My wife’s mom has a low mileage 2008 Impala that has been sitting in her garage for 5 years without being ran. We need to sell the car to prepare the home for sale. My plan is to drain the fuel (siphon) as much old fuel from the tank as possible, add fresh fuel, check fluids, replace battery, pump up the tires and fire it off. Any suggestions on a fuel additive that will help clean what the old fuel may have left behind in the injectors and pump? Obviously 5 year old fuel is rank.
Starting A Car After 5 Years
- Thread starter PontiacHO
- Start date
I'd squirt a little bit of oil down the spark plug holes, turn the engine over by hand a few times. pea in the fuel will help.
Depending on your skillset I'd see if you can disconnect the fuel line at the fuel rail as well. Drop and drain the tank, put in the gallon of fresh gas, run the pump, see if it purges some yellow snot through. Odds are ok that it'll still be a liquid, but it'll have zero "zip."
The best additive is fresh gas.
Siphoning modern cars is hard-- they have rollover check valves in the neck that are also anti-siphon devices.
EVAP systems are pretty good, so this may not be as bad as OPE or cars from the olden days. But you want that fuel out of there.
The best additive is fresh gas.
Siphoning modern cars is hard-- they have rollover check valves in the neck that are also anti-siphon devices.
EVAP systems are pretty good, so this may not be as bad as OPE or cars from the olden days. But you want that fuel out of there.
Drain the old fuel and add fresh fuel. Drain the oil and replace the oil filter, replace the oil. Pull the injector connectors (disconnect the electrical side of the injectors) and crank it for several seconds to build oil pressure and get oil on everything. Then reconnect and fire it up.
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Depends. Are you selling it to a dealer or private party?
If dealer, air up the tires, jump start it, drive to the dealer. Leave it running until you sign the papers.
Anything more is extra effort that isn't going to pay back.
If dealer, air up the tires, jump start it, drive to the dealer. Leave it running until you sign the papers.
Anything more is extra effort that isn't going to pay back.
JHZR2
Staff member
The old fuel won’t necessarily be a big deal. It could be I suppose. But I’d be more concerned with trying to turn the engine over by hand if you can….
A 2008 Impala with what engine?
I ask because some sparkie poos are harder to remove than others.
Have you seen the vehicle in person?
I ask because some sparkie poos are harder to remove than others.
Have you seen the vehicle in person?
I would just try to start it. Bet it runs with a new battery.
This ^^^^^^^^
If a fresh, new, fully charged battery won't turn it over, you've got other, bigger problems. It should start with what it's got. If it fires up, run it up to operating temp, throw in some fresh fuel, and head out to dump it. That will give you minimum investment for maximum joy.
Do all the above and add 3 bottles of "Mechanic In A Bottle" in your tank get fuel into the carb and let it sit for 24 hours before starting. Granted, she uses it at 100% but I found out myself a high percentage and more time work good too. I have had GREAT luck with this stuff on friends and family screw ups.
see video
see video
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uh what carb?
Seriously...
Stop over thinking it. New battery, check oil level, start, let idle to operating temp, drive to gas station and fill with high test 93 octane with a bottle of fuel injector if you really want. Drop off at dealer and wave goodbye. It's a car from 2008 nearly 17 years old and generic GM sedan at that.
Sorry. I know nothing about Impala's, just remembered my Dad's old one around that time that had a carb. I only have bought Euro and Asian cars my whole life.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
it was the special NASCAR edition 3.5!
Lots of YouTube videos of will it start and drive on cars that have been sitting 20-30 years. Dennis Collins isn't afraid to start up desireable Corvettes that have been sitting longer than 5 years.
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Couple gallons fresh gas and a new battery. Change the oil once you get it running. I think Stabil has a product for old gas if you want to bother.
The key point here is that the Impala has been stored in a garage for the past 5 years. Modern cars with fuel injection and emissions controls have fuel systems that are nearly sealed from atmosphere. This mitigates significant evaporation of the volatile compounds in gas and allows very little intrusion of moisture which quickly degrades E-10 fuel. I have a couple of very low-mileage fuel injected vehicles in long term indoor storage for over 25 years and the (E-10) gas only degraded significantly in one car after 18 years!
I will bet that with a new battery, the Impala will run without draining the gas tank. If it runs, it would not hurt to add some fuel system cleaner like Redline SI-1, PRI-G or even the Mechanic In A Bottle as suggested by @Mainia in Post #13 above.
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