I bought a newer car and parked my van for 2 years. Now, it won’t start. What happened? What shall I do?
Could be a lot of things. Does it crank? Probably not since it sat for two years. If it won’t crank, start out with a new battery. If it will crank, you need to make sure it is getting fuel and spark. At this point, the fuel in the tank may be bad enough to prevent the engine from starting. You may need to drain the tank and refill it with fresh gas.
The first thing I did was take the battery to be checked. It was very low and Auto Zone charged it for 40 minutes and stated it was a good battery.
Then I replaced it and tried to start it.
It made a “trying to start” noise to turn over, but did not start. Kind of weak.
I tried 3 times.
Since it does not have sticker, I will have to have a mechanic come over to drain the tank.
Does that require a shop? Thank you for your help! I truly appreciate it!
It’s possible, and likely, that the battery needs to be replaced. A battery is more likely to pass a load test immediately after being charged, therefore being deemed a good battery. Once the engine will crank strong enough, it may just start. If you have an Interstate Battery Center in your area, see if they sell refurbished or “blem” batteries. Both the ones in my area carry them (Bloomington, IL and Champaign, IL), and they go for $35 each, half the price (or less) of a brand new battery and just as good. If this is an option, it will free up a little more money to get it going if it needs more than a battery.
Mark, Thank You so much! I will get a battery tomorrow and try that first. I do not know if my area has this Interstate Battery Center to save money. I will check it out.
I was thinking: should I also just try putting some new gas in?
With a new battery and mixing some new gas in case the old gas has moisture. Might this increase the possibility of it starting?
Good Night. I will check your reply tomorrow!
God Bless You!
As much of that stale gas as possible needs to come out for a start. After 2 years it probably has the flash point of tap water.
It’s also somewhat common for fuel filters to crud up and fuel pumps to fail after sitting for so long. The pump may or may not work fine but 2 years sitting idle may shorten the remaining life of the pump. Cross that bridge when the time comes.