car wont start after stood for long time
car wont start after stood for long time
Author
Discussion

toollshell

Original Poster:

7 posts

17 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Hello

After the car has been parked up for a long time tried to start it with good battery and wont start! just turns and turns and turns no chance of fire (full throttle and choke, though it was a good starter last time had it running)

Matty with shop at end of road says that after a while the alcohol and the petrol split in the tank and this is causing the problem why cars parked up for a while wont start

Any surgestions on getting it fired up for the firs time please (please no more "easy star" surgetions please)

Thanks

Gary C

13,980 posts

196 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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What car ?

How long ?

It could be anything.

Can you smell petrol in the exhaust?

Riley Blue

22,542 posts

243 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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FWIW, a few days ago mine started on fuel that's been in the tank since last October.

How long has yours been standing? Is there a spark? Is the fuel pump working?

healeyneil

353 posts

164 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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What’s wrong with easy start ?

Sebring440

2,825 posts

113 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
toollshell said:
Matty with shop at end of road says that after a while the alcohol and the petrol split in the tank and this is causing the problem why cars parked up for a while wont start
What sort of "shop" does Matty have? Sunbeds?

Tell us what sort of car you have. That would be a start. If the car is relatively modern and has fuel injection, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,327 posts

252 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
toollshell said:
Matty with shop at end of road says that after a while the alcohol and the petrol split in the tank and this is causing the problem why cars parked up for a while wont start
What sort of "shop" does Matty have? Sunbeds?

Tell us what sort of car you have. That would be a start. If the car is relatively modern and has fuel injection, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.
Do fuel injection engines have a choke? biggrin

toollshell

Original Poster:

7 posts

17 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
Gary C said:
What car ?

How long ?

It could be anything.

Can you smell petrol in the exhaust?
austin metrro mk1
about a year

toollshell

Original Poster:

7 posts

17 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
Is there a spark? Is the fuel pump working?
what is that?

toollshell

Original Poster:

7 posts

17 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
healeyneil said:
What’s wrong with easy start ?
knackers the cylender head and piston rings

toollshell

Original Poster:

7 posts

17 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
What sort of "shop" does Matty have? Sunbeds?

Tell us what sort of car you have. That would be a start. If the car is relatively modern and has fuel injection, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.
camper van body shop
Austin metro MK1

And what makes you think the fuel pump is seized?

Turbobanana

7,407 posts

218 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
Is there a smell of petrol when you try it?

If yes, try putting the choke in and turning it over. It'll clear the carburetor if it's flooding with fuel. The engine may try to start but won't because the choke is in. Do this 3 or 4 times to make sure the carburetor is clear of fuel, then pull the choke out and try it again.

If no smell of fuel, the fuel pump may have failed.

Good luck!

Rough101

2,751 posts

92 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
quotequote all
Get the plugs out, then turn over, as it may be flooded with fuel with a lot of cranking with the choke on.

With no smell of fuel, look at the fuel pump.

With a smell of fuel, check for a spark at the plugs.

Rich1973

1,244 posts

194 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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The fuel pump is mechanical, driven off the engine on these. Its very simple being an a series engine. Check the distributor cap and rotor arm as well as the points gap.
Fuel and spark is all you need. Easy enough to check for both.

austina35

390 posts

69 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Points or condensor. Points have properly seized together

Doofus

31,430 posts

190 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Nobody who bought a 40+year old car in the last twelve months has so little technical knowledge.

I call troll. Or stuck carb float.

Gary C

13,980 posts

196 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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toollshell said:
Riley Blue said:
Is there a spark? Is the fuel pump working?
what is that?
To be honest, if you don't know what a fuel pump is, I think your going to struggle to sort this out.

Dave.

7,728 posts

270 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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rofl

ferret50

2,379 posts

26 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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Cannot remember if my 1957 A35 had a mechanical fuel pump, but certainly the following 1967 850 mini had an SU electric fuel pump as did all the following A series engined cars that I owned!
Often applying a hitting stick to said electric pump would wake it up.....for a while.....

austin

1,313 posts

220 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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Rig up a small container of fresh petrol to bypass the fuel tank. Ideally just before the fuel pump.

As mentioned above, modern petrol "goes off" fairly quickly and makes for poor starting and very lumpy running on older cars.

Metric Max

1,663 posts

239 months

Monday 8th April 2024
quotequote all
[quote=austin]Rig up a small container of fresh petrol to bypass the fuel tank. Ideally just before the fuel pump.

As our learned OP doesn't know what a fuel pump is that may be a challenge!