@mkimwa, hebu start asap,some of us are very much interested in this

Mamboz,i'm interestd in purchasing a KBG 14 seater mat 4 twn service in Msa.The owner has asked 4 600k negotiable.Wat shud i luk out 4 to get a gud deal.(P.S am a newbie in this industry and wud appreciate anyone advice)

That mechanic needs to be a brother or forget about it. 90% of the times the mechanic will always signal the seller on what his cut is for him to approve the status. Regardless of the mechanical condition. As long as he has a cut then well and good. Hata kama ni mkebe atakubali since he will eat from the same car. you are better of with a person who is very very good with cars.

600k for a kbg is suspicious, the seller should be quoting around 900 to 1m, but then again, it depends on the vehicles condition. Simplest check you can do yourself to see if the engine burns oil "kunywa oil", switch on the car then pull out the dip stick while the engine is running, oil should not be bubbling up the dipstick hole, rev the engine moderately and observe, it shouldn't bubble or rise at all up that shaft. Next is a simple compression test, while engine is idling, unfasten the oil cap on top of the engine then leave it on top. It should fasten itself, not tightly but enough for you to notice. If it doesn't do that hiyo engine itaitisha piston rings, you dont want to start by overhauling the engine immediately after buying.

Naona ushapewa mawaidha tayari. I don't know about the others, for me I began shopping around for a reliable mechanic/garage about a year before I ever bought my first unit. It helped that he was already well known to a relative and so I got to know him via my relative's referral.

At one time when I wanted to buy a used 3L shark, I asked my mechanic to accompany me. Since the vehicle was in active use, we waited for it at its bus stop and had a look at it's general physical condition (the body and underside) and, perhaps most importantly, checked the behavior of the temperature gauge.

Once satisfied with this, we then went ahead to check engine behavior as ably advised by @matatuman above (hiyo story ya oil cap as well as dipstick) and also checked whether it 'smoked' too much when revved. Tulipotosheka na hayo, only then did we ask for the owner's contact details and set up an appointment with him before we went back home. He turned out to be a very nice and amiable fellow and actually drove over 400kms to get the vehicle to me (this long journey gave me one last chance to observe the behavior of the temperature gauge before taking possession). Of course, in the intervening period, we'd already checked KRA details and I made sure my mech was there as I took possession of it. That engine gave me 2yrs of service before I overhauled and later changed it, which I considered satisfactory.

Though price might be an indicator of quality, it certainly isn't the only one. saa zingine unaweza pata chuma nzuri at bargain prices. Just don't be alone when you view it. Have a trusted mech as well as another pal knowledgeable on vehicles with you. The extra pairs of eyes will certainly not be a waste.