I should add that in cases like this, a can of starting fluid can come in handy. A good healthy shot into the intake, and it can help getting those cylinders banging away.
Starting A Car After 5 Years
- Thread starter PontiacHO
- Start date
If using a "cigarette lighter socket" powered air pump, bring spare fuses for the involved circuit.
Look up the battery size and bring one along...or risk damaging or stranding yourself?
It'd be fun to sell it, given the times.
Pictures, if not, a little description, please.
Color, if nothing else.
If you get into some odd mood, don't forget to remove the plates.
My friend traded a vehicle in such haste, he overlooked removing the plates.
I was with him and didn't think of it either.
Look up the battery size and bring one along...or risk damaging or stranding yourself?
It'd be fun to sell it, given the times.
Pictures, if not, a little description, please.
Color, if nothing else.
If you get into some odd mood, don't forget to remove the plates.
My friend traded a vehicle in such haste, he overlooked removing the plates.
I was with him and didn't think of it either.
Check fluid levels, jump pack and fire in the hole.
On most cars, flooring the accelerator while cranking the engine shuts off the flow of fuel. So this would be a simpler way of circulating a bit of oil before start-up.
Hopefully the brakes all the way around are fully functional after sitting for 5 years.
Me, I would use a charged battery and then turn the key, if it starts up quickly, problem solved. If not, then I would resort to the methods described here.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2022
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I just did this with a car using the KBB instant cash offer system. It worked out just fine. Had been sitting for 2 years. The dealers are going to wholesale the car and won't care about the trivial stuff. I wouldn't even waste money on a battery, jump start it and drive to one of the dealers that participates in the instant cash offer. (Submit the info to the online cash offer system a few days ahead, they will start calling you, then just take it to the closest one) Leave it running and get the paperwork done!
I would disable the fuel pump and crank it several times to build oil pressure before starting.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
New cheap Walmart battery and fire it up.
I pulled a snowblower out of my mom's garage that hasn't been used since 2017. Same gas since 2017. It started on the 3rd pull after a lot of priming to fill the carb back up...
The gas itself smelled awful and the exhaust even worse.
JHZR2
Staff member
Yeah gas goes bad. But it will often run all the same, fwiw.
It was non-ethanol gas. I'm surprised it ran at all. I wouldn't say it ran great until I had the old gas cycled through, but it did run okay enough to blow some snow.
Fuel injection can usually power through it.
I once had an outboard engine that hadn't been started, perhaps in over 15 years. I dumped the gas out of its remote tank, put in some fresh fuel along with some 2 stroke oil, pumped some fuel to the carb from the tank and pulled the cord, she started right up.
I did much the same with a older, (1984), Honda generator, and a 1970's Homelite chainsaw. Fresh gas, and several good, hard pulls, and they fired right up.
They smelled something awful until they pulled the fresh fuel into the carb, and started running on it. But they both fired.
The Impala jumped off-fired easily. Stunk because of the rank fuel. Drove it 25 miles to a U-Haul place and rented a car trailer. The tires are flat spotted and didn’t want to drive 120 miles on the interstate with the possibility of a tire blowing. Towed it home, replaced the battery, filled up with high octane fuel, added the Mechanic In A Bottle, and washed it. I need to replace a blend door actuator (clicking in dash). This car has always been garaged (purchased new in 2008) and has 25,000 miles on it. Any experiences with We Buy Any Car? Really don’t want to stay tethered to a Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist account or deal with tire kickers via phone calls for showings and lowball offers. Most want something for nothing and I don’t suffer that treatment well. Suggestions for quick reasonable sale are appreciated.
That sounds like find! I’d probably pass on the goodness. Anyone you know need a good car?
