call me ahead to inflate the cost of the car for their client/buyer they're accompanying so they can convince the person to buy and thereafter will come back to take their cut. They make this arrangement earlier by reaching an agreed price and extracting a commitment from the seller often behind the buyer who they will be representing trusting them for their expert or professional guidance.

And not just mechanics, car sales agents do same too. In fact agents are notorious for this.

And if you as a seller refuses to play ball they will discourage the buyer from buying from you even if there's nothing wrong with the car.

In some cases, some won't reach out to you nor show like they're interested in such shady practices but will be keeping an eye contact with you expecting you know what's expected of you and give them a sign signifying you will pay them if they approve of the car.

Same scenario play out between parts sellers and mechanic but that's a topic for another day.

How do you do you then ensure this doesn't happen or even if it does you don't get taken advantage of?

Firstly, prior to situation like this, as I have earlier stated and my previous post highlighted, do your own initial market survey for the average cost of the brand and model you're interested in. Online markets or platforms like Facebook market Place and are good places to get an idea as it relates to prices.

For durability of components and reliability use Google to search and read up from several car blogs like carcomplaints.com and Edmund car websites.

For availability of parts and cost contact parts dealers. You can do this too on and Facebook market place etc by calling parts dealers to find out the cost of the major components like gearboxes, engine, body parts and brainbox.

During inspection, find a way to get the contact of the seller yourself if you aren't the one who found the seller at first so as to call back to renegotiate, and inspect again possibly with a second mechanic or anyone knowledgeable about cars.

Be vigilant during inspection so as not miss or to discourage any form of communication between the seller and the mechanic or whomsoever accompanied you.

Be sure to pay the mechanic a fair amount to be agreed upon prior and warn him to not compromise. This will let him know you know their trick.

Adopting this few steps will help get a good bargain as well as minimise the chances of your being cheated or sold a bad car.

PS: I also provide car inspection service with my high-end Canadian made OBD11 scanner. I also help find cars within your budget as well as using my experience, network of dealers, mechanics and parts sellers to advise on which car is best suited for you depending on your need for a pocket friendly fee.

Next topic will be how to easily spot a scammer and time wasting and unserious, frustrating car sales agents on online car sales platforms. I'm just a DM away.

CONSIDERING OR PLANNING ON BUYING A CAR? READ �

(Next topic will be "Going to inspect a car with a mechanic: what to lookout for so as to avoid the seller conspiring with your mechanic to sell you a bad car or reap you off. So follow or add me up so as not to miss any.)

There are various reasons people buy cars. Common amongst them are:

Easy commute
As status symbol
For transportation
Or a combination of all of the above

Either of this reason or reasons should considerably influence your choice of car brand, category/class, model and year of make.

i- Brand examples are Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Ford etc

ii- Category/Class examples are:

1) Hatchback- volkswagen Golf, Peugeot 206,307 etc

2) Hot-hatches- Volkswagen Golf GTI, Volkswagen Golf R, Volkswagen Scirocco, Ford Fiesta, Honda Civic type R etc these are usually high-end sport variants of the regular hatchbacks.

3) Sedan/salon- Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, Peugeot 406 etc

4) Wagons- there several brands that have their salons or sedans in wagon variant

5) Roadster- Ford Mustang, Porsche 911, Chevrolet Camaro etc "A roadster is an open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character. Initially an American term for a two-seat car with no weather protection, usage has spread internationally and has evolved to include two-seat convertibles." -Wikipedia

6) Mini buses- Nissan Urvan, Toyota Hiace etc. Basically buses that can carry more than 8 people at once.

7) SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles)- Land Rovers, Range Rovers, GMC Yukon, Ford Freestyle, Toyota Land cruisers, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Sahara, Jeep Liberty, Nissan Patrol, Mitsibushi Pajero, Acura MDX, Lexus LX etc. Basically off roads capable cars built on a body on frame platforms.

Crossovers- a subset of SUVs. They're basically unibodies. Designed to be lighter and more fuel efficient than regular SUV but with less off-road capabilities as actual off-roaders. Examples are Lexus RX, Acura RDX, Ford Edge, Range Rover freelanders etc

9) Pickups or Trucks- Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsibushi L300, Toyota land cruiser J70 series etc

iii- Models are the examples listed under categories.

iv- Year of make/Generation

Each brand classify as a 'Generation' a model designed from a particular year to another before significant redesigning. For example, Toyota Camry nicknamed "Big Daddy" or "Big For nothing" is a 5th Generation Camry built from 2002 to 2006. 7th generation nicknamed "Muscle" by Nigerians is from 2007 to 2011. Equally, 2003 to 2007 Honda Accord nicknamed in Nigeria as "End Of Discussion/Discussion Continues" aka 'EOD' & 'DC' is a 7th Generation North America Accord.

So, it is important to have this preamble before choosing based on the reasons influencing your choice.

Also important is to search on Google challenges peculiar to the model year of interests to you.

Or within a particular Generation which model year has the most issues or complaints. Or which is less problematic or best. Which has the most recalls and for what.

There are several dedicated websites that review cars and collate complaints from users or owners.

However, in all of this, as per a Nigerian and a car to be used in Nigeria, it is important to be sure of the availability of parts and their costs, especially major mechanical and electrical components and the availability of specialist mechanics or electrician.

Follow for more interesting car tips.

Next topic will be "Going to inspect a car with a mechanic: what to lookout for so as to avoid the seller conspiring with your mechanic to sell you a bad car or reap you off.