Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?

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lazydays

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Re: Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?
« Reply #20 on: 24 Sep 2007, 06:50 pm »
Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'm not mechanically inclined so I'll do whatever I can base on the suggestions. The car is not turbo so I won't drain the gas tank since everyone's saying it's a PITA. The car has 130k miles on it and I only plan on keeping it for another 1-2 years. Here are the steps I'll take, in order:

1. Add 2 bottles of Heet to gas tank
2. Add Marvel to gas tank and crankcase
3. Pull spark plugs and add Marvel, re-install plugs
4. Wait 2 hours
5. Push car out of garage
6. Jack front end up, since it is a FWD
7. Turn both wheels in both directions a dozen times
8. Check for bald spots, hope it's fine since it only has 18k miles on it
9. Install new battery
10. Pull fuel pump fuse and turn ignition on for 30 seconds, re-install fuse
11. Cross fingers
12. Turn engine on and put in gear forward and reverse
13. Drop car on ground and drive slowly around the block, will then let car idle for 1/2 hour
14. Take car to change oil, coolant, and brake fluid
15. Replace spark plugs

Hopefully this will take of it, thanks gain everyone, let me know if there are any other suggestions.



one other thing you can do to help the situation is to slowly turn the motor over with the spark plugs out of it (with a wrench if you can). After doing this for several revolutions, use the starter to turn the motor over. It will blow it the excess oil, and may also prevent the complete distruction of the pistons of cylinder head from a hydraulic lock up.
gary

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?
« Reply #21 on: 24 Sep 2007, 06:58 pm »
wolwo 850's are definitely front wheel drive. 
Yup, confirmed.

So, KKM....How's things going??

Bob

KKM

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Re: Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?
« Reply #22 on: 25 Sep 2007, 02:53 am »
Gentleman, thank you all for the great suggestions, I did get the car started but it was not happy at first. Had to crank it many times but refuse to start. I finally floored the gas pedal until it came to life, there was a lot of smoke, even as I let it idle for 15 minutes. It might be burning off some of the Marvel that I dumped in the spark plug well. There was a off odor in the car, almost like chlorine but eventually went away.

I did drive it around the block, didn't see any flat spots on the tires but it didn't feel quite right, maybe it's just that I haven't driven that car for so long and manual trans to boot.

Will take it tomorrow for the fluid changes.

Thanks again all, audio guys also know their cars. :thumb:

jqp

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Re: Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?
« Reply #23 on: 25 Sep 2007, 02:58 am »
Gentleman, thank you all for the great suggestions, I did get the car started but it was not happy at first. Had to crank it many times but refuse to start. I finally floored the gas pedal until it came to life, there was a lot of smoke, even as I let it idle for 15 minutes. It might be burning off some of the Marvel that I dumped in the spark plug well. There was a off odor in the car, almost like chlorine but eventually went away.

I did drive it around the block, didn't see any flat spots on the tires but it didn't feel quite right, maybe it's just that I haven't driven that car for so long and manual trans to boot.

Will take it tomorrow for the fluid changes.

Thanks again all, audio guys also know their cars. :thumb:


Glad to hear its up and running - I have fond memories of my 96 850.

By the way I have a new(used) rim and tire for a great full sized spare, as well as Yakima rack Q-towers specifically for the 850 if you are interested (I am in Charlotte)

edit: could you be any further from Charlotte :)

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?
« Reply #24 on: 25 Sep 2007, 10:31 am »
Good to hear KKM   :thumb:
You'll have some funny smells for a while as things heat up and burn off.
You catalytic converter doesn't like you right now, it wasn't made to handle Marvel. That's the cause of most of those nasty smells.

Nothing from the guys at work that we haven't covered already KKM.
As it turns out, 1993 is when Volvo decided FWD is the way to go, and yours is the model that was first to get it.  :o

Good luck, :wink:
Bob

Levi

Re: Starting a car after 2 years idle - what to do?
« Reply #25 on: 25 Sep 2007, 11:42 am »
Congrats!