I need a LIST to give to mechanic to make sure he takes care of the really IMPORTANT stuff so the car won’t be damaged by a careless mechanic.I talked to a few mechanics and they have a very casual attitude. I thank you in advance. Time is also of the essence.
The stuff you should have done should have been done 5 years ago. There is not much you can do now.
What you should do also depends on what was done when it was “stored.”
Could you tell us more about what was done to it before it was stored?
For the most part, you need to do the regular maintenance that is now due. I suspect a new battery as well.
Drain the gas tank and fill with fresh gas. New battery if required. Obviously, change the oil. Carefully inspect the tires and replace if necessary. Take out each spark plug and drop a teaspoon full of oil down each hole just before starting it for the first time. Once it’s running, let it warm up for 10 minutes or so while you carefully monitor it to be sure it’s not doing anything weird. Then inch it forward and hit the brakes to make sure they work. Then take it for a good long drive, going through the whole RPM range.
It’s possible that rodents or mold have taken up residence in the HVAC system. When you turn the blower on, if you hear an odd rattle, turn it back off and have it serviced to get the mouse nest out. If you smell mold, turn it on high, bi-level, and dump a can of lysol in the intake vent (just below the driver side wiper arm)
I would also change the oil again fairly soon, to get the inevitable metal particles from the first startup out of it.
This question comes up on a regular basis it seems, but your post is great. The only thing I would add is it may be necessary to have a shot of starting fluid nearby.
We didn’t think it was going to be stored so long. For the first 4 months I drove it around a few times.It was stored in an in-house garage until last 5 months which have been in the carport in rainy Washington State. The car has 55,000 miles on it. It was in good condition when it was stored but we didn’t do anything to prepare for storage. We are frightened to start it ourselves for fear of breaking something so we are planning to have it towed to the garage. Assuming we follow your directions and others, is there anything big we could mess up? We bought new tires and a new battery. I know the brakes work because we had the towing company move it to the carport and the brakes were used a little. Without asking the tow truck operator started up the car and it worked. But he didn’t put any oil in the spark plugs, etc. I sure was
irritated about that. It would be nice to save the $75. towing fee. Thank you ever so much for your advice.
Well since the motor has been restarted, there really isn’t much to do. I’d recommend changing fluids, oil, coolant, transmission, brake, and power steering. Do a safety check of tires, lights, and brakes. If all checks out just drive on.
Some oil in the spark plug holes might have been best, but too late now. Likely no real harm done. Since the car is running and the brakes work. You might be ok driving it to a mechanic and saving the tow charge. The brake petal needs to be firm. Some brake noise is normal for a car that has sat a long time, there will be rust on the rotors but it quickly comes off with one or two stops.