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Car left unused for months

25 posts & 16 voices | Started 5 months ago by huws | Latest reply from coffeeking

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huws - Member

I’ve foolishly not used my car for 3 months and it’s been left without a trickle charger (I’m an idiot) now all the electricity has fallen out. It has no life whatsoever. I’ve got a jump start pack thingy which I’ll try tomorrow but I’m not that confident it’ll work on a completely flat battery.

What are the chances of it just firing up with no problems? If not is it worth removing the battery and charging it up with a plug in affair or should I just bang a new battery in?

Also anything else I should be checking before firing here up?

It’s a 96 Saab 900 convertible auto if that makes any difference. Those with sensible cars are welcome to call me a hairdresser.

Cheers all.

Posted 5 months ago #
DarkStarr - Member

3 months is nothing, battery should be ok once charged. Just be careful with the brakes they may not stop very well for the first few tries (rusty discs)

Posted 5 months ago #
5lab - Member

might be fine, might have screwed the battery. No harm in trying a jump pack to see if it brings it fully to life. The OH's car got completely flat a couple of times after its alternator went - still works fine now a couple of months later

Posted 5 months ago #
Cougar - Member

Just be careful with the brakes they may not stop very well for the first few tries (rusty discs)

Or, let go. Might need a bit of vim and vigour to get the handbrake to release.

Posted 5 months ago #
hora - Member

I left a car on my drive for 2yrs. Another STW'er loaned me a plugin charger. A couple of hours and it started/was sorted.

If you are worried about the handbrake sticking just pull it up a couple of notches and drive forward for circa 20m's then release.

Check the oil level and other fluids of course.

Posted 5 months ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

Or, let go. Might need a bit of vim and vigour to get the handbrake to release.

Yup, but you should be able to get some from your local vim vendors

Posted 5 months ago #
Cougar - Member

your local vim vendors

Sounds like the secret identity of a superhero.

Posted 5 months ago #
bigyinn - Member

Check all the fluids are at their correct levels.
Once the battery is charged, fire it up and leave it to tickover for 5-10mins and get some heat in its bones first.
Fresh petrol wouldn't hurt, as it can go off over time. Once its up to temp drive it gently and a couple of heavy stops to polish the disc up again and take it for a decent length drive (10miles+). Also put your lights on, aircon etc to load up the system a bit. Helps the ECU re-learn load values etc.

Posted 5 months ago #
blades2000 - Member

What bigyinn said

Posted 5 months ago #
huws - Member

Sweet, cheers all. I’ll try it out tomorrow, the jump thingy I have won’t work unless there’s at least 1.5v in the battery and as it wouldn’t even unlock the car I’m assuming that I’ll need to charge the battery first. I’ll try it before buying a charger though, just in case.

Now all I need is to get through 800 miles of Christmas driving with an erratic gearbox.

Posted 5 months ago #
turboferret - Member

3 months is nothing, while I'm working abroad my car regularly sits in the work carpark for longer. I have however got a little solar trickle charger (about £12 from eBay IIRC) to make sure the battery stays topped up. Longest has probably been about 5 months, started first time

Cheers, Rich

Posted 5 months ago #
molgrips - Member

I would not leave it ticking over.. oil pressure is low at tick-over hence oil circulates less effectively.. and your engine wil be drained free of oil.

Posted 5 months ago #
tthew - Member

I'd let it tick over. Oil pressure may well be low, but it'll be enough to get it round the bearings etc. The alternative is to rev it up with
your engine drained free of oil
. Ouchy!

Posted 5 months ago #
hels - Member

I thought Vim Venders was a film director ?

Posted 5 months ago #
hora - Member

molgrips you really don't want to load an engine thats been stood. It'll firstly need to clear the moisture out of its system etc plus do you really want to hear loud piston slap?!

Posted 5 months ago #
bigyinn - Member

molgrips, dont forget when it starts the engine will run at fast tickover and theres no load on the engine. Very little chance of damage as long as theres plenty of oil in the engine.

Posted 5 months ago #
Rockhopper - Member

The oil will drain away after standing for three months no more than it will have if it'd been standing for a week, same with the temperature, it won't keep on getting colder and colder until it gets to absolute zero! Petrol takes well over a year to go off enough to make running a problem.
Mine gets parked up for three months at a time, i leave it on a optimate, leave the handbrake off and lock it with the key so the alarm doesn't set (avoids bothering neighbours in the night etc).
When i come home i just disconnect the optimate, make sure the tyres still have air, start it up then drive it as normal.

Posted 5 months ago #
Del - Member

i'm in the 'give it a minute, then drive it gently to start with' camp. oil is encouraged up the sides of the during engine braking - ie slowing down on the engine gently as you pull up towards a junction or something.
give it a few minutes after the temp shows normal temperature before going over 50% revs or giving it heavy acceleration i'd suggest.
i'd charge the battery before jumping it.

Posted 5 months ago #
Cougar - Member

So to summarise,

Your battery might need replacing, or it might be ok. The oil might need replacing, or might not. The petrol might have gone off, but might not have. Your tyres might be flat, but probably only at the bottoms.

Your best bet is to charge it up, then simultaneously leave it idling whilst not leaving it idling, in order to circulate the oil (that you might or might not have) without overly taxing the engine. Once you free up the handbrake which probably isn't stuck to the rusty discs, you need to use your brakes carefully as they won't work too well whilst braking hard to remove the rust, but whatever you do don't brake too hard or you'll damage the pads. Don't drive it too far on a first trip in case something fails, but drive it a long way to recalibrate the engine management; you'll need to turn on all the electrics to do this without using any electricity or you'll flatten the battery.

Of course, you're lucky; if you'd left it longer than three months, then it gets complicated.

Proof again that there's nothing STW can't answer. (-:

Posted 5 months ago #
huws - Member

sounds like a fail safe plan.

Posted 5 months ago #
Rich - Member

Cougar - Member
So to summarise,

Your battery might need replacing, or it might be ok. The oil might need replacing, or might not. The petrol might have gone off, but might not have. Your tyres might be flat, but probably only at the bottoms.

Your best bet is to charge it up, then simultaneously leave it idling whilst not leaving it idling, in order to circulate the oil (that you might or might not have) without overly taxing the engine. Once you free up the handbrake which probably isn't stuck to the rusty discs, you need to use your brakes carefully as they won't work too well whilst braking hard to remove the rust, but whatever you do don't brake too hard or you'll damage the pads. Don't drive it too far on a first trip in case something fails, but drive it a long way to recalibrate the engine management; you'll need to turn on all the electrics to do this without using any electricity or you'll flatten the battery.

Of course, you're lucky; if you'd left it longer than three months, then it gets complicated.

Proof again that there's nothing STW can't answer. (-:

Haha, you will have 20 different answers....but you'll have an answer!

Posted 5 months ago #
molgrips - Member

I didn't mearn rev its nuts off as soon as it fires! I would give it 1300 or 1500for revs for 10 seconds or so then let it idle for a minute or two before driving away gently.

Posted 5 months ago #
bigyinn - Member

molgrips - Member

I didn't mearn rev its nuts off as soon as it fires! I would give it 1300 or 1500for revs for 10 seconds or so then let it idle for a minute or two before driving away gently.

Oooh hes making up as he goes along!

Posted 5 months ago #
huws - Member

IT LIVES!

Cheers everyone.

Posted 5 months ago #
coffeeking - Member

Woo!

Posted 5 months ago #

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