Starting a car after 6 months idle

[bb]

Hi All,

My 6.9 has sat in the garage for about 6 months without being started. The suspension is down on all 4's and the battery is flat.

It was serviced just before Christmas and a new battery was fitted, so hopefully it will charge ok.

Are there any specific precautions I should take starting an M100 after being idle for some months?

[s class]

I just restarted my red 6.9 after it stood for 3 years.  The suspension had only sagged about 1 inch.  I did remove the fuel pump relay and crank until I had oil pressure before reconnecting the FPR and allowing it to fire. 

[daantjie]

Always add some fuel stabilizer to the petrol if you plan on storing it for long periods of time.  KJET, and I guess any FI system for that matter, can get very grumpy if you run crap fuel through it, though 6 months is not the end of the world.   6 Years well that would be a different story

[marku]

I have only seen it done on smaller engines that have stood for some time. WD40 in each cylinder, check that the oil is OK no moisture, then manually turn over the engine. Check the fuel delivery, spark plugs and anything else that comes to mind and then go for it.

[s class]

It was never planned to stand for three years, I was reckoning on 3 months, but other things got in the way...

[rumb]

I was watching a TV show that finds old motorcycles.  They will start up an engine that hasnt run in 80 years, just long enough to see if it will start.  They said as far as the engine is concerned it doesn't know if it was a day or 80 years. fresh gas and of course they do make sure there is oil in it.

For a well maintained engine I dont think 6 months or a year makes any difference. Obviously at some point the oil goes bad and needs refreshed before flogging the car. Today's gas of course can go bad in 6 months. 

[Randys01]

I do what S class does. Crank until you get oil pressure then reconnect relay so she will now fire  on a "wet" motor,

[oversize]

Watch out for cam lobe rust, but maybe unlikely if in a warm climate after a shortish period of only 6 months. Check for chain stretch while you have the rocker covers off...

Pull the plugs & add a little oil to each cylinder. I'd turn it over by hand a couple of times before cranking by the starter... Crank with plugs out & fuel pump /ignition disconnected until you get oil pressure. Reinstall plugs & start on a few cap fulls of 2 stroke mix.

Todays fuels can go off in as little as 3 months so drain the fuel tank, change the filter & add fresh fuel. Disconnect fuel feed at divider & run pump until fresh fuel comes out. Clean fuel screen, reassemble & you're away!

[ptashek]

Watch out for cam lobe rust, but maybe unlikely if in a warm climate after a shortish period of only 6 months. Check for chain stretch while you have the rocker covers off...

Pull the plugs & add a little oil to each cylinder. I'd turn it over by hand a couple of times before cranking by the starter... Crank with plugs out & fuel pump /ignition disconnected until you get oil pressure. Reinstall plugs & start on a few cap fulls of 2 stroke mix.

Todays fuels can go off in as little as 3 months so drain the fuel tank, change the filter & add fresh fuel. Disconnect fuel feed at divider & run pump until fresh fuel comes out. Clean fuel screen, reassemble & you're away!

That's definitely a good procedure for a car that was laid up for a few years, but after barely six months it's way overkill. My car now sits idle for 3-6 months at a time, and cranking it over once or twice with the FP relay out is more than enough. For shorter periods, I don't even bother.

The only thing I make sure of is that the tank is always as full as it gets, with a dose of stabiliser added. Ethanol in modern fuels will happily absorb all the moisture it can, hence the less air pockets in the tank the better, provided the filler cap seal is doing its job too.

Sure, a lot depends on how the car is stored - outside/inside, is the environment climate controlled (temperature, humidity) and so on.

[s class]

Yes, I admit I am fortunate here in Johannesburg, the climate is about as dry as one can get.  Steel simply doesn't rust here.  I used to live in Durban on the coast years ago, and bore rust was a real concern if an engine stood for an extended period.