Starting a car that has been sitting for over a year?

Question

I have aquired a old 87 toyota Tercel but it's been sitting for over a year under two years, the battery is dead but i am purchasing a new one. It has Oil though i intend to give it a change, Filter as well, but i don't think it has anti-freeze in it and i am worried about starting it up after sitting to long without anti-freeze, also it has old gas in it and my neighbor advised me to syphon off the gas and replace it before starting it up. its a project car i know its really old, but it'll be perfect for an extra car for me and my husband sense we juggle one car between us now. any advice out there getting this ball rolling?

Answer 1

Smell the gas. If it smells like gasoline, you're golden to start it, if it smells like turpentine, the engine isn't going to run. Check the coolant before you start the engine, as long as it's there, you're fine.

If it's not there, try filling it. A dealership can tell you how much coolant it should take, and if it starts taking much more than that and isn't pouring out of a broken hose someplace, you've got a serious engine problem.

Personally, I'd change the oil and filter before you start it, the fuel will still lubricate the engine, at least for a while, but if the filter's started degrading, it could block oil flow to the engine. Oil's cheap, so are filters.

When I've had to bring engines that have sat for a while back on line, I've done two things; I've used a syringe to drop a little engine oil into the cylinders through the spark plug hole, and then cranked them with the coil wire removed until I showed positive oil pressure before reconnecting the coil wire and starting the engine.

You can get premixed coolant, "antifreeze", at any auto parts store for a couple bucks per gallon. I wouldn't run the car without some sort of coolant/antifreeze mix.

The other thing you're going to want to invest in if this is a project car is a Chilton's or Hayne's Manual for the car. You'd be amazed at the headaches that those books can save you.
Happy Motoring.

Answer 2

The battery will most likely be dead. Get a new one. Change the oil of course and do the tune up (plugs wires filter etc). Old gas will still combust so don't worry about to much, once you put the car on the road it isn't a bad idea to add premium gas until you run through all of the old gas. Before firing it up remove the plugs and spray wd40 into the cylinders, this is IMPORTANT! The oil rings need the extra lube before hand so that they don't crack and brake, if you do not do this you might not pass smog! After the wd40, disconnect the ignition wire from the coil. Turn the key and let the car turn over for awhile (5-10 revs), let it sit and do it again a couple of times. The idea here is to get any air out of the fuel system and to get the oil circulated before letting the engine fully turn on. Plug the wire back in and start it up. It may back fire, its no big deal if it only does it one or two times the first time you start it up. Let it run for awhile before putting it gear, keeps the stress of until all the parts can loosen up again.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

If you're going to bring an old car back to life, here is what you do:

Get new tune-up equipment (plugs, wires, rotor, cap). After sitting for just under 2 years, the contacts are probably corroded, and need to be replaced, otherwise, you get poor firing, and a crappy running car.

Next, you drain ALL of the fuel, and replace it with new gasoline. The old gas is stale, and if it is started up with the bad gas, it will ruin your engine.

Change the fluids...all of them. The oil is old, and won't hold up to the load you will put it under. The radiator needs to anti-freeze, and maybe a little detergent inside to open the veins from rust and corrosion.

Here is the important part. Take a spoonful of motor oil, remove the spark plugs, and pour the oil into the hole where the plugs go. This will oil up the combustion chamber in all of the cylinders. This is done to keep the bare metal from scratching and ruining the internal parts of the engine. Not doing this would be like running your car without oil. There are oil substitutes you can buy at your local auto parts store as well.

Battery is important. Can't go without one of those...

This will ensure that if you have a workable car, you will still have a workable engine after you find out...

Answer 4

The battery will maximum possibly be lifeless. Get a clean one. exchange the oil of course and do the music up (plugs wires clear out and so on). old gasoline will nonetheless combust so do no longer subject approximately to a lot, as quickly as you place the motor vehicle on the line it extremely is not a foul thought to function top class gasoline till you run by all the old gasoline. till now firing it up do away with the plugs and spray wd40 into the cylinders, that's significant! The oil rings want the greater effective lube till now hand so as that they do no longer crack and brake, in case you do no longer try this you won't bypass smog! After the wd40, disconnect the ignition cord from the coil. turn the foremost and permit the motor vehicle turn over for awhile (5-10 revs), permit it sit down and do it returned a pair of situations. the assumption right that's to get any air out of the gasoline device and to get the oil circulated till now letting the engine totally activate. Plug the cord returned in and start up up it up. it may desire to returned fire, its no huge deal if it purely does it one or 2 situations the 1st time you start up up it up. permit it run for awhile till now putting it kit, keeps the rigidity of till each and all of the aspects can relax returned. wish that helps.

Answer 5

Give it a full tune-up, spark plugs, oil and filter, air filter and fuel filter, change all fluids..... when you start the car let it run at idle for a good 15-20 minutes to bring it up to full operating tempature...... then you will see if the car is running right..... it should be then go from there.

Answer 6

If it has been in the North part of the country the engine block might be cracked. Try starting it and see if it will fire up. Top off the anti-freeze and see if anything leaks.

Answer 7

You could drain the radiator and put anti-freeze in it and yes you should replace the gas, and the oil change would be a good idea!

Answer 8

buy starting fluid
remove replace the gas in the tank
keep the battery charger connected to battery for replenish the power lose during tryings

when You get ready with that ....

proceed with try to start ,followed by a rest time period to avoid starter overheating and burn out.

it will take a while before start it.

after started and running ,make the engine running and rest( heat and cooling) to allow the metal ,gaskets ,hoses.
equalize in temp. and swollen volume.

two hour engine running in the morning ,two hour engine running afternoon.couple days.
do not drive it without that heat cooling .

Answer 9

First off, DON'T put Anti-freeze in it yet, just water in case it leaks right back out. (soil contamination)

Secondly, try to put gas (a little bit) straight into the intake to see if it will start.

Now that you've determined that there are no leaks, and it will start you can continue to dump money into it.

Answer 10

take out the spark plugs and crank over the engine check nothing has seized up before you fired it up properly