Buying a 4th Gen - Pointers?

[rob quilter]

mycarcheck is cheaper and way faster. text the reg number to 83600 to get vehicle history report. costs 3£.

It will tell you the basics ie: if its a write off, only a HPI provides ALL the info about a vehicles background

[jjmartin349571]

Cheers guys, I was wondering about the text check and HPI. To be honest I've never bothered on my previous cars, but I just did the text check on this Prelude and everything seems alright. What extra information is available from the HPI check though?

[rob quilter]

The text check will be ok as it covers the main points. HPI just has information (if anything is found against the vehiclw in more detail) it also does an NMR check and flag up any mileage discrepancies.

You can do a VOSA check to check if the mileage is correct, the check is free

I work in the motor trade, and see plenty of people every week that have bought a dodgy car because they didn't do all the checks.

[jjmartin349571]

Cool, how do you go about the VOSA check? I wanted to do a mileage check on my Golf too so would be handy to know how to go about doing that

[rob quilter]

Here's the vehicle check section on my website:

http://listmymotor.com/hpi/

You'll need the V5C document reference number (located on the bottom right of the front page of the V5) and the current mileage of the car you want to check.

On the above link, click on MOT history check - this will take you to a page where you can check the history or just see if the car has MOT. Click MOT history search.

Enter the V5 document reference number and mileage into the boxes on screen, and it will bring up all the MOT history for that car.

It will show you:
When it first had an MOT
All passes
All failures
All advisories
The details of the garage that carried out the MOT
The mileage recorded at each MOT


The mileage recorded at each MOT is how you will spot a clocked car, you need to look at the mileage recorded at each MOT and make sure it increases every year. Example:

If a car went in for an MOT in 2007 and the mileage recorded was 100,000.
Then it goes for and MOT in 2008 and the mileage recorded was 60,000.

You'll know the somepoint in that year the mileage was clocked back by 40,000 miles


If you're looking at an import, look at all the paperwork, service stamps, invoices to see if anything has the mileage recorded when it was in Japan, the you can do this check and make sure when it came to the UK and had an MOT, you can make sure the mileage is more than what is recorded on the Japanese paperwork.

[Ammo]

Thought the buying guides were added to the wiki, guess not

Taken from PUK (http://preludeuk.forumup.com/viewtopic. ... =preludeuk)

So, you're interested in buying a 4th gen (1992-1996) Honda Prelude? Good for you!

Here's some general things to look out for as you're looking to buy your perfect Prelude!


Bodywork

Check all the bodywork is straight. Check that the gaps between the panels are even. If they're not, it could be a sign of accident damage!

Rust - typical places for rust are rear wheel arches, sunroof panel, and A pillars, about 4" down from the top corner.


Engine

Honda engines are pretty reliable, but they do need regular servicing, and low oil/water can mean potential death!

Check the oil level, ensure it's between the Min and Max marks! Once started, check for signs of blue smoke out of the exhaust - this could indicate oil getting into the combustion chamber!


Gearbox - Automatic

Honda auto boxes are usually quite bulletproof. Check the transmission oil - it should be red. If it's brown or yellow, the box could need replacing!

Gearbox - Manual

Only known issue is a crunch on 4th -> 5th at high speeds. High speeds means ~5000rpm plus! This is either a "live with it" or a "repair/replace the box" problem! Once you know of it, you can double-clutch or shift slower and relieve the problem.


4WS

Some models come with 4 wheel steering. These models are identified by looking under the rear of the car - if you see a large, cylindrical shaped unit, with a rod going to each rear wheel, then you've got 4WS.

When turning the ignition on, the 4WS light (top right of the speedo dial) should illuminate. As you start the engine, you'll hear a few clicks from behind the rear seats, and the light should go off. The light shouldn't illuminate when driving! If it doesn't light up when turning the ignition on, the current owner has likely removed the bulb or a fuse to hide a fault!

You can check that the 4WS is actually working, with the engine running, turn the steering wheel from lock-to-lock (preferably on a looser surface to reduce strain), and you should see the rear wheels turn the opposite direction to the fronts.

ABS

On cars fitted with ABS, the ABS light should illuminate with ignition, and distinguish as the engine is started. You can tell if it's got ABS by looking in the engine bay to the back-right (as looking from the front), it's a large-ish unit, with a few orange connectors on it!

Again - if it's got ABS and the light doesn't come on then go off - the bulb or a fuse have been removed, so there could be an issue!


SRS

As with 4WS/ABS, ensure the SRS (if it's fitted with airbags) light comes on and goes out, and doesn't come back on. Lack of light means removed bulb or fuse!


VTEC

If you're looking at a VTEC model, the VTEC won't engage until the engine is up to temperature, and there's enough oil pressure.

