newbie here. looking at buying a 91 b16. owner says that it needs a new battery. he said the other day it just stopped working, had it towed home and hasnt looked at it since. i have been told to check the plugs to see if they spark. check to see if the belts broke. check to see if the oil is sparkely as that would be metal shavings, check for black marks on rear bumper to see if motor is warn. besides trying to jump it, which is not what i think is wrong with it. any other things to check, or ways to see if the motor is shot? Thanks!

 

no reason to make another thread.

 

Take the motor apart and look at it. See if valves are belt, piston or rod broken, etc.

 

Don't buy it unless it is running. Get him to replace the battery. It actually sounds like he needs a new alternator. My guess is this guy is shady. Buy a running car or there is no real way to tell without taking the thing apart.

 

Sounds shady to me. Bring a good battery with you and try to start the car. To check motor do a compression test.