Car left on Driveway for 2 years unused advice needed

[very_452001]

Hi,

I have a 2004 Volkswagen Sharan 1.9 TDI SE that I did not use left on my driveway for 2 years. Just been so busy that I didn't get to it until today.

Well obviously the battery was totally dead so I put a new battery in today and I tried to start the car but I get a red error message on dashboard saying STOP check coolant. So I checked the coolant reservoir in engine bay and its empty.

I had no problems or leaks with the car when I parked it up 2 years ago when it had mot then.

Shall I assume that just by filling the coolant reservoir the car will start afterwards? Otherwise can a diesel car standing for 2 years cause coolant to vanish?
How many litres of coolant does my car take and what type of ready mixed coolant shall I buy?

Apart from coolant what else shall I consider looking at for a diesel car standing for 2 years?

[Welshbeef]

Could be down to a coolant hose gradually Pershing letting water leak or the radiator or the cap isn’t sealing so evaporated or maybe it’s somethkng else.


If it was me once the coolant was replenished I’d change the oil oil filter and air filter (as it’s so cheap and easy to do it’s pretty silly not to & when doing it you might visually notice something else.

You could take it for an MOT first to see what now is the list of issues to deal with an decide scrap or repair.

If your certainly going to keep it take it down an Indy and let them get it back up to speed.
Brake fluid will need changing
Discs are likely highly corroded but possibly recoverable - though if not new discs and pads all round will not be too pricy (aren’t rears £25 for the pair?)

[very_452001]

Welshbeef said:

Could be down to a coolant hose gradually Pershing letting water leak or the radiator or the cap isn’t sealing so evaporated or maybe it’s somethkng else.


If it was me once the coolant was replenished I’d change the oil oil filter and air filter (as it’s so cheap and easy to do it’s pretty silly not to & when doing it you might visually notice something else.

You could take it for an MOT first to see what now is the list of issues to deal with an decide scrap or repair.

If your certainly going to keep it take it down an Indy and let them get it back up to speed.
Brake fluid will need changing
Discs are likely highly corroded but possibly recoverable - though if not new discs and pads all round will not be too pricy (aren’t rears £25 for the pair?)

Ok im just worrying once I fill with coolant then it will disappear again.

Also there's a little bit of diesel left in it.

[HustleRussell]

Obviously don’t put coolant in until you have figured out where the original stuff went. Coolant is an environmental disaster.

If the coolant wasn’t at the correct concentration it may have frozen during the winter, cracking a hose, housing, pushing out a core plug etc.

If it wasn’t losing coolant when running it is odd that the coolant would disappear while the car was unused.

[Welshbeef]

very_452001 said:

Ok im just worrying once I fill with coolant then it will disappear again.

Also there's a little bit of diesel left in it.

If it does there is a leak and you fix it - unless it’s gushing out it will take a while to go. You’ll have the tell take sign on the drive wetness plus open the bonnet before each drive to check the levels (you should be checking weekly on any car bar EVs regardless.

It could be a split expansion tank so as soon as you fill it up and dry off with a rag you can then visually and finger check all the pipework for leaks. Then start it up bleed the system - too it up more until it’s full - repeat.

Oh open the oil filler cap to check for any mayo
Also clearly check the oil level and brake fluid level.
Check all the external lights - replace blown bulbs as necessary.
Run the air con hard to ensure it gets icy cold. You should be “servicing” the air con every 2 years anyway so a refresh will keep it working in top order.
Tyres - check pressures and also check to see if you’ve any cracks (or worse buldge’s) and replace if needed. You can also check the age of the tyres it’s the 4 numbers 1319 for instance would be made in week 13 of year 2019.
Get the front steering on full lock and have a good visual inspection of the shocks - by good I mean if any of them are leaking /wet it would be bloody obvs but none the less it’s a cost free check you can do.

Oh give the car a proper clean - ideally wheels off. You could even wire brush the discs with the wheels off that could get the discs in good enough condition ready for a few 70mph to 10mph hard stops that will get those rusty discs shining again.

[PositronicRay]

very_452001 said:

Welshbeef said:

Could be down to a coolant hose gradually Pershing letting water leak or the radiator or the cap isn’t sealing so evaporated or maybe it’s somethkng else.


If it was me once the coolant was replenished I’d change the oil oil filter and air filter (as it’s so cheap and easy to do it’s pretty silly not to & when doing it you might visually notice something else.

