Cars been Sleeping (for like 20mo.)

[supra_stephe]

So my car has been sleeping, with regular startups for almost the past twenty months. I think I am going to pull it out and play with it. What will need to be replaced before I can drive it? I am thinking wheel bearing, all fluids; I have new tires and wheels so thoughts will go on too. Also I need to get the ball joints replaced ASAP. So my formal question would be, what little monsters may I expect to have work them selves out on me?

thanks,
Stephe

Its quite odd that there is another simular thread to this one.

 

[lagged]

just check all fluids and change the oil.

then take it for a ride and see how everything is.

it might need lots of work, it might not need any work.

 

[jetjock]

If by "regular startups" you mean a few minutes of idling that's a bad thing to do.

 

[BigTree]

^^^ please explain

 

[jetjock]

First, most wear occurs during cold starts. Thousands of miles worth compared to steady state cruising. This is especially true if the engine has been sitting a long time and all the oil has drained to the pan. Second, short stints of idling cause fuel dilution of the oil from warm up enrichment. Third, it takes a lot of time for the oil to get hot enough to boil off moisture from condensation, ect. The water in the oil is what causes acids and since water vapor is one of the main byproducts of combustion you're just adding more when you idle a cold engine for a short time. Best would be to drive it for at least 30 minutes. If you can't it's better to leave the engine off. Best is to mothball it properly. Minimum is to change the oil *before* putting it to bed.

 

[supra_stephe]

the oil was fresh (like less then 100 miles of driving ) when I put it away. I start it when I go to my parents house, so December was the last time and it was like July or August before that. I'll post up more I gotta run somewhere

 

[tsuper92]

make sure you don't have any vermin living in it.i bought an 89 that had been sitting for under 6 month's and there was rat's living on top of the motor.you pop the hood and the stench was enough to make you want to pass out,never mind when it got up to opperating temp.i took the coil pack cover off and there was pile's off rat shit between the cam cover'sit was all packed in around the turbo's too..i had to vacume it all out and wash it down with simple green.
HERE'S THE RAT SHIT MOTOR hard to see,but the cam cover and all over the turbo piping was stained with urine and whatever else

 

[staticpat]

That's a damn nice "ratshit motor".