car stood outside for near 2 yrs - precautions for restart??

Question

Hi
I have a 1996 renault clio 1.4. It has been sat on my drive in the rain and the cold for nearly 2 years
It seems to be in ok condition but has no tax or MOT.
Now i want to shift it- I first want to see if it's salvageable/saleable. I'm aware that i will need to replace the battery, but do i need to do anything else before turning it over - eg should i change the oil first?

I need also to release the brakes before getting it to a garage for an MOT check. would it be legal for me to drive the car the 1 mile to the garage given that it's uninsured and untaxed?
I don't want to spend money on these douments if the car is fit for scrap only!!

thanks for your help.

Hi
thanks all for your advice. I didn't leave the handbrake on as i knew this would be troublesome ;-)
I have a car already so this isn't really urgent- i just want it off my drive hopefully with a little cash in exchange.

I know about the insurance illegality - but i believe you have to have an MOT in order to get a tax disc. Thanks for the suggestion of getting the garage to collect. I'll do that i think.

WD40 in the cylinders is a good idea. and to turn it manually.
just want to see how far i can get without spending much money :-)

Answer 1

should be OK to start but check oil plugs etc get garage to collect it they have insurance etc saves you the hassle

Answer 2

RECHARGE THE BATTERY

SEE HOW MUCH OIL YOU HAVE AND CONDITION. ADD A LITTLE IF NEEDED.

Make sure engine s not seized by leaving the car in neutral and seeing if you can turn the engine over by hand (fan belt). This may not be easily accessible if this is a fairly modern car.
Alternatively, if the brakes aren't seixed (yeah, right, after two years?) you could pout the car in first and push the car forward to see if the engine turns freely.
Either way, if it doesn't you can squirt a little oil or diesel down the bores and allow it to help ease off the pistons.

TURN OVER THE ENGINE WITHOUT CHOKE AND (sorry for shouting) without the HT leads on the plugs to push some oil around the engine.

Would be worthwhile putting some fresh petrol in the tank/pump/bowl as the stuff you have in there will be rubbish now and probably watered down.

Once running, you will have to unstick the brakes and if not in too bad condition, go somewhere quiet and give it a few emergency stops to remove the glaze/rust. Obviously not on the road as it isn't street legal.

Then you'll just have to get it up to scratch for MOT. You may be lucky and it might not require a great deal of work.

Answer 3

First the legal stuff.

To drive it to an MOT station (without a current MOT) you NEED:
Valid insurance
Road Tax
And a pre-booked appointment for an MOT TEST...not just a pre-MOT check.

If you are caught - 3 to 6 points for uninsured plus fine, upto to £500 for untaxed - (and upto £500 per tyre that fails a 2mm tread check).

Practical side:
Charge the battery
The fuel should be OK - petrol is not as hygroscopic as diesel.
The oil should also be good enough - but check the level & top up if required.
Release those brakes...bet you wish you'd not put the handbrake on now! You can normally force them off the drums by GENTLY rocking the car in reverse gear. Then free them better later.

If keeping it - all the following may be contaminated / degraded - change oil, flush coolant, fuel, brake fluid, all the filters, brake pads, tyres if sidewalls are dry or cracked due to sun exposure.

Might be a good idea to give it a 'wash & brush-up' and sell it.

Answer 4

Apart from releasing the brakes you would have to change the battery, oil and filter, air filter, change the coolant fluid and brake fluid. You are allowed to drive a car without an MOT to an MOT testing station as long as you have an appointment for an MOT. However the car must be taxed and insured if used on a public road. Driving while uninsured is a serious offence. Would probably be better to get rid of it as it is.

Answer 5

Check oil ,charge battery , dis conect coil lead , turn engine over a cpl of times , short burst, put lead back on ,try 2 start ? yes ? no , if not check petrol first , gallon should b enough to get it going , check all leads and wires r connected , check plugs , spark at plug , try wd40 / or easy start/damp start , call out mobile mechanic cos if u knew u wouldnt ask.
handbrake off , crack nuts on rear wheel , jack up ,take off center hub nut if the drum doesnt side off , catch the bearin , then use a hammer to shock drum it should slide off DONT USE OIL TO FREE IT OFF
clean replace any damaged worn parts , replace wheel

sorry thats long winded but if u want to do it urself get a manuel , basic tools and read the book find a nice weekend ave a go

P.s the brakes on a clio have lots of different types so take them with u to check replacement parts ,thats all renaults and all braking parts

Answer 6

First remove spark plugs spray in through plug holes Wd 40 leave for a night then turn car over with plugs out for a few minutes clean and replace plugs then start car let it run for about ten minutes or so, make sure oil and water levels are ok . you can drive direct to the mot station providing you have booked first , you must go direct there only , no diversions , if you are stopped and you are obviosly not on a direct route you will be in trouble

Answer 7

you should be able to sell the car depending on what needs doing for the mot. you will not need to change the oil, just check the oil and water levels. releasing the brakes is easy, take the handbrake off and put car in first gear drive forward then put in reverse and drive backwards, if the wheels are still locked, take the wheel trims off theback wheels and hit the centre of the wheel with a hammer. you will need to get someone who is insured to drive any vehicle to take it for mot as you are breaking the law ifyou get stopped by the police for having no insurance and the vehicle will be confiscated and crushed.i would also put new petrol in with old as petrol does go off. as for selling value if it is a good car you should be able to get £500 for it no problem. but i would see how much it will cost to put through mot first as to see if it isworth doing. hope this answers your question.

Answer 8

When you start the car don't rev the engine up high to give the oil time to get round it...
if you book the car in for an mot tell them you have no tax and test and you should be ok but you will need insurance on it

Answer 9

sorry to sound so negative, I think you would be better spending your money on something else, there seems to be no value in older cars nowadays and with yours sitting for 2 yrs too, corrosion will have attacked the exterior, brakes, tyres, exhaust to mention but a few and the interior won't be much better. So i would scrap car and start again.
You will be surprised what you can buy today for little money.
Good Luck

Answer 10

Your gas has probably gone bad so you will need a complete flush. Tires are also "set" or even cracked if it hasn't moved that long. Change the oil and have the oil pan checked for sludge/hardening of the oil. Check all fluids for signs of contamination.

Answer 11

Re: MOT TEST. Ring MOT testing station and enquire if they do a PRE-MOT or as in most cases, a FULL MOT. Then you can ask about legality of transport of vehicle to testing station..