"REVISED" EXPANDED COMPREHENSIVE Questionnaire /checklist For Buyers Or Sellers

[Ldub]

55. Any unusual odors, smoke, mustiness, dank?

Gank, skank, maybe robbed bank???...

[VX KAT]

Gank, skank, maybe robbed bank???...

Once again....I'm cornfuze-ed

[Ldub]

Once again....I'm cornfuze-ed

all rhyme with dank...

[tom4bren]

I'll make sure to add those trivial matters to the list.

[vt_maverick]

What's the single most important thing a used car buyer is interested in? #1 above all others.

Yeah, the engine and transmission! I looked over that entire monstrosity of a list and saw absolutely no reference to how the engine or transmission operate.
Those are the most expensive parts being bought in this transaction.

Can the engine be started? If so, does it start easily and idle properly without using the gas pedal? Does it run good with smooth acceleration and no hesitation?

Does the transmission shift smooth and operate properly? Does it shift into overdrive when it should? Does the torque converter clutch lock-up when it should?

You're gonna ask the owner about odors, but not, "How's the engine running"?

Maybe I missed something in that list, but that stuff shoulda been at the top of the list from day one.

Mark Griffin

Maybe add "Does 4L/TOD system work?" also (unless that's what you meant by torque converter clutch lock-up).

[tom4bren]

Well, no. The torque converter clutch is part of your automatic transmission. As you shift thru the gears it's a 100% fluid connection between the flywheel and the rear drive shaft, and with that comes horsepower loses.

That viscous coupling is commonly referred to as the torque converter. It used to be a big thing to upgrade your torque converter to a lower stall speed unit to cut down on the HP loss that he mentioned (at the expense of it shifting harder). Also, if you ever buy a tow vehicle with a factory tow package installed, that's one of the upgrades.

Picture this: next time you are stirring your coffee, stir real hard & then let go of the spoon. It'll keep spinning after you let go as the liquid pushes the spoon in the direction of the flow.

The torque converter is very much like a vat of hydraulic fluid with 2 concentric fans. The primary fan is connected to the engine. The secondary is connected to the output shaft of the tranny. As the engine turns the primary fan & spins the fluid, the fluid drives the secondary which turns the driveshaft.

This is all necessary for an automatic transmission to function properly.

Lock up torque converters are probably the biggest contributor in getting auto tranny vehicles to get comparable gas mileage to what manual trannys get.

[VX KAT]

What's the single most important thing a used car buyer is interested in? #1 above all others.

Yeah, the engine and transmission! I looked over that entire monstrosity of a list and saw absolutely no reference to how the engine or transmission operate.
Those are the most expensive parts being bought in this transaction.

Can the engine be started? If so, does it start easily and idle properly without using the gas pedal? Does it run good with smooth acceleration and no hesitation?

Does the transmission shift smooth and operate properly? Does it shift into overdrive when it should? Does the torque converter clutch lock-up when it should?

You're gonna ask the owner about odors, but not, "How's the engine running"?

Maybe I missed something in that list, but that stuff shoulda been at the top of the list from day one.

Mark Griffin

"monstrosity"...Ouch Mark....
I don't know engines and many technical aspects like you all do....so I put this in big letters: THOUGHTS, CORRECTIONS, CHANGES, ADDITIONS, IDEAS, COMPLAINTS????.... Yours falls under "complaints"...so since I think this can be a joint project of all knowledgeable peeps....and those are excellent questions that I didn't think of at midnight.....let's add them! You just made it a better document!

And change it, modify it, re-word it, chop it up in any other aspect we feel would make it better...for all of us.

I think the last two days we were focused mostly on how to get it "organized" since it's a wopper at 100 some questions and just jumped out and screamed "too long". I think content would be next up, then streamlining.

Of course, nobody has to use it, no problem....but I still believe it has value to newbies...and even others, as time goes on.

To use a very overused cliche...it's a work in progress!