When preparing to buy a new or used car, or getting ready for a particular maintenance item, it pays to research. In this day and age there is seemingly endless information literally at your fingertips.
Buying a new car
Cross shop as many dealerships that you can realistically get to in your area not only for price, but to find the specific color and option package you want.
Figure out exactly what is in each option package so that you can make the best decisions you can. I failed to do this on my last new car purchase. It was a 2014 VW Jetta, the salesman talked up the Connectivity package but focused on Bluetooth. After all the paperwork was drawn up I discovered that the package also included the leather steering wheel, steering wheel controls, and heated seats. I ended up not getting that package. Finding out what it actually included wasn't major enough for me to toss the paperwork and start over, but it was kind of a bummer. I've since added the steering wheel and heated seats myself.
Buying a used car
Find forums, blogs or groups specific to your make/model. It's fairly easy with most European cars imported into the States. Spend some time and just go through the forums reading about what other owners are struggling with or what they love. Don't let it bum you out though, car specific forums are full of people that are having issues but it doesn't fully represent people that have no issues.
Some makes/models have specific common problem points. Window regulators or coil packs on MK4 VW's, or problematic 5HP24 automatic transmissions on BMW/Audi/Jaguar/Range Rovers are a few. Find out what these common traits are, and use that to help you choose when buying to help you drive the price down. I picked up my Audi S8 for well under book value, partly because it was immediately due for a timing belt service. The previous owner had all the work done at the dealership, and I'm sure he wasn't fond of the idea of paying for a dealership priced timing belt service.
Specific makes and models may also have common rust spots. For a BMW 2002 (model, not year) the rear strut towers might be a place to inspect, where as a similar vintage VW Rabbit might need more attention at the front strut towers.
Performing Repairs
The internet is your friend. When I pulled the engine in my '98 Audi A4 2.8 I was able to follow almost exactly the procedure on an Audi dealer service walkthrough using a B5 S4 as a subject. It's an old video, but the level of detail was perfect. The FCP Euro blogs are a great resource as well, with many common issues being covered with DIYs and walkthroughs.
Buy a repair manual. Sometimes the best information is contained within a Bentley (or other brand) repair manual. A DIY article online is good to give you the overall idea, especially if they have detailed photos or video, but having something you can flip through while in the garage is valuable. My current Audi S8 is well served by this Bentley CD-ROM Manual, eliminating a huge stack of paper from my workshop.
Modify your search terms. When using your favorite internet search, try different combinations of words if you're having difficulty. Use the image search and go to pages with good photos describing what you're interested in. For example, searching Audi 40v timing will get different results than Audi D2 timing belt, or Audi AYS toothed belt. (AYS is an engine code) Try chassis or engine codes when searching, for 1989 BMW 325i valve adjustment, try searching E30 M20 valve adjustment. (E30 is the chassis code and M20 is the engine code)
About the Author: Glen Cordle
Glen is a mechanical designer from Minneapolis Minnesota. An old-school motorhead at heart, he respects anything that's had passion poured into it. A jack of all trades, master of some.
