Cars & Bikes, Driving & Riding

Postby **Factorial** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:58 pm

No. The marketing value of a CPO certification is that the car is supposedly subject to a rigorous multipoint inspection where deficiencies are corrected before the car is presented for sale. It simply does not happen, thoug.. It gets the same treatment as any pre-owned car. So if you pay a premium for CPO make sure you get something back in value that you can see, like an extended warranty.

They come with a premium price too.

Postby **Factorial** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:01 pm

Dodint, do you get an inspection on your used car purchases? The DeLorean? I would think if not it would be a crapshoot. I'd be afraid to buy from craigslist.

Postby **dodint** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:28 pm

Pre Purchase Inspections are about $300-500 and are usually worth it. The DMC was a little different. I researched the prior owners and also happened to have toured the shop that did the motor upgrade and refurb work (DMC Midwest). So even though I bought the car in Atlanta sight unseen I had a very good idea of the provenance.

I am often buying a project or something very specific where the results of a PPI won't determine the pirchase decision so I usually roll the dice. I only got over my head once, with an '87 BMW M6. Wish I had it now but 23 year old me wasn't ready.

Postby **Factorial** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:39 pm

What sort of information to you get with the PPI? Everything that's wrong it and what it would cost to fix?

Postby **Shyster** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:40 pm

Looking for some takes here. This is the Carfax for a used vehicle with 6,735 miles on it. Here is the summarized timeline from Carfax:

My wild guess would be something like a leased company car for a drug salesman who drives a lot, and then he quit or was fired so the leased car was returned and then sold/auctioned to the PA dealer.

Postby **dodint** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:42 pm

What sort of information to you get with the PPI? Everything that's wrong it and what it would cost to fix?

Yeah, they drive it. Put it on a lift and run through a checklist. You get an itemized list of what needs work or other defeciencies, and an estimate on repair costs. You can then go back to the buyer with that info and work on the price.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:04 pm

No. The marketing value of a CPO certification is that the car is supposedly subject to a rigorous multipoint inspection where deficiencies are corrected before the car is presented for sale. It simply does not happen, thoug.. It gets the same treatment as any pre-owned car. So if you pay a premium for CPO make sure you get something back in value that you can see, like an extended warranty.

Don't think I've ever seen a CPO that didn't include an additional warranty...

Postby **Willie Kool** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:13 pm

Got a call from Mrs K this morning. Her Mazda had the CEL come on (and flash) on her way to work - running rough and no power. Told her not to drive it and read the codes when I picked her up. P0301 - misfire cylinder #1. Cleared it and went for a short test drive. Came right back on, and I read another P0301. Parked it and I'll try to deal with it in the next few days. Really hoping it just needs new spark plugs or a coil...
Had similar code. Swap coil from one cylinder to another and see if code follows the coil.

Already have a low mile used OEM coil I picked up for $20. If I'm going in, it's just getting replaced. Picking up a set of NGK iridium plugs tomorrow - they had to be special ordered.

Postby **mac5155** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:19 pm

No. The marketing value of a CPO certification is that the car is supposedly subject to a rigorous multipoint inspection where deficiencies are corrected before the car is presented for sale. It simply does not happen, thoug.. It gets the same treatment as any pre-owned car. So if you pay a premium for CPO make sure you get something back in value that you can see, like an extended warranty.

Which is all that we (consumers) really care about isn't it

Postby **dodint** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:53 pm

It's a significant factor for sure.

Postby **mac5155** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 10:34 pm

If you're buying a CPO because they said they looked at it then you deserve it.

You should pay a about 500 more than normal for CPO

Postby **dodint** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 10:49 pm

People are really gullible man.

Search for 'mandatory RV inspection.' It's an inspection that costs about $2,000 conducted by...RV sellers...to make sure the RV is fit to be sold...by the RV seller.

And that's doubly worse because consumer protection for RV purchases is very scant.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:17 am

Postby **Lemon Berry Lobster** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:19 am

Found your problem.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:26 am

Yep. #1 coil was bad and not firing. Looks like the plugs needed changed anyway. No codes now.

Postby **offsides** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:36 am

Changing plugs is a big deal now. Why did they make it such a chore to change plugs? I changed the plugs in my 61 Vette in 20 minutes.

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 2:19 pm

Changing plugs is a big deal now. Why did they make it such a chore to change plugs? I changed the plugs in my 61 Vette in 20 minutes.

Very much this. Zero chance I can adequately access the rear head to get to the plugs on my car, but since I don’t have to even think about that for another 60k+ miles, whatever.

Postby **offsides** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:20 pm

Changing plugs is a big deal now. Why did they make it such a chore to change plugs? I changed the plugs in my 61 Vette in 20 minutes.
Very much this. Zero chance I can adequately access the rear head to get to the plugs on my car, but since I don’t have to even think about that for another 60k+ miles, whatever.

Yeah, plugs last a lot longer in today's motors, but if one goes bad it is a large pain or much money just to change four spark plugs. Seems it could have been designed better.

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:23 pm

There's just so little room to work. I'd have to remove the strut bar on my car to even attempt to access everything, and then deal with moving the bolts 1cm at a time due to space constraints.

Postby **mac5155** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:25 pm

Had a clunking coming from the rear of my car. Crawled under a few days ago and found a heat shield on my muffler making the noise. So I bent it up in a way that it wasn't loose anymore. Noise continued. Looked today and my sway bar is just dangling there. Both end links broke/rotted. Lol.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Sun Apr 07, 2019 9:58 am

So the P0301 came back, but it's running much better for now. Pulled the IC off again and swapped coils with cyl #4 to make sure the used one I got was OK, and it was - still getting P0301. Checked compression in #1 - 180 lbs. so all good there. Pretty much has to be a bad injector.

Whoever designed the Mazda 2.3L turbo engine deserves to die a slow, painful death. I now need to pull the intake to swap injectors. F*** me...

Postby **NTP66** » Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:03 pm

I feel for you, WK.

Postby **mamaemeritus** » Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:51 pm

Any current Mazda owners have any input on paint quality? I have read that the paint is soft, specifically the Soul Red Crystal Metallic. This is, of course, what I want to have on the 2019 that I'm looking at. I can't find anything online if this has been corrected for 2019.

Is my best bet to get some sort of paint protective film put on? Any recommendations of places?

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:57 pm

We just got a CX-5. Went with black but I’ve read similar complaints about the red. My dad is a big fan of clear car bras. That should do the trick.

Postby **mamaemeritus** » Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:57 pm

Thanks, DD. Any places you could recommend?