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What do i look out for if im getting a used S15?

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crazypapa

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Hi peeps, im new to this forum. So hope u guys can assist me with getting myself a new ride.

Im a S15 lover, but i know nth much abt cars.
So any suggestions on where and what to look out for, if i'm getting a used S15?
E.g engine parts, oil leakage, flimpsy body kit, cracks and wear n tear tat should be notice b4 i get the car?

Im not much of a tuner, but mainly driving it as a lover for the car, so would probably b getting a used STOCK s15, well as stocked as possible though =/

Thanks for ur help!
 
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If your getting a manual, make sure it goes into all gears fine and that it's a 6 speed box. Check for any signs of damage underneath, behind the rear bumper, inside the boot and engine bay etc.

and just the usual checks, oil, water, leaks etc etc
 
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crazypapa

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thx for that info!

Erm, regarding engine bay, normally people with S15 are likely to track and try drifting, so how is it possible to identify signs of any defects or accidents damages on the engine or turbo charger, radiator or cooler and etc?
just afraid these problems might lead to future breakdown.
 

LuPix_S15

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Well after owning the car three years and happy to say I track/drift, push her to the limits but touch wood never crashed so far :) I'd recommend the following checks:

RUST - have a good look behind wheel arches (run your fingers on the inside), inside engine bay, good look underneath the car as much as possible. Most S15's like mine will have minor rust which you'll have to live with and you're very lucky if you can get one which has absolutely no rust (like DeanS15 who wipes the underside like a baby's bottom every week lol) :p Make sure there's no gaping holes!!!

CRASH DAMAGE - check inside engine bay first - have a good look at the frame, front shroud etc checking for bent metal. Also cracks in paintwork might suggest it was fixed and then re-sprayed. Check the boot - again look at exposed metal parts which might have been bent...

DRIVE TEST - you must make sure you get to test drive or get owner to take car out on the road for you to see what she's like when running. If there's temp gauges inside the car make sure when she's warmed up you can see water temp is around 90 deg and oil temp around the same. If both are running over 100 deg when cruising comfortably with decent front airflow then something's not right and there could be overheating issues. Make sure the car is put into say 5th at 30mph and then put foot down on throttle - not only do you need to make sure the clutch isn't slipping but also there's no smoke coming out of the back!! Get a bit of heavy braking going just to make sure there's no juddering or pulling to one side - higher mileage cars might have stock calipers which are beginning to seize and not brake as evenly.

SR engines are decent strong units - certainly when running stock power/torque so as long as they're maintained regularly and oil serviced at least every 6k miles then it should all be good. The only other common problem are turbo gaskets leaking so have a good listen to the the area around the exhaust mani above the turbo for a chugging noise and if you can smell a lot of fuel coming from that area then it's most likely leaking turbo gasket!!
 
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im guessing sg=singapore? welcome first and foremost good choice of a peformance machine. Im from Malaysia, ...join the west malaysian forum...heaps of s15 worshippers there.

Owned the car for 4 years and touchwood nothing has skipped a beat. In short:-

1. Body: Car has very very defined lines and tight tolerances. Do the usual corner stand test in full light and check the bodywork. Thankfully in our region, crash repairs are usually done by ham fisted ppl, so any paint overrun or misalignment of body panels should stand out like a sore thumb. Doors should shut tight and not tap against the rubber staying ajar. Boot should align against the kink at the bottom of the rear windscreen and not offset. Even by a little would suggest an accident in the past from the rear.
Rust wise, as per what lupix said, also remove the spare tire and check the tub, it should not have rust spots hinting at waterlogging due to bad weld seals. Remove the jack and push your hand as far in as you can, a little sand is ok but nothing wet.

2. Engine: Stock car should idle nicely around 750-800rpm without any ticking sound. It should rev smoothly WITH grunt to 6000revs and drop off smoothly. AVOID cars with blow off valves that dump into the air (makes queer noises when you 'boost'). SR's need to have their blow off valves plumbed back. Otherwise you'll have fluctuating idles and high fuel consumption. Mileage above 100 000kms in our climate, have the dealer/seller change the turbo gasket (mentioned by lupix) and the belts as well. Look out for excessive black smoke during hard accelerating or idling or a black spot on the rear bumper where the exhaust tip is. Fuelling problems are imminent (usually associated with a standalone computer like the Power FC and bad tuning). The stock ecu is very very good for daily driving. Other than that, it'll take a nuke to destroy the SR.

3. Electrical: Bulletproof except for the airbag circuitry. Make sure the airbag light goes off after you start the car. If it blinks or stays steadily on, its normally a pain to fix. Power windows,,some of us have had to replace the drivers side motor by 120000kms...mine is slowing down already. It should go up and down reasonably quick with no hesitation

4. UNDERBODY: Cant stress this one enough...once you've picked one you like, get it hoisted on a 4 post lift and inspect the undercarriage. At the front, minor stone chips are fine...make sure the underbody cover (plastic protective layer) is present and secure. If its missing you can see right through to the bay and it could suggest a front end mishap in the past, repaired. Further back, the oil sump should not be deformed or bent.. move back and inspect the main frame rails. They should run dead straight with no kinks or flattening on spots. Minor ones should be repaired but stay away from major ones or worse, some that dont even have or are missing half the rail (normal on the rps13 silvia...not the s15)

Enjoy
 
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