What To Do: Car Stalled For More Than A Year

[Penny_Lane]

Hi. I have a 1978 Mitsubishi Lancer. The starter has a problem so the engine hasn't been run for more than a year now. I couldn't jump start the car because it's parked in a peculiar way (in between two columns/post). The battery is now drained and the radiator has rust particles floating inside it. I am afraid that there are worse things that could have happened as a consequence to letting the car sit for more than a year in the garage. Can you please help me out on what I should instruct the mechanic to do? So far here are the things that are on my list:

1. Change all 4 tires (although the tires were barely used, I bought it more than 5 years ago)

2. Manually make ikot the engine?

Thanks. Selling the car is not an option because it's been with us even before I was born. I hope you guys could help me out. I really feel guilty because I neglected the car for so long.

[1D4LV]

medyo malaki laki magagastos mo dyan ah.

a. palit lahat fluids
b. check/replace all belts
c. check for leaks
d. check/replace electricals including battery, alternator, wirings
e. check/replace tires
f. full tune-up
g. check leaks (oil, water, fluids, etc.)
h. check engine condition/smoke emission

dami pa. sama mo na din car registration, etc.

[Penny_Lane]

I have to replace the alternator?

Around how much do you think would I spend? I just need it to run again

It's a good thing I still registered the car even if it wasn't running. heehee.

[lazyfoot]

medyo malaki laki magagastos mo dyan ah.

a. palit lahat fluids
b. check/replace all belts
c. check for leaks
d. check/replace electricals including battery, alternator, wirings
e. check/replace tires
f. full tune-up
g. check leaks (oil, water, fluids, etc.)
h. check engine condition/smoke emission

dami pa. sama mo na din car registration, etc.

if can't have them all done at least have all the fluids replaced, and check for leaks,
check the timing belt and the plugs

[Penny_Lane]

How do I get the engine to run first? Can you enumerate the fluids and plugs that I need to replace?

I was told kasi that you can't just run the engine if it's been stalled for more than a year eh

[1D4LV]

^^ push it off so that you can jumpstart it. and yes, before you start it on, check the oil and the necessary fluids.

[Penny_Lane]

Oh No. Big problem. Hirap magtulak ng naka parallel park

Doesn't necessarily mean that the engine is for overhaul na?

[badbadtz.carlo]

Oh No. Big problem. Hirap magtulak ng naka parallel park

Doesn't necessarily mean that the engine is for overhaul na?

switch a working-charged battery under the hood. that should take care of the tulak issue.
being stalled for a while does not automatically equate to engine overhaul.
my b12 was not used at one point for 2 years.. battery replacement, change oil, palit belts, okay na cia ulet.. LTO registered with the 2 year fine of non-reg, okay na ulet

[Penny_Lane]

What a relief!!! I was thinking overhaul But before you started the engine you changed all the belts and fluids muna? Sira kasi yung starter kaya kahit ibang battery ayaw pa din umandar. Also the radiator has rust particles? Hindi ba masisira kung i start ko? Saka yung sa Fuel filter pala naisip ko din kasi tagal ng empty ng tank. Natuyo ata yung gas

[mbeige]

Hopefully, with the humid environment we have back there, there is minimal rust inside the engine with one or two of the valves left open as the engine was not run for that time frame. You know how it is, valve is open, humidity seeps in, rust forms.

Make sure the fuel is still good, drain the fuel tank muna to be sure. Baka napasukan ng tubig, we don't know.

[Penny_Lane]

Baka puro rust na yung fuel tank kasi it's been empty for almost a year So I really need to bring a mechanic at my house or I could just jump start the car before the change oil, replacement of belts etc?

[mbeige]

Don't attempt anything without giving it a thorough check. Make sure there's no rust in the fuel tank, if there is have a shop open it up, clean it thoroughly and weld it back up for you. Or if there's no need to open it up then have it cleaned properly (and dried, don't forget). Make sure fuel lines are not rotted, especially the rubber connectors.

Change all fluids too, oil will definitely need to be drained over night to get all of it out. Fill it up with cheap oil first, as a preliminary oil so once you start the car it will clean it up, then drain it after a few hours or days of driving. Then use a better kind of oil this time once you've confirmed it's good to go.

Yes, check belt play. Check for the deflection of belts between pulleys. If it's more than half an inch then see if they can be tightened. If not replace them altogether. No point in replacing one, when the other is near the end of its life, right?

Also check if the timing belt (or chain?) is still good. I don't know what the condition of the car was before, so better be sure than sorry.

What was the condition before you parked it for that long? Did it run well? Any problem areas you know that needs to be looked at before anything else?

[Penny_Lane]

Yup it was running well. I was using it as my coding car. Although I think the clutch was having problems already since I'd have a hard time shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. I checked the car again and I just saw that rats have bitten through some of the wires and rubber So what's the first thing that I should do???

I really appreciate your help.

[mbeige]

At this point you should determine if it's financially viable to resurrect the car or not. You know the car better than we do, so give it a thorough check. Have a mechanic friend check it out for you and see what needs to be done. Get that checklist and rearrange them in order of importance.

If the cost to do all or most of it at once is too much, you can work on the more important things first. Then once it's running, work on the secondaries later on.

Set the budget, lay the cards and see if it works out. If you have rat infestation problems, that's the least of your worries...unfortunately.

Why did you let it sit for that long?

[Penny_Lane]

It wouldn't start eh it's parked like parallel but instead of cars that are adjacent it's columns so you'd need several turns before you could get the car out of the garage. Nobody wants to help me push naman eh sakto talaga yung parking like inches away from the columns (poste?).

I really do not want to sell it. I am just dying of guilt esp when someone mentioned that it's so cheap to replace the starter I don't even know a mechanic who is willing to do home service but my first step now is to know what needs to be done.

[afrasay]

do all of the above. otherwise if you can't find an honest mechanic, sell it.