pre inspection checklist

[lextoy]

hi all, sorry if this is something easy to find, but i was looking and didnt see it yet. a pre purchase checklist?
i am taking a flight at 5 am to go look at that amethyst XLR in columbia SC. i really want to become an owner not just a reader! its the one i posted about last week, they said it was sold i double checked with dealer otday jsut to be sure. it wasnt sold after all, just was at their maintenance facility getting fixed up and detailed. they send me the initial intake survey from when the car arrived, and only thing on it that was bad was the skid bar was broken, they replaced it, and all the associated plastic skid plates. also did new front brakes and rotors. nice guys
i am looking for a list of things to check or test or look at prior to purchase. i can put the car up on a lift and look around prior to purchase. but i would like to know of all the systems to test out.
if there is already something written, could you please point me in the direction of that thread, or throw together a list off the top of your head. very much appreciate the forums help. i am hoping this 07 amethyst isnt a clunker! thanks again for your help, i'll be in SC by 10 am, wish me luck. alex

 

[ddtier]

Be sure to check the well in the driver side truck. Under the carpet there is a cardboard lid. It contains the folding top module and stabilitrack. Check for water or signs of previous water on the sides. Check the pc boards for signs of white corrosion that would indicate previous water. While your in there make sure the drain orifice is clear of debris. Also run the folding top several times though out you test drive to bring out any problems.

Thats all that comes to mind that unique to the car at the moment.


Good luck!

Dave

hi all, sorry if this is something easy to find, but i was looking and didnt see it yet. a pre purchase checklist?
i am taking a flight at 5 am to go look at that amethyst XLR in columbia SC. i really want to become an owner not just a reader! its the one i posted about last week, they said it was sold i double checked with dealer otday jsut to be sure. it wasnt sold after all, just was at their maintenance facility getting fixed up and detailed. they send me the initial intake survey from when the car arrived, and only thing on it that was bad was the skid bar was broken, they replaced it, and all the associated plastic skid plates. also did new front brakes and rotors. nice guys
i am looking for a list of things to check or test or look at prior to purchase. i can put the car up on a lift and look around prior to purchase. but i would like to know of all the systems to test out.
if there is already something written, could you please point me in the direction of that thread, or throw together a list off the top of your head. very much appreciate the forums help. i am hoping this 07 amethyst isnt a clunker! thanks again for your help, i'll be in SC by 10 am, wish me luck. alex

 

[BusaMan]

Alex, I'd also be sure to check out the Navigation system. There should be a disk in it that works, and it should match your model year. Try the voice response capability "SCREEN ON" or "RADIO OFF", etc.) Exercise the manual shift mode, check for oil or fuel leaks, verify that the seat heat and cool work, look underneath for damage, make SLOW hard turns back and forth (forward and backward) and check for "clunking" in the rear end (it's usually fixable with fluid replacement). Finding any of these things not working properly will give you an advantage in the negotiations.

Other then these, the XLR is still a Cadillac, meaning it should ride nice and handle wonderfully. The paint finish should be excellent, and the seats comfortable (verify all adjustability, including the lumbar area). The Bose stereo should work well (check AM, FM, XM and weather stations), and the CD stacker should operate as designed.

Best of luck, Alex. Hope it passes muster. You're doing the right thing by checking it out, first hand.

Tim

 

[ccclarke]

Use this site to get a copy of the owner's manual and create a checklist that contains every switch and function. Run the cold/warm air function for the seats, move them in every direction, etc. Put the HVAC system through every mode. The owners' manual is your best bet to keep everything organized as you pour over the car.

Above all, Have Fun! You must be very excited! I hope it works out for you.