You could take it for an MOT first to see what now is the list of issues to deal with an decide scrap or repair.

If your certainly going to keep it take it down an Indy and let them get it back up to speed.
Brake fluid will need changing
Discs are likely highly corroded but possibly recoverable - though if not new discs and pads all round will not be too pricy (aren’t rears £25 for the pair?)

Ok im just worrying once I fill with coolant then it will disappear again.

Also there's a little bit of diesel left in it.

You could always fill with water, just to test and ID the leak.

[steveo3002]

yeah put some tap water in an see where it comes out

[Welshbeef]

steveo3002 said:

yeah put some tap water in an see where it comes out

Use a funnel so there is no spilling when you fill. Then on days like there bone dry under the car you’ll see any drips. Might flow out instantly or slowly so check every 10/30mins.

If still nothing you could then turn the car over to see if it’s losing water under pressure. Then again you said it was fine previously - when did you really last check the level of fluid or reliant on the dash instruments?


OP you say it was off the road following an MOT fail 2 years ago and due to no real need it sat there ever since. The fail plus 2 more years might mean there is a notable cost to get road worthy - basically know the cost of that before you spend any £ on recommissioning as it might be a case of offload it instead.

[Penelope Stopit]

Check to see if mice or rats have been having a nibble at hoses and cables

[very_452001]

Welshbeef said:

Use a funnel so there is no spilling when you fill. Then on days like there bone dry under the car you’ll see any drips. Might flow out instantly or slowly so check every 10/30mins.

If still nothing you could then turn the car over to see if it’s losing water under pressure. Then again you said it was fine previously - when did you really last check the level of fluid or reliant on the dash instruments?


OP you say it was off the road following an MOT fail 2 years ago and due to no real need it sat there ever since. The fail plus 2 more years might mean there is a notable cost to get road worthy - basically know the cost of that before you spend any £ on recommissioning as it might be a case of offload it instead.

The car hasn't failed it last mot done 2 years ago.

[very_452001]

Hi just to confirm cold tap water is fine to use and the chemicals/deposits in the tap water won't cause any harm?

Is the little bit of diesel fuel around £5-10 worth left in the car contaminated and needs draining and replaced with fresh diesel to get the engine started?

If I buy starter or starting fluid then where do I spray this?

Is there anything else I missed on or anything I can do to increase chances of starting?

[Twig62]

If it has a cam belt get it changed a.s.a.p. as it is likely to break where it has sat around the crank pulley for 2 years.

[Welshbeef]

Diesel in the tank will be fine - dilute it with a full tank of new diesel on top of it.

[E-bmw]

Surely, the OP is just trying to see if it is "worth a go" at the moment.

Fill with water, see if it pours straight back out, fix if it does, if not a cheap fix bin it, if you can't do it yourself it is unlikely to be a viable cost option to get it fixed at a garage.

See what happens & get back to us.

It certainly isn't worth doing a cambelt/brake/oil/fluid/service/discs/pads etc until you know the result of the above.

[very_452001]

Ok took the advice by filling the coolant reservoir with tap water and car started. I didn't see the coolant level drop though but I check again in couple days to see whether its same level or not to rule out coolant leak.

Secondly I took the car for a around the block test drive however changing gears is difficult where I gotta wrestle with it you know what I mean. The gears work but difficult getting into them not smooth. What can cause this? Gearbox oil needs changing? Linkages? Or worst case scenario I need a new gearbox?

[GreenV8S]

Might mean the clutch is dragging. If that's the only problem, I'd give it a few hours of light use to see whether it clears up on its own before investigating further.

[Welshbeef]

You could slip the clutch a bit I.e. a hill start but hold it where it is for a few seconds ( do it too long and youlll burn the clutch out but it’s basic clutch control)

Question how are you driving around the corner? You have no MOT you cannot drive in the public road unless you have a booked MOt rest and are on the way to the test centre

[steveo3002]

could might need a bleed , id say if the gearbox was fine when parked it ought to be ok now

does it feel any better with the engine off?

[very_452001]

GreenV8S said:

Might mean the clutch is dragging. If that's the only problem, I'd give it a few hours of light use to see whether it clears up on its own before investigating further.

Ok you mean drive it for a few hours? What does get cleared up?

[very_452001]

steveo3002 said:

could might need a bleed , id say if the gearbox was fine when parked it ought to be ok now

does it feel any better with the engine off?

What requires bleeding?