Usual VTEC engagement is at about 5200rpm - if you're gunning it, you should hear a change in engine noise, and a surge of acceleration! Be ready for it the first time - you'll soon get addicted!

If it's not up to temperature, or there's not enough oil pressure, the VTEC won't engage, and the revs will be limited to ~6500rpm. Don't thrash it from cold (like any engine!)


"Main Relay"

A common issue is one with the "Main Relay". This is located under the steering wheel, and in some situations (cold day, heater on), it can make re-starting the car difficult. Usually is an issue on a cold day, you've got the heater on (possibly pointing at your feet), you stop at a petrol station, when you come back out to the car, it won't start! This is because the solder contacts inside the relay have expanded, and broken contact. As the relay cools (usually within 5-10 mins), it contracts, and makes a connection again, and you can start the car. There is a quick-and-easy fix, but use it to negotiate price if needed! So once you've test driven (with the heater on at your feet ), try to restart the car!


Air Conditioning

Should blow ice cold! "It just needs a regas mate" could not be the case! A/C systems generally don't lose their refrigerant unless 1) they're not used and/or 2) there is a leak. If it's working - great! Remember to use it regularly, to keep the refrigerant flowing, and all the seals/pipes lubricated!


UKDM? JDM?

UKDM = UK Domestic Market - the car was brought to the country by Honda UK, and sold in main dealers.

JDM = Japanese Domestic Market - the car was originally sold in Japan, and imported individually to the UK. aka "Grey import"

So what's the differences? Actually, not that much! All Preludes were built in the same factory, in Japan! There's a thread here which outlines most of the differences between UKDM and JDM models.

Despite how similar the two are - many insurance companies charge you a lot more for a JDM car.

Facelift?

In ~1994, the Prelude had a facelift. The main differences were cosmetic, such as:

Front headlights from black-backed to silver-backed
Front indicators from amber to clear
Nostril vents on front changed from having 1 slat to 2 slats
Centre console from gear lever backwards changed slightly, rear storage bin removed, front armrest/storage bin and cup holder included
EL speedo/tacho (on all but 2.0 models) to match with fuel/temp gauges


Mileage?

Honda engines can go on forever if well looked after! Don't be put off by high mileage! Instead, concentrate more on overall condition and service history!


JDM is limited to 112mph, or VTEC doesn't work in first gear!

There's a couple of scenarios with a JDM and a converter chip - none of them are really desirable!

Scenario 1 - Your dials show your speed in MPH, you have VTEC in first, and a 112mph speed limiter - Your converter chip is installed between the ECU, and the dials. Usually close to the dials, possibly behind the driver's side tweeter cover.

Scenario 2 - Your dials show your speed in MPH, you don't have VTEC in first, and you don't have a 112mph speed limiter - Your converter chip is installed before the ECU, usually to the vehicle speed sensor on the top of the gearbox, underneath the air filter pipework.

Scenario 3 - Your dials show speed in KPH, you have VTEC in first, and a 112mph speed limiter - You don't have a converter chip anywhere!

The "Spoon" copy chips that Sleepy provides gives you the best of all worlds. The speed converter chip is installed after the ECU but before your dials, but the ECU chip modifies the signal, so that you get VTEC in first, and you don't have a 112mph speed limiter. It also adjusts the air/fuel mixture slightly to supposedly provide a little more power, but take this part of it with a pinch of salt!





If anyone's got any more - feel free to post, and I'll add/amend this list as applicable! This is highly over-due IMO!


Garry

[jjmartin349571]

Awesome, just need to get the ref from the docs then - which could take a while as my gf decided we couldn't go see the car today as she wanted a lie in

Looks like someone could still clock their car even with these checks though, say you did 10k a year then rolled it back 5k before every MOT, presumably all the documents would look legit?

This one was imported in 1997 and has all previous MOT's so even without checking it sounds kinda promising. Just need to get myself over there!!

[rob quilter]

Looks like someone could still clock their car even with these checks though, say you did 10k a year then rolled it back 5k before every MOT, presumably all the documents would look legit?

Yep, this is correct. If its been clocked by only a few thousand miles, you won't pick it up. But people who clock cars will put the mileage back by at least 12,000. I have bought and sold thousands of cars, its highly unlikely someone will only knock off a few thousand miles.

[jjmartin349571]

Right folks, I'm hoping you can give me some last minute advice before I drive to Hampshire to view this prelude tomorrow. I'm researching everyone's favourite eBay seller over on PUK, and I'm shitting bricks now as this lude is 54K and I've just got a bad gut feel. I'd hate to miss a decent car because I'm worrying though. As I'm not registered yet on PUK (awaiting validation) I can't follow any of the links to try and spot this bloke's ad style and his house to see if it's the same one I'm off to. Would anybody be able to give me the low down on turbo timer as I'm like right now

[Ammo]

He normally operates out of Bristol