sitting for a year won't start

djlatham · Post by **djlatham** » 05 Jun 2010, 12:13

1999 v70cx has been sitting for a year anything special I need to know before starting it. Battery is charged has gas (old gas) Have tried starting won't turn over.

Post by **phils94850** » 05 Jun 2010, 12:43

Did you have the battery outta the car ? If so, then if your car has a factory alarm, it may be disabling the car from starting. You can try with your key fob if you have one or the door key itself, try locking and unlocking the doors several times and re-setting the alarm. If that doesnt do it...

.. if the battery is good, and it wont start, then you need to check all your connections from and to the starter and battery. You need to see if your getting current down to the starter when you turn the key over to start.

If there's year old gas in there, then, id say its pretty much history. You need to get that gas out and put fresh in it. Old gas can cause your elec. fuel pump to seize up. That old of gas, if you get it to turn over id be surprised if itll run...

Post by **vjaneczko** » 05 Jun 2010, 12:59

"won't turn over" - does the starter spin but the engine doesn’t catch? Was there a problem with the car that caused it to sit for so long?

Few things come to mind – in no particular order;
Bad gas. Was an additive added to remove any water from the tank/lines?
Check your spark plugs, wires and distributor cap for corrosion.
Make sure the airways are clear of “critters” – they may have eaten/nested in the air box.
Fuel pump pumping?
Fuel injectors clean?
Any fluids dripping from bad hoses?
May have to change the oil to help lube the parts before attempting to start it after sitting so long.

Since I’m a noob, I’m sure some others will offer some suggestions.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 05 Jun 2010, 13:01

+1 for getting that old gas out. The fuel filter might even be clogged up from all of that old gunk...

djlatham · Post by **djlatham** » 05 Jun 2010, 13:57

it cranks all day long just won't started added fuel system cleaner and five gallons of new fuel tank had two gallon of fuel in it .
air ways clear, no leaking lines or hoses all fuses good. It has a bad carrier bearing that way it has been sitting I have the funds to fix it now. tell me what to check and how or where it is located thanks I crank it for 20 to 30 seconds and wait and try again and again.

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 05 Jun 2010, 15:07

I think the problem is that no matter how much fresh gas or additive you put in, the old bad fuel is still in the lines past the tank and in the injectors. You could take off the fuel rail with the injectors and crank the car to see if you're in fact, getting any gas at all. And if you are, you could try to flush out the old stuff.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 05 Jun 2010, 23:04

Sounds like a plan to me. Hold the fuel rail over a bucket, crank it and force out a gallon or 2 of the old gas then button it up and see if she starts. Did we establish if there was spark?

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 05 Jun 2010, 23:10

Don't know if you could get a gallon out... I'd be worried about cranking the starter for that long. 0.0

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 05 Jun 2010, 23:14

If memory serves, I believe somebody here on MVS said they cranked their car once for about 2 mins. I do see your point though...could you use a vacuum pump to force it out?

fraigan · Post by **fraigan** » 05 Jun 2010, 23:53

i just went through this with one of my saabs just last week (i own several, must be a scandanavian thing that i can't decide between volvo and saab) but my car was sitting for six years. bad fuel. had to rebuild (yes rebuild) the fuel pump housing and replace the primer pump. besides scraping the varnish out of the fuel tank.. but i digress...

which brings to mind that i had a VW Westy sitting for ten years that fired right up with a fresh battery and ten year-old gas, only on a bet that it wouldn't pass emissions (wa. state) and i won. but here's the key -- ten years ago the gas was more stable having less additives, and the van