Car stood for 10 years, last started 2 years, Fuel ?
Discussion
Hi
Iam looking at picking up an old Volvo 740 as a project.
Its been stood for 10 years, but up until 2 years ago the car was regularly started and moved.
My question is to the fuel, it was last topped up 2 years ago, so its a nearly full tank but of fuel thats between 2 and 10 years old.
How should I proceed ? is it ok to try and start it to see if I can get it on a trailer ? or is it best to not start it and have a garage drain the tank etc ? How quick does Petrol go off ?
Any advice welcome.
Cheers
Andy
Iam looking at picking up an old Volvo 740 as a project.
Its been stood for 10 years, but up until 2 years ago the car was regularly started and moved.
My question is to the fuel, it was last topped up 2 years ago, so its a nearly full tank but of fuel thats between 2 and 10 years old.
How should I proceed ? is it ok to try and start it to see if I can get it on a trailer ? or is it best to not start it and have a garage drain the tank etc ? How quick does Petrol go off ?
Any advice welcome.
Cheers
Andy
about 2 weeks ago, my son in law finally decided to resurrect his Toyota Celica, which had sat on the front grass for 18 months. The battery was completely dead as you might imagine. With a decent battery and jump leads, it fired right up and ran perfectly. To our surprise, it passed its MOT a few days later !
From experience of "modern" fuel-injected car sat for longer: It'll probably start, but might not be massively happy. Yes, ok, to run and move around/load onto a trailer, but change out the existing fuel before using "properly".
I put mine in a series Land Rover, which frankly couldn't care less as long as it's vaguely flammable.
I put mine in a series Land Rover, which frankly couldn't care less as long as it's vaguely flammable.
Thanks for all the replies.
Funny how the replies I have here and in real life are pretty much split 50/50 between "its ok to use" and "dont even try and start,the fuel will have separated".
Seems to be one of those questions that does have a "true" answer and everyone has had different experiences.
Being that I am not sure of the condition of the other parts of the car, will just let the recovery truck winch it up the trailer and wait until I can get it home before properly checking it out.
Cheers
Andy
Funny how the replies I have here and in real life are pretty much split 50/50 between "its ok to use" and "dont even try and start,the fuel will have separated".
Seems to be one of those questions that does have a "true" answer and everyone has had different experiences.
Being that I am not sure of the condition of the other parts of the car, will just let the recovery truck winch it up the trailer and wait until I can get it home before properly checking it out.
Cheers
Andy
The fact that the tank is full to the brim will have definitely helped; less air in there to oxidise / evaporate the more volatile components of the fuel.
I reckon all else being well it'll start and run fine. I'd probably use it all up and then bung a tank of super through it to help clean it all up a bit (or redex or similar)
I reckon all else being well it'll start and run fine. I'd probably use it all up and then bung a tank of super through it to help clean it all up a bit (or redex or similar)
Everyone so far has missed the obvious... It's a Volvo 740.
It is widely known that old Volvos can run on pretty much anything, so aged fuel really shouldn't be a problem.
For a more valuable/sensitive/fragile car, I might recommend draining the tank. But for an old Volvo? You have 60-odd litres of free fuel, my friend.
It is widely known that old Volvos can run on pretty much anything, so aged fuel really shouldn't be a problem.
For a more valuable/sensitive/fragile car, I might recommend draining the tank. But for an old Volvo? You have 60-odd litres of free fuel, my friend.
battered said:
It may indeed run on dried yak sh*t, it is a 740 after all.
A tablespoon of fresh gas in the air intake just might get it running, and after that the brown, sludgy paraffin remains just might make it work.
Battered (and others) are of course correct.A tablespoon of fresh gas in the air intake just might get it running, and after that the brown, sludgy paraffin remains just might make it work.
Went to pick it up tonight, was tight on driveway and as recovery truck was stuck in traffic I thought I would give it a go.
Had a good smell of the fuel and it seemed ok, very technically tried to stir up the old fuel by bouncing the back wing up and down.
Then with a booster pack on for 30 seconds, it started after about 10 seconds churning, no smoke, no fuss, just settled down to nice idle.
Unbelievably every thing works, brakes were not even seized, lights, switch gear, heater etc etc all fine despite never moving off the driveway for 10 years and not even being started for 2 years !! Happily moved out on tight spot on drive and then drove up onto recovery truck no issue, and back off it up my driveway at my end. Am tempted to just stick it straight in for MOT to see how it gets on. (Shame all tyres are 2003 vintage)
So yep, lesson is, if its a old Volvo it will run on anything :-)
An incredibly boring Video with zero drama of it moving off its old driveway that it had been sat on for 10 years.
https://goo.gl/photos/w4JRqwofzGYdPTqz8 (the noisy knocking engine is the Diesel recovery truck, you can hardly hear the Volvo !! )
Trouble is, I bought it looking for a project to work on, where as apart from dull paintwork and crazing on the front indicator glass the car is pretty much in showroom condition.
The guy told me he never let his kids eat in the car, he stopped driving it after 2 heart attacks, but would still visit it (it was parked up at his mums house) to polish it and clean it.
Some pics
First off, the major issues it has :-)
Now the interior, I have not touched it, this is how it was when I picked it up.
So not sure what to do now, way to good to break up and use for spares for my other Volvo, not likely to sell as has sun bleached paint and lacquer peel in some areas.
https://goo.gl/photos/w4JRqwofzGYdPTqz8 (the noisy knocking engine is the Diesel recovery truck, you can hardly hear the Volvo !! )
Trouble is, I bought it looking for a project to work on, where as apart from dull paintwork and crazing on the front indicator glass the car is pretty much in showroom condition.
The guy told me he never let his kids eat in the car, he stopped driving it after 2 heart attacks, but would still visit it (it was parked up at his mums house) to polish it and clean it.
Some pics
First off, the major issues it has :-)
Now the interior, I have not touched it, this is how it was when I picked it up.
So not sure what to do now, way to good to break up and use for spares for my other Volvo, not likely to sell as has sun bleached paint and lacquer peel in some areas.
Edited by TooManySheds on Thursday 16th March 09:00
HustleRussell said:
Someone will pay good money for that and will cherish it.
Trouble is the paintwork really is very faded, and also got lacquer peel in places, would have to be a person who was happy to pay to have that fixed.If I had the funds I would pay for a complete respray and then I think it would be amazing.
Going to add it to my multi car policy and stick it in for an MOT, see what it fails on, see what its like underneath and then try and decide what to do.
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