Q: Examine both ends of the vehicle and look for any cracks or patched areas. Fenders and bumpers break easily in a collision because they are often made of lightweight or plastic composite material. Run your hands along the vehicle to check for dents, cracks, or other damage. Breakage or repairs to the fender or bumper is a good indicator of further car accident damage. Crouch down so you're eye level with the body of the car. Look along the main line down the side of the car's body. This line should be straight and even and the car's paint should reflect normally. An uneven line or distorted reflection indicates that body panels of the car have been replaced or hammered out due to body damage. While different panels don't necessarily mean that the car is in bad shape, it does let you know that the car has been worked on before. The more a car has been worked on, the lower its price should be. Look at the gaps between each door and the adjoining body panel. The gaps should be straight and have an even width from top to bottom. A car that has had auto accident damage will have uneven gaps due to misalignment or replaced panels or doors. The hood, doors, and trunk should all be flush with the other panels when closed. If they are not, that means there was some body repair to the car. Look closely along the edges of the car's doors and body panels for any nicks, scratches or uneven paint areas. Signs of a different color paint underneath could mean that the car has been repainted after an accident or that a door or panel was replaced and repainted to match the rest of the car. Fresh paint might have a different texture than an older paint job. Signs of sanding during repair might also be visible through paint, so look for sanded areas when you inspect the paint. Take a flashlight and slide yourself underneath the car to inspect the undercarriage for damage. Shine the light on every part of the underside of the car, checking for rust, excessive salt buildup, or a bent chassis. Run your hands along the underside of the car to feel for rust and dents. It's possible that a VIN report comes back clean but the car itself has been repaired at some point. If this is the case, it's most likely because the repair was self-paid instead of paid in part through an insurance company. Go to your local mechanic and ask for a full body inspection. The mechanic will inspect the exhaust systems, brakes, steering and suspension, and other important systems in the car.  This might cost between $150 and $250. While a vehicle history report is incredibly useful, it should not be the only thing you use to make your decision on buying a used car. A combination of a report, a self-inspection, and a professional inspection is your best bet for making an intelligent purchase.
A: Check the fender and bumper for cracks. Assess the car's body lines to check for replacement parts. Examine panel and door gaps to see if they fit together. See if the car has been repainted. Inspect the underbody of the car to check for damage. Have a mechanic check the car before you buy it.

Q: Some equalizers are designed to for installation in your dash while others are designed for a remote location such as the trunk. The installation location will depend on your particular choice of equalizer and preferences.  Many prefer to install their equalizers in the dash of the vehicle so that they can have access to the controls continuously. Equalizers can be installed anywhere between your amp and receiver. The best place to install an in-dash equalizer is right above or below your head unit, or stereo control unit. Some vehicles will have space for this in their dash. Other vehicles will not have space and the equalizer can then be mounted under the dash. The final option is to custom-fit your equalizer into the dash.  If you have space in your dash, then you will simply need an installation kit to mount your equalizer. These kits are brackets that hold the head unit to the dash and require only a few screws to attach. Your kit will come with particular instructions for mounting. If you do not have space in your dash you will need an under-dash mounting kit. These kits are usually designed for under the dash on the driver’s side although other options are available. There are many different designs for under-dash kits so choose on that you prefer and works well with your vehicle. If you would like to have a custom install then it is best to leave the job to a professional audio installer. To run a signal from your stereo receiver to the equalizer and back again, you'll need 2 sets of RCA cable (the same kind that is usually used to connect source components like turntables and CD players). The length of the RCA cables should match the length of the distance between the receiver and the equalizer. To avoid "cable clutter," it's best to buy "patch" size cables, which are only about a foot (30 cm) in length. Remove your receiver from the dash so that you can access the wires behind. Usually you can pull off the plastic piece covering the dash and then pull the receiver slightly out. Plug the two RCA cables into the receiver’s preamp outputs. Tape them together so they will not come apart. Route the cables through the dash to the equalizer. You should use tape or wire ties along the way to connect the two cables together. Plug the cables into the preamp inputs on your equalizer. Mount your equalizer to whichever location you have chosen. You will simply need to attach a few screws in order to mount your equalizer. Turn off your ignition completely and remove your keys before you begin installation. This is for your safety while you connect the wires to avoid getting shocked. On your equalizer you will see three wires. The black one is the ground wire. On the back of the receiver will also be a black ground wire and you should splice (or crimp) these wires together. After making the connection, wrap it in electrical tape.  If you cannot find a black wire on the receiver, remove a bolt near the equalizer mounting location and scrape away any paint covering the location around the bolt. Crimp a ring on the end of the wire and bolt this to the vehicle. If there is no location available then you will have to drill a hole in the chassis. Be very careful not to damage the gas tank or brake line while doing this. The yellow wire (could be red or another color- check your manual) on your equalizer is the 12V power cable. Connect this cable either to the power cable attached to the receiver or to a 12V variable power source in the fuse box (such as the wiper fuse).  If your receiver does not have a wiring diagram to show which wires are switched power cables, then you should use a digital multimeter to identify the correct cable. Connect the multimeter to the cable when the key is in the off position and make sure the voltage reads at zero. Then turn the key into the on position and see if there is now 12V. If the wire follows this pattern then you have found the correct switched 12V power wire.  Splice the wires together and wrap the exposed metal with electrical tape completely. This prevents the exposed areas from touching other wires and potentially shorting the system. You can also crimp the wires together but this is not as strong as splicing. This wire will need to be routed from the receiver to wherever the equalizer is mounted. This wire will usually be a blue wire with a white stripe, and should be labeled on your equalizer. On the receiver should be a blue (usually blue but can be other colors) wire that goes to the amplifier. Connect this wire to the blue wire on the receiver after routing it through the vehicle from where the equalizer is located. Splice or crimp the wires together to make a connection and then wrap the connection in electrical tape. Put the key in the ignition and turn it to the “on” position. Then turn on the radio to check that everything is working well and that the equalizer turns on with the radio. Put the receiver back into its bracket and place the frame covering back into place. Be sure all the wiring is pushed inside the dash beforehand.
A:
Use this method to connect an equalizer to your car stereo in the dash if you want easy access to the controls. Decide where you would like to install the equalizer. Purchase 2 pairs of RCA cables. Remove your receiver from the dash. Connect the RCA cables to your in-dash receiver. Bring the cables to the equalizer and plug in. Mount your equalizer. Turn off your ignition. Connect your ground wire. Connect the power cable. Connect the remote turn-on wire. Test the equalizer by turning on the car. Replace the receiver.