95 Legacy

I have a 95 Legacy that's been sitting for about 3 years. What do I need to do to get it going again - besides charge the battery.... Do I need to prime the carb, or make sure there is oil and of water in the right areas or will starting it take care of that. Muchas gracias.

Reply to
doherty.dean
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wow! Um, it might depend somewhat on the conditions of storage and what area of the country you're in. Certainly most of the fluids should be changed, some of them maybe once before starting and again after a few miles.

One issue would be cylinder walls. I certainly wouldn't crank it without trying to spary lube in the spark plug holes! Probably an intake and an exhaust valves have been open allowing the atmosphere free contact inside 2 cylinders. And I might not even trust the timing belt without changing it. If no one with that experience here chimes in, ask at

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. I THINK I read a coupla threads about similar problems over there.

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

If it hasn't been moved in all that time while sitting on its tires, expect a lot of thumpa-thumpa noise as you drive out the flat spots on the tires.

Has the tank been sitting all that time with a full or partial or empty gas tank? If not full, add some gas dryer to remove any collected moisture or water.

Got a hygrometer to check the engine coolant before starting? Are the fan belts cracked or in good condition? Get a clean air filter.

I suppose you could pull the spark wire boots off the plugs to then rotate the engine a couple times to ensure there is some lubrication moved across the parts without letting the engine rev up because it started.

If the battery has been sitting that long, and depending on how old it was before you let the car sit unused for 3 years, the battery may not have the capacity anymore to be reliable or maybe not even start the car.

What was the condition of the engine oil when you left it to sit? Was it new and clean or old and dirty? If old and dirty, do a cold engine oil change to get a good percentage of new oil inside. I know some folks that like to add some Seafoam to the engine oil when preparing for an oil change (which sounds like you'll have to do one: a cold one to get good oil inside, run to lube up, an another hot one to get rid of the old dirty oil along with the Seafoam). Personally I've never touched the Seafoam stuff. Seafoam, Marvel Mystery Oil, Engine Restore are all probably similar. Gunk has one, too, where they say not to drive with it in the oil but to use it to get the engine hot to prepare for an following oil change. They thin out the oil (so it moves more easily) and include solvents to clean out the deposits and hopefully any plugged spots.

You think there is a carburetor in your 95 Legacy? My 92 Legacy has fuel injection. A 1990 Loyale had fuel injection.

What you have to do now depends on how you stored it. Doesn't sound like you should be doing the startup without professional help. Call a local car shop, like the one you use most even if it is the dealer. Ask them what they suggest for getting the car prepped (before you can even manage to get it to them should they want to lure you into using their services; i.e., tell them you'll have to drive it over to them so you need to prep it first for that trip).

Reply to
Vanguard

Whatever gas still in the tank isn't gasoline anymore after 3 years. Drain it and replace the fuel filter.

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Reply to
johninKY

I forgot about the fuel. Generally, gasoline should be consumed within a month of purchase. Gasoline is formulated for a cradle-to-grave consumption period of 6 weeks. If a vehicle is to be stored for longer periods, have the gas cap checked (and check the rubber seal), drain the gas tank, and run the car until it stops. Gasoline in sealed containers remains at good quality for 6 months, and that would include the closed fuel system in a car but good quality in a car is not the same as pump quality. Again, it all depends on HOW the vehicle was stored, like outside or in a garage. If the gas in the tank is not used soon, if the vehicle is exposed to direct sunlight, or the vehicle is stored at temperatures above 80° F then a fuel stabilizer should be added to the gasoline prior to storage. Fuel stabilizers contain antioxidants that prevent gum and other compounds from forming in gasoline, biocides that prevent microbial growth, and corrosion inhibitors that prevent the formation of rust and corrosion. We use a fuel stabilizer for lawn or snow equipment that gets stored during the off-season with their tanks topped off at 95% (5% for liquid expansion) and add stabilizer; however, I'm talking about storing gas for maybe 6 to 12 months, not

36 months. Stabilizer should allow the fuel to be usable (but not as energetic) for a year. While not noticeable in a lawnmower or snowblower, you will notice a lot more knock in a car running on old fuel. 2-year old fuel with stabilizer is okay for lawnmowers (probably a bit more smoky) but not for cars. While diesel fuel lasts longer and there are additives that will make it good for 18 to 24 months, stabilized gasoline for a car better get burned off in under 6 months.

In non-sealed tanks, like on lawnmowers, the lighter solvents (aromatics) will evaporate away which lowers the octane rating. Car fuel systems are closed. The gas cap has a pressure-relief valve to prevent too much pressure building up in the tank when the fuel gets hot. If the car was left outside to get hot and because of the gas cap with its relief valve, the aromatics could've evaporated out of the fuel and been released to the outside. A working gas cap will NOT let outside air into the tank (so when hot and then later cooled there could be a vacuum in the tank). If the gas cap is defective, like a cracked or non-flexible rubber seal or the valve doesn't work then atmosphere could get into the tank. If the old fuel had ethanol then it is possible that water got absorbed if the gas cap was defective.

You can't add fuel stabilizer to old fuel to repair deterioration. Don't bother with an octane booster since most contain tetra-ethyl lead which could screw up your catalytic converter or oxygen sensor. Some say they are catalytic safe but I don't trust them. When you drain the gas tank, be sure to use a pump qualified for transferring flammable liquids. One spark and BOOM! You could use the old hose-and-suck siphon method to drain if you don't mind the taste. Make sure the area is well ventilated or outdoors. Depending on the capacity of the tank and how much old fuel was left in it, you might need a LOT of containers approved for flammable liquids.

I'm not sure what you'll want to use that 3-year old gasoline for. You probably don't even want it in your lawnmower as it is when drained. You could filter it using a coffee filter and then mix a cup in at a time with *fresh* fuel into your lawnmower. To recondition old fuel, filter it and mix 1 part old with 5 parts *fresh* fuel. Fill the gas tank to 3/4 full with fresh fuel and then top off with the reconditioned fuel. If there is water in the old fuel, pour into a glass jug and let the water settle to the bottom, then carefully pour off the gasoline to leave the water in the jug. Pour the contaminated water into a tray with sand or cat litter, let sit outside until air dried and away from ignition sources, and then trash the sand or cat litter.

Reply to
Vanguard

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