This mechanic shows how used car dealers cheat buyers by hiding warning lights on faulty cars

With the waiting period for brand-new cars stretching past several months (looking at you Alza and your 10-month waiting period), demand for used cars are at an all-time high.

And with that demand, it comes as no surprise that some unscrupulous used car dealers are tampering with the instrument cluster of their cars, specifically masking out / blanking out the warning lights.

According to a Facebook post by 96 Auto Parts, he highlighted yet another used car with a tampered instrument cluster, in which the warning lights were masked out, as cautioned in our earlier articles.

Also Read: Tampered mileage and erased warning lights rampant in used cars, buyers beware

The method of masking out / blanking out warning lights is the cheapest and simplest way to hide defects in a used car. Now, if you’re not careful and did not do your due diligences before purchasing a used car, you could potentially end up with a car that has an airbag fault, or even failed ABS without knowing.

As the name suggests, a warning light is designed to warn drivers of potential issues within the car. One cannot simply just mask out the warning light just like that.

How to protect yourself from a car with erased warning lights?

It’s really simple – just turn on the car and observe the warning lights that appear on the instrument cluster. All warning lights should appear when a car is starting up.

 If the car uses a traditional key to start, turn the key to the “ON” position. If the car has an engine push start button, press the button without pressing the brakes. Pay close attention if there are any missing lights.

Alternatively, if you happen to have an OBD2 reader on hand, you could also plug the reader into the car’s OBD2 port (with the seller’s permission, of course) and scan for any errors.

If the seller refuses to let you plug your OBD2 reader into the car, walk away, as the seller could be hiding something. Any fault codes that appear on the OBD2 and not on the instrument cluster could be a sign that the car could have been tampered with.

If you are looking for a used car, be sure to do your homework. Alternatively, buy from a reputable seller. Carsome for example, offers a one-year warranty and a 5-day money-back guarantee.

Also Read: Buying used cars: 6 signs of flood damage

Also Read: Avoiding flood-damaged used cars, here are the things to demand from your seller

Also Read: Buying used cars: 5 signs a car has been in an accident