what things would be picked up

[curtainrail]

Getting up to 70mph on the test drive as opposed to sort of 45.

I ask because ive test drove in the past and only really gone on slow roads. So far ive been lucky.

I just cant think what else could be picked up apart from maybe wheel balancing etc??

[kambites]

Wheel bearing failures maybe? Although I've never actually had one that's failed to manifest below 45.

Certain suspension geometry problems are more obvious at high speed.

[curtainrail]

So there wouldent be anything really expensive, say over 150??

[Triumph Man]

I only managed to get my E34 up to about 55 on the test drive. Unfortunately it turns out there was a horrendous shimmy at 60!!

Not trying to scare you, just sharing a tale of woe..

[cheesesliceking]

curtainrail said:

So there wouldent be anything really expensive, say over 150??

Impossible to say, if its an expensive car why not just get it checked out first?

[kambites]

cheesesliceking said:

curtainrail said:

So there wouldent be anything really expensive, say over 150??

Impossible to say, if its an expensive car why not just get it checked out first?

If he considers a £150 fix "really expensive", I'm guessing it's not at Rolls Royce.

[mrnvh]

Triumph Man said:

I only managed to get my E34 up to about 55 on the test drive. Unfortunately it turns out there was a horrendous shimmy at 60!!

Not trying to scare you, just sharing a tale of woe..

Yup, same for the E39 - 50-70 would highlight the BMW Shimmy, especially braking from speed.

[kambites]

mrnvh said:

Yup, same for the E39 - 50-70 would highlight the BMW Shimmy, especially braking from speed.

What turned out to be the fault? Or is it wear to a number of different components?

[oilslick]

Jamie if buying a car is making you this stressed, why don't you get an RAC inspection done on the one you want before you buy it?

http://www.rac.co.uk/buying-a-car/vehicle-inspecti...

[mrnvh]

kambites said:

What turned out to be the fault? Or is it wear to a number of different components?

Thrust arms, not sure what they are analogous to; I think the other name is track control arms but I could be wrong. They have fluid filled bushings that crack and then leak out over time, once dry you get the shimmy. The only solution is to replace the whole arm but its not astronomical in terms of price; £80-100 each and can be done yourself.

[Jim the Sunderer]

All the gears if it's an auto.

[cheesesliceking]

kambites said:

If he considers a £150 fix "really expensive", I'm guessing it's not at Rolls Royce.

fair point!

[HumbleJim]

What feels like wheel balance is sometimes a bent rim or driveshaft. Brake from speed will help id bad discs. I like to listen for wind noise, diff etc as well.

[curtainrail]

oilslick said:

Jamie if buying a car is making you this stressed, why don't you get an RAC inspection done on the one you want before you buy it?

http://www.rac.co.uk/buying-a-car/vehicle-inspecti...

My name is curtainrail fine sir, lol, no but in seriousness i was just curious what the difference is, trying to learn a lot more about cars.

[Triumph Man]

oilslick said:

Jamie if buying a car is making you this stressed, why don't you get an RAC inspection done on the one you want before you buy it?

http://www.rac.co.uk/buying-a-car/vehicle-inspecti...

So a 3.2 litre Audi A3 would cost more to inspect than a Volvo S80 1.6D?

[Hudson]

Triumph Man said:

I only managed to get my E34 up to about 55 on the test drive. Unfortunately it turns out there was a horrendous shimmy at 60!!

Not trying to scare you, just sharing a tale of woe..

Hah, i remember the shimmy on mine. Just accelerate through it, it goes away at 80

[Dog Star]

There are details of this whole sorry saga somewhere on PH but I can't be arsed looking for them.

A good long while ago my parents nearly bought (ie put down a deposit) a Landcruiser (against all my repeated advice and despite the proprieter threatening me in front of my parents) from a rather dodgy 4x4 dealer in West Yorks (he's been on rogue traders or similar a fair bit). Luckily a bit of googling a chance contacting of the owner from work (I worked in Munich during the week) showed what the car was (120000 miles clocked off, basically scrap).

We ended up going to court as witnesses for West Yorks trading standards and met other victims of said trader, one of who had actually bought the wreck of a Landcruiser. On their test drive he'd kept them in the centre of Hebden Bridge and gone on about speed traps and so forth, so they never got it above about 35. Turned out that it had a cracked diff that howled abominably over 40. (My parents didn't get a test drive - when I pressed the matter I was threatened with being shot! And they STILL went back the next day when I'd gone back to Germany so couldn't stop them and put a deposit down!)

Anyway - back to the OP - it could be hiding a cracked diff, knackered wheel bearings, warped discs. For a start.

Edited by Dog Star on Friday 25th July 12:06

[Triumph Man]

Hudson said:

Triumph Man said:

I only managed to get my E34 up to about 55 on the test drive. Unfortunately it turns out there was a horrendous shimmy at 60!!

Not trying to scare you, just sharing a tale of woe..

Hah, i remember the shimmy on mine. Just accelerate through it, it goes away at 80

Amen to that! haha

Also at that speed I can't hear the whining gearbox!

[Swanny87]

Not going up to motorway speeds in the test drive of my first car cost me the whole car (£1300). I would have noticed the problems with the oil pump. The oil pressure warning light would have gone off on the test drive, not the day after I bought the thing on a fking dual carriageway...

[WinstonWolf]

kambites said:

mrnvh said:

Yup, same for the E39 - 50-70 would highlight the BMW Shimmy, especially braking from speed.

What turned out to be the fault? Or is it wear to a number of different components?

My E39 does that at 75-80