Sitting for a year without starting
I posted another message here about possibly buying a 94 Scoupe from a
friend. Well I'm going to check it out, but one thing I was thinking about is that it hasn't been fired up for over a year. What precautions should be taken before starting it? What exactly happens when a car sits for that amount of time? I would imagine the oil might dry up a bit, but I'm no expert. Any advice would be appreciated. Mark |
Re: Sitting for a year without starting
In article <ii0Va.568081$Vi5.14146536@news1.calgary.shaw.ca >, Mark
<mzo@mzo.com> wrote: > I posted another message here about possibly buying a 94 Scoupe from > a friend. Well I'm going to check it out, but one thing I was > thinking about is that it hasn't been fired up for over a year. What > precautions should be taken before starting it? > > What exactly happens when a car sits for that amount of time? I would > imagine the oil might dry up a bit, but I'm no expert. > > Any advice would be appreciated. At the very least, you're probably going to have: 1) a flat battery (it might not take a charge even after you jump it) 2) flat spots in the tires (you'll probably have to replace them) 3) gunked-up oil (should be flushed and changed before starting car) 4) belts will have become stiffened in their current shape and bending them will weaken them; I'd replace them all 5) all the gunk in the gas tank has settled to the bottom, ready to get sucked into the fuel line -- replace the fuel filter after the first startup, it'll probably need it Various things may have become rusted or otherwise stuck to other things. I'd be very sure of the brakes before taking it for a test drive, for example. Please, have a mechanic you trust (or at least someone mechancially inclined) check this car out before giving your friend any money for it. Actually, since he obviously hasn't been in desperate enough need of cash to sell the car in over a year, maybe you can suggest that you'll pay him if it's still running in two months. %) -- Jerry Kindall, Seattle, WA <http://www.jerrykindall.com/> 2003 Chianti Red Elantra GT When replying by e-mail, use plain text ONLY to make sure I read it. Due to spam and viruses, I filter all mail with HTML or attachments. |
Re: Sitting for a year without starting
Well, everyone is giving you good advice so I'll put in my two cents. I'd
remove the plugs and squirt a little Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder, put the plugs back in and fire it up. After it gets through coughing and sputtering, drive it around a bit and then do all the other stuff. jor > "Mark" <mzo@mzo.com> wrote in message news:ii0Va.568081$Vi5.14146536@news1.calgary.shaw. ca... > I posted another message here about possibly buying a 94 Scoupe from a > friend. > Well I'm going to check it out, but one thing I was thinking about is that > it hasn't been fired up for over a year. > What precautions should be taken before starting it? > > What exactly happens when a car sits for that amount of time? I would > imagine the oil might dry up a bit, but I'm no expert. > > Any advice would be appreciated. > > > Mark > > |
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