CC

 

[lextoy]

Wow.longest day of my life.woke at 3am to fly to Columbia.got like zero hours of sleep. Arrived at Columbia 930am. Got picked up at airport with a nice ride in an xlr back to the Audi dealership. Spent hours inspecting it.test drove it, tried every function I could find. They lifted it for me to in spect from underneath. Then i haggled a bit and bought it! Paperwork for another couple of hours. Then started the trek back to Philly at around 4. Finally got to dc at 11pm.staying over with friends. Car is a dream come true. Overall very happy. An issue or two became apparent on the 7hr ride to dc.but will get into that later. I can post more on my experience when I get some zzzz`s. Car is in very good condition was well maintained and audi did several jobs to fix it up perfect. Liquid amethyst is such an awesome color. I can't believe it's actually mine.Thx all for your help. I read the owners manual last night before the flight. I feel like I know this car better than I know my wife,hahaha.

 

[ald42]

Wow.longest day of my life.woke at 3am to fly to Columbia.got like zero hours of sleep. Arrived at Columbia 930am. Got picked up at airport with a nice ride in an xlr back to the Audi dealership. Spent hours inspecting it.test drove it, tried every function I could find. They lifted it for me to in spect from underneath. Then i haggled a bit and bought it! Paperwork for another couple of hours. Then started the trek back to Philly at around 4. Finally got to dc at 11pm.staying over with friends. Car is a dream come true. Overall very happy. An issue or two became apparent on the 7hr ride to dc.but will get into that later. I can post more on my experience when I get some zzzz`s. Car is in very good condition was well maintained and audi did several jobs to fix it up perfect. Liquid amethyst is such an awesome color. I can't believe it's actually mine.Thx all for your help. I read the owners manual last night before the flight. I feel like I know this car better than I know my wife,hahaha.

congrats and good luck with your new ride Al

 

[V Happy]

http://www.xlr-net.com/forums/cadillac-xlr-general-discussion/8021-pre-inspection-checklist.html

Alex
I'm glad to hear u found a nice one with no serious issues! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed mine the last four years. It is a awesome piece of machinery. Personally I bought it on looks and got so much more.

V Happy

 

[mtrocket]

Glad to hear it was what you hoped it would be!!!! Congrats and welcome to the pride of ownership... enjoy your new ride!!!

 

[BusaMan]

AWRIGHT!!! Awsome!



Now, (after you get some sleep) pic's are needed.

Tim

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Hey Tim!
That's great that the XLR it's more then what you expected. We are only about 3 hours west of you over near Gettysburg from Philly! We should meet up sometime! Matter of fact this Saturday We are going to be at a car show down in Chesapeake City, Md if you don't have plans bring it down we can park them together and really get crowd going with two of side by side. It's only about 20 minutes off of I-95 at the Elkton exit. I think it's 15$ if your not preregistered!
I know your enjoy your XLR as much as everyone here!
CONGRATZ
CRUZ'ON TOPLESS OF COURSE!


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Dan & Wendy
"05 GRAND DADDY"

 

[DanF]

Hey Tim!
That's great that the XLR it's more then what you expected. We are only about 3 hours west of you over near Gettysburg from Philly! We should meet up sometime! Matter of fact this Saturday We are going to be at a car show down in Chesapeake City, Md if you don't have plans bring it down we can park them together and really get crowd going with two of side by side. It's only about 20 minutes off of I-95 at the Elkton exit. I think it's 15$ if your not preregistered!
I know your enjoy your XLR as much as everyone here!
CONGRATZ
CRUZ'ON TOPLESS OF COURSE!


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Dan & Wendy
"05 GRAND DADDY"

Dan,
Do you have some details on the car show, I'm about 30 min away from Chesapeake City. My wife and I spend alot of time there on the weekends, it a great little town.

Dan

 

[Crimson Pearl]

Congratulations on your new acquisition!

We'd like to see pictures after you get home and get her all cleaned up.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Dan,
Do you have some details on the car show, I'm about 30 min away from Chesapeake City. My wife and I spend alot of time there on the weekends, it a great little town.

Dan

Yes it's this Saturday 8/23 from sunrise to around 3 it's 15$ if not preregistered which we did, we got a room at a hotel 10 minutes away we plan on Rollin in 7 - 7:30 you may want to consider arriving early as they packing in quicky. Pm me tomorrow if you want meet up!


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Dan & Wendy
"05 GRAND DADDY"

 

[b_pappy]

Congratulations, glad it checked out. Drive safe.
Bruce

 

[lextoy]

thx all for the well wishes
cant make the car show, trying to squeeze some time in down the shore while i am on vac for a few weeks.
so i can list the few issues i found, but again overall the car is above average condition, and is better than i had hoped it would be.
1)front skid bar was fixed by AUDI, great! rubber skirt underneath was not.
so i need the skirt parts cuz these are really bad...
2) 5mph parking lot speeds clunk in transmission, after i brake, and reapply the gas, i get the clunk. so i just adjust my driving and i can navigate a parking lot without it clunking. but is there a fix?
3) some paint damage to lower rocker panels, looks like the car was lifted and the lift bars crushed/cracked the panels. i already ordered lifting pucks. i dont think the damage needs to be fixed, you cant see it,and its very minor, but just a shame, such a good condition car had to be damaged by a shop.
4)rear grommet for convertible trunk lid missing, the eyelet part not the post part. this is just cosmetic? dont actually need to be snapped in. can just line up the hole correct?
i wont put anything in the trunk with the top down, it is rediculously small!!
5) cant find the torx/allen tool, where is it supposed to be?
6)front rotors are new, installed by AUDI,great! but they are rusting like crazy
the rears were installed by a caddy dealer last year and have silver paint/coating on the hat and edge, no rust at all. i may swap in some rotors like this for the front, is it a caddy part?
7)drivers seat back feels like it leans farther back by the door than it does by the center console, like it tilts sideways if i try to lean back too far, wierd. i have adjusted it so it is as far back as possible but not tilting. however i want as much lean back as possible 6'1" 235 i like to lounge while driving, everyones car do the odd tilting thing?
8)occasional burning smell coming thru the ventilation system, it isnt very strong, but definitely from my xlr. sorta like burning rubber, or electrical smell. i put it on the lift at the audi dealer and checked for leaks, replaced parts, broken bent stuff, didnt find any leaks or any parts amiss except for the new skid bar. mechanic said the burning smell could be some oil burning off somewhere, but didnt see much oil, so still a mystery.
impressed with how clean it was under there. southern cars dont get the abuse our cars get up here in PA. again kudos to audi for lifting it (and not crushing the rocker panels!) and letting the mechanic talk to me for a good 20 minutes about everything under the car i looked at and happily didnt find any problems.
9)i havent figured out for sure, but i dont think my tiptronic shift is working? i tried it a few times but i cant see anything on the dash that says its on or not. also it doesnt shift if i push the lever forward or back... not that i would ever use it anyway, but nice to have.
10) didnt see a hose from the rear top module compartment? looks like i can look thru a small hole and see pavement... this was dry as a bone, which was good. only thing in it was some lint and fuzz from the carpet and padding, good sign! should i enlarge the hole slightly, or drill a different hole in opposite corner? or just leave it alone? i have extensive experience with water intrusion and related issues as i have owned jetskis for 20 yrs, and i can say this trunk isnt leaking , no signs of water at all. this car was garage kept, cuz theres literally no dirt or gunk anywhere!
11) weatherstrip and some other plastic / rubber parts slightly faded, need to treat them with silicone or back to black.
12)driver side trim at the top, black plastic or rubber, not sure. is blotchy / mottled, looks a bit crappy, dont know what it is yet, trim or gasket, replace it? or someone said scotchbrite it to make it even again? or just put some silicone on it and leave it alone?
13)when putting top up or down, the whole rear section behind the seats flexes slightly when it takes the weight of the top, that sucker must be heavy! everyone notice this or should i look to see if something is loose...otherwise the top operates flawlessly.
14)how does it know which tire is front left , front right, etc, what if i rotate my tires? what if somebody else already did!!!?? uh oh. nice new set of michelins though, must have been put on recently. SCORE for me!
15) no bluetooth??? WTF it didnt even occur to me i wouldnt be able to pair up my phone. boooo cadllac. 2007 bluetooth was invented by then! ok so i guess if i want bluetooth i can drive the wifes prius!
16) passenger A pillar the plastic cover has a bubble in it, about 3-4 inches, sort of stuck on in some spots but bubbled around the edge. anyone else have problems with A pillars interior trim bubbling?
17)if anyone read this far, wow, you are a true XLR fan. i am now too. this car is in excellent condition overall. cosmetically and mechanically. i am just a super picky person, and found every flaw, every scuff, every wrinkle. every smudge or stain. i will now spend alot of time fixing everything. my last pair of jetskis were 2003's just sold them, they looked new!
i am a little bit of a perfectionist, i want it to look 100%, i wont spend hours under the car polishing frame rails... but if i had a lift i would definitely wipe them down

 

[lextoy]

latest update
so i already had the carfax -clean
got the cadillac dealer to give me all the maint records in their system - clean

now i got the audi dealer to give me the RO , repair order, thats the initial inspection of the car upon receiving it in trade, it is quite detailed.
points out front skid bar broken, ripped valence, bumper crooked, damage to the rocker panels,front brakes worn out, lower grill damaged, wiper blades blah blah blah. it also lists all the repairs they did. again no major issues, just wear items, brakes, fluids, oil changed. skid bar, lower grill, bumper remounted.
i wish they would have done the valence...
no paintwork though, thats good.
ALSO i found in my owners manual the original owners name and address.
along with the original window sticker!
you wont believe it, nice little old lady bought the car when she was 74 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
now shes 81 still at the same address.
i can see a few gray hairs on the rear window ledge, i havent figured out how to clean that area yet? with the top down?
gotta love little old ladies

 

[V Happy]

-pre-inspection-checklist

Lextoy
If you want to shift manually do you know the shift leaver must be pushed left to the performance mode. You should then see the gear indication on the heads up display. If you push left and never hit the manual shift notice the difference in the shift pattern. The car will automatically shift with a more aggressive shift pattern. The tools for the top should be in the storage bin right side of trunk. Mine was missing when I purchased it.. Common tools should be carried to do the job. I would suggest manually doing the top up and down so if you ever need to use the procedure you know how it is done! Enjoy
V Happy

 

[XLRATING]

#5: check the glove box, that's another likely location. Possibly also the pull-out storage in the doors.
#8: I get this when I'm stopped at lights, etc. - hot engine/oil smell. Probably from oil seepage but no harm/no foul so far in 4 years.
#9: there's only something momentary in the DIC that you have the driver shift control on, if I remember right - I rarely use it.
#10: think '06 & later don't have a drain tube, & you're probably better off without it.
#11-12: this is common & have it on mine. Looked into replacing mine - it costs an arm & a leg (like $800 or so for window trim). I just put stuff on it to make it look better. Used Mother's Back to Black but it runs & silicone can stain your paint (so I've been told), now I use Zaino's tire stuff that has no silicone.

Hope you get all the wrinkles worked out & stay a fan. I've had mine 4 years now & I still regularly look at it & think, "what a cool car ... I can't believe I actually own this!"

 

[b_pappy]

As far as the rusty brake discs, I masked mine and spray painted them with high temp BBQ Black spray paint (Home Depot). Still looks great after a few years, and the color is a very natural color, not too black.
Looks like most of the rest were answered.
Bruce

 

[hawkeye372]

Glad you're enjoying the new to u ride. Hope you'll have plenty of topdown days. These rides. Are real head turners. You'll get stopped a lot by ppl sling questions. Be sure to register in the registry.


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