Re-commissioning a car that's been laid up for a while
Discussion
Any tips on what to check or change on a car that’s been laid up for about 15 months? Before it was taken off the road it had a full service with all belts, oil and filter, injectors and K&N filter cleaned, new dizzy, leads etc.
Oil still looks golden on the dipstick. Should be ok? I’ve heard people talking about “turning the engine by hand” to distribute the oil around, but no idea how I would do that.
Would the fuel be ok? It had about 20 litres of V-Power in it. Should I top that up with some fresh fuel, or even drain that first?
Usually I’d just go for it and give it an Italian tune-up, but it’s my favourite car, and having had a recently rebuilt engine, I don’t want to ruin it.
Oil still looks golden on the dipstick. Should be ok? I’ve heard people talking about “turning the engine by hand” to distribute the oil around, but no idea how I would do that.
Would the fuel be ok? It had about 20 litres of V-Power in it. Should I top that up with some fresh fuel, or even drain that first?
Usually I’d just go for it and give it an Italian tune-up, but it’s my favourite car, and having had a recently rebuilt engine, I don’t want to ruin it.
To turn the engine by hand put the correct sized socket on the crank pull and turn clockwise with a ratchet, remove the spark plugs first.
Then turn it over on the starter without the plugs or fuel.
Top off with fresh fuel and take for a gentle run until all fluids up to temp, switch off allow to cool give it a little once over check fluids, if all OK, carry on as you wish.
Don't forget to drop your tyre pressures if you over inflated them.
Then turn it over on the starter without the plugs or fuel.
Top off with fresh fuel and take for a gentle run until all fluids up to temp, switch off allow to cool give it a little once over check fluids, if all OK, carry on as you wish.
Don't forget to drop your tyre pressures if you over inflated them.
If it's a relatively new car then it should have a de-flood mode where you crank the engine with the throttle fully depressed. If it has such then the plugs won't fire - use this until the oil pressure light goes out. If, however, it doesn't have this feature then the engine will fire and, with your foot hard down on the throttle, the valves and pistons will make their way into the garage roof-space.
Do you feel lucky?
Do you feel lucky?
V8LM said:
If it's a relatively new car then it should have a de-flood mode where you crank the engine with the throttle fully depressed. If it has such then the plugs won't fire - use this until the oil pressure light goes out. If, however, it doesn't have this feature then the engine will fire and, with your foot hard down on the throttle, the valves and pistons will make their way into the garage roof-space.
Do you feel lucky?
It's 24 years old. Do you feel lucky?
The 205 GTI in your profile I assume 
You could get all worrisome and pull a high pressure fuel line off, ignition on and then let some fresh petrol flush through... messy and could be a bugger getting the pipe back on leak free. Turning it over by hand is again a possibility, hardly easy access on the 1.9 lump though....
As others have said, just start it
You'll soon know if it works or not. Oil pressure light will stay on for a fraction longer, you may even hear the unwelcome mechanical grindings for 1/10th sec.... if it's something far more exotic, a different approach maybe required of course, but for a tough old 205, just get in and fire it up.
Binding brakes, stuck clutch, fluid leaks etc are all still possible of course, I'd worry about them more.
Our GTV spent a year outside..... shock, horror, it just cranked over twice then started, go for it. (Battery needed a charge, and the alarm system had a fit once it was running, but that soon calmed down!).
Edited for iPad autocorrect shenanigans.
You could get all worrisome and pull a high pressure fuel line off, ignition on and then let some fresh petrol flush through... messy and could be a bugger getting the pipe back on leak free. Turning it over by hand is again a possibility, hardly easy access on the 1.9 lump though....
As others have said, just start it
You'll soon know if it works or not. Oil pressure light will stay on for a fraction longer, you may even hear the unwelcome mechanical grindings for 1/10th sec.... if it's something far more exotic, a different approach maybe required of course, but for a tough old 205, just get in and fire it up.
Binding brakes, stuck clutch, fluid leaks etc are all still possible of course, I'd worry about them more.
Our GTV spent a year outside..... shock, horror, it just cranked over twice then started, go for it. (Battery needed a charge, and the alarm system had a fit once it was running, but that soon calmed down!).
Edited for iPad autocorrect shenanigans.
Edited by SWH on Friday 6th January 19:16
Given the time of year, in case you have not, I would give the battery a charge overnight. If car is in a cold garage maybe whip it out and bring it indoors to check the levels (if needed) and charge it once it has had a few hours to warm up.
When using a vehicle I have not used a while, mainly happens with my bikes, I generally bring them into my garage that is on the end of the house, and let them have a nice warm night or two.
When using a vehicle I have not used a while, mainly happens with my bikes, I generally bring them into my garage that is on the end of the house, and let them have a nice warm night or two.
DatsunDave said:
Given the time of year, in case you have not, I would give the battery a charge overnight. If car is in a cold garage maybe whip it out and bring it indoors to check the levels (if needed) and charge it once it has had a few hours to warm up.
When using a vehicle I have not used a while, mainly happens with my bikes, I generally bring them into my garage that is on the end of the house, and let them have a nice warm night or two.
You sir, may have just saved me £50. When using a vehicle I have not used a while, mainly happens with my bikes, I generally bring them into my garage that is on the end of the house, and let them have a nice warm night or two.
Battery wasn't charging, taking about 11v until it stopped. On your advice I took it out this afternoon and let it warm up by a radiator. Slopped the acid in it about while I was doing it, and it's now charged to 12v and still going.
Really glad as it's a proper Peugeot battery, and cost me a pretty penny!
38911 said:
E30M3SE said:
Then turn it over on the starter without the plugs
You should *never* do this in any car with a catalytic converter unless you want to destroy it by chucking unburnt fuel down the exhaust! Ok the OPs car is probably too old to have a cat.... But you didn't know that ;-)E30M3SE said:
Then turn it over on the starter without the plugs or fuel.
Now if you haven't got fuel going into the engine how are you going to ruin a Cat, if fitted, with unburnt fuel?????????ETA, without plugs fitted any fuel that does enter the engine will exit via the hole normally occupied by the spark plug on the compression stroke of the engine, will it not?
Edited by E30M3SE on Sunday 8th January 15:35
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