Need advice; bringing a car out of storage after a few years

[dasyce]

I have a ‘13 Lexus GS (20k odo), that I really love. The last time I drove the car, it was a ride back from the dealership after an oil change.

Originally, it was being put away for the winter. Then Covid happened, and I haven’t driven the car since.

I want to get the car back on the road safely. To start, I plan to replace oil/filter, battery and tires.

Any advice on what to watch out for, or precautions to take when starting it for the first time in 3 years? Any other maintenance items I should immediately perform?

Thanks,

 

[JoelB]

It's a modern car so not as many things to be concerned with. My main thing would be getting fresh fuel in there ASAP. Double check any fluid levels you can before starting and driving of course.

 

[billt460]

In the future, if you know that you will be storing it, the best thing you can do is fill up with ethanol free fuel if you can. Then treat it with a heavy dose of Sta-Bil, or even better Pri-G. (Both are safe for catalytic converters).

Then drive it long enough until everything is up to operating temperature, and the treated fuel has been pulled through the fuel system. That will insure the fewest problems.

 

[86cutlass307]

I stored the Cutlass in my signature when I was in the military; mine was not climate controlled though. My dad was able to start and drive about once a month, which helped a great deal. For yours, be sure to check the condition of the hoses carefully and thoroughly, siphon all the gas out of it that you possibly can and replace with ethanol free if available to you with your preferred fuel system cleaner. Bleed the brakes for sure, that will tell you if the flex hoses have swollen. When you energize the car prior to start, wait a bit and listen for any sizzle and look for smoke (possible rodent damage to wiring), if all is well, fire it up!

 

[blufeb95]

Top up with some fresh gas and a can of B12 chemtool.

 

[joekingcorvette]

That is very low miles for a 2013. Didn't you drive it pre-covid? Check the lug nuts to make sure they are tight and if anything is wrong with the car it will show up right away. I bought a 2014 Corvette that had been driven only 22,000 miles and I put new tires on it and an oil and filter change. No problems at all. The car basically sat undriven for about 6 years. It may have had a few miles in between but the history was sketchy. Good luck!

 

[TiGeo]

Start it and drive it....~3 years? It's fine.

Edit. Clearly air in tires, fresh gas, battery charge etc.

 

[dnewton3]

- if the drive from the dealership 3 years ago was long enough to fully warm the engine, then there's no reason you must change the oil immediately; you can put that off for a while
- check the air in tires before driving it
- clean the windows; it's likely they have substantial film on them from sitting so long
- check the battery; it's likely low on voltage if it wasn't stored on a battery device
- check under the car for any substantial leaks; address those fluids if low
- first drive should be an easy one; don't hit redline as soon as you get out of the driveway
- drive to the fuel station and get fresh fuel in it; it's very likely the fuel has turned

 

[The Critic]

- drive to the fuel station and get fresh fuel in it; it's very likely the fuel has turned

I think I would find a way to empty the fuel tank BEFORE starting it - and add fresh fuel. The fuel has likely gone bad. No reason to risk fouling plugs or injectors.

 

[twX]

The battery will be shot if it hasn't been charged regularly.

Check for rodent damage, and look for rodent nests in the intake/airbox.

I agree with other posters regarding checking all fluids and draining the old fuel. You should be able to pump the old fuel out with a hand pump. Definitely check the coolant in both the radiator and overflow. The oil should be fine.

As far as maintenance, it would be a good time to check the brake fluid with a moisture tester, especially if the car was stored in a humid or unheated environment. If the coolant has never been changed since new, now would be the time to do it. Door hinges and hood and trunk latches could maybe use a lubing.

 

[JavierH19]

How much fuel did you leave in it. If it's half or less just top up with 93 and run it down. The tires may have flat spotted, not dangerous to drive at regular highway speeds but it won't be comfy. The battery also may be shot if it hasn't been on a maintainer.

 

[eljefino]

Don't touch the oil, it's fine. You don't want a cold, dry start. Change it slightly ahead of schedule if that pleases you.

Do check for air filter problems, rats nests. Engine and cabin air filter. Don't turn on the HVAC fan until you're sure it's clear-- you can shoot acorns in faraway places that will interfere with expensive blend doors.

Charge the battery, turn the key. Modern EVAP systems keep gas pretty well preserved. If it starts, top it off with high-test. I would F around with the old battery, charged. What happens if you buy a new one, slap it in, and the car doesn't start? Now you've run a brand new battery down, potentially shortening its life. Save the new battery for next week.

The brakes will be a sticky mess. If it starts, drive around, stabbing the pedal. Be on the lookout for sticky calipers. You want shiny rotors after your drive around the block.

 

[DavidJones]

Charge the battery and turn the key. Drive it down and get a little fresh gas and roll on.

 

[demarpaint]

I think I would find a way to empty the fuel tank BEFORE starting it - and add fresh fuel. The fuel has likely gone bad. No reason to risk fouling plugs or injectors.

I agree. At least try and get as much fuel as possible out, add a few gallons of fresh fuel, and drive it slowly to a gas station and fill it up.

 

[dumkid]

I've never had bad gas foul plugs. I'd say throw a can of b12 in it, check everything to make sure it's road worthy, and start driving it.

 

[scotty.honda.dog]

If it has a lot of fuel in it I would pump all the old fuel out - good excuse to buy a GasTapper https://a.co/d/7Bs9xxm

Then refill with fresh and add Techron Marine fuel system cleaner.

 

[tblt44]

New gas

 

[svtrit]

I wouldn’t worry about pumping old fuel out, unless the tank was full. Add some fresh fuel, so the maintenance items mentioned in the other posts, and go for a drive!

 

[billt460]

As far as pumping out old fuel. I have a Honda generator, (a 1985 EM-600) that sat for over 10 years without being run. That's 10 desert Summers in a hot garage that easily got to over 130F when 2 hot cars were parked in it.

Before we moved out here I pulled it off the shelf, cleaned it up, added some fresh fuel, and much to my surprise, it fired up after about 10 pulls. I ran it for about an hour, changed the spark plug, and the oil. It's still running today.

But now I only burn Tru-Fuel in it. It contains no Ethanol and is 93 octane. And it's supposed to have a shelf life of 2 to 3 years. I do add a bit of Pri-G to the Tru-Fuel. Just to be on the safe side.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I wish modern cars had a fuel drain on them, of course, so do my needy neighbors

Varnish in the fuel system can be an issue, I would say get the old fuel out of the tank, but its not easy or likely even possible or safe to do so at home. Read some of the other suggestions about fuel. Three y.o. E10 can be nasty without having been top-oiled or stabilised.

There absolutely no need to change the oil. None. It's not milk, its a very stable molecule.

Brakes pistons and seals can be an issue depending on climate. R.H. I would get the brake lines flushed asap.Check for seepage.

A new battery install will mean some heavy relearning for the EC&BC modules. So if you have currently** have enough voltage to dimly run the interior dome lights, I would piggy back (parallel connexion) a portable Li-ion supply (power bank) to maintain the volatile memory during a swap.

good luck; enjoy - Ken