Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Starting a car that has sat for 4 years

Definitely this ^^^^^^^^

If it’s a stick make sure it’s not in gear don’t trust just pushing the clutch in.

I would make sure the engine spins without load for a few revolutions. Startup is rough on engines until the oil flows. You could probably get away with pulling the distributor (I know) lead and cranking for a few seconds, do at least that rather than just firing up dry. It depends on how much you liked that thing before it was parked.

Easier to pull the fuel pump relay.

My anti theft, anti start was pulling the coil wire

Yank my coil wire discretely cram it in my coat pocket. While I went into a store, business, one of them thar picture shows.

Who has a coil wire nowadays though. On their fancy schmancy 2025 fàg wagon??

A blast or two of wd-40 in each cyl is all you want.

Pull all plugs, a one-second blast of WD per hole, crank it over a few times, re-install the plugs, and off you go.

After having checked the oil level and addressed the fuel.

What model and year?

2025??

I would agree with most of what I've seen here with regard to getting rid of the old fuel, old oil, pressurize the oil system. I would be inclined to squirt some Kroil, 1st choice, or Marvel Mystery Oil down the spark plug ports and also wherever (depending on the type of engine) I could get some on the valve stems. I would then turn it over by hand with the plugs out a few revs and let it sit overnight before seriously trying to start it. I would not, as someone suggested above, spray WD-40 in it. WD-40 is not a penetrating oil or even a good lubricant. It's got something suspended in it (maybe silicone, I don't know) to provide a water/moisture barrier and it will eventually gum up anything it's used on. Just my $0.02.

Startron

Four years? Put a booster on it and turn the key.

2001 mdx. -tnscouter

Depends on how it is stored. A car or truck stored in a covered area and not subject to lots of moisture will probably be fine with the usual checks- oil, gas, turn over by hand, pull the distributor and crank the oil pump with a drill and shaft to oil up the parts and put power to the battery.

If it has been exposed to weather, better make sure the engine hasn't gotten water down any holes into the bores or heads or you could do more damage than you can imagine in short order.

As far as gas, sour gas has a real distinct smell to it- usually strong like vinegar. However, sludge and other contaminants can still plug up the works, especially the fuel lines, carb jets, and filters. I think Startron is the best additive in this case as it is enzyme based and will dissolve most gelled fuel . I wouldn't put any Seafoam in it until you got it running a bit first , then dump a bottle of it in the tank and run it until it stops smoking... hopefully you won't have to run a full tank of gas to run it through.

Not necessary. Only time you need to oil a cylinder is a flooded no-start condition.

Trust me.

-Ken

Ken - not arguing here, but very curious - because I have learned to squirt in a very light dose if an engine has been sitting dead for years.

What is your reasoning on this - would like to trust you.

Hardly. Guys have broken piston rings and ring lands by following that advice.

You’re not gonna break any piston rings unless it’s rusted and seized up and if that’s the case, the engine will need a rebuild or replacement anyways.

Not necessarily. If there is light rust in the bores a light coat of oil will help to lubricate the cylinders so the rings don't drag the surface rust up and down the cylinder and score them before the oil is pumped up enough to lubricate the pistons and rings. It may also help to break free any rings that are rusted into the ring grooves...

If there’s light rust it’s blown out easier if it’s dry. Oil will only help it cling… but light rust ain’t gonna mean much after 5 minutes of run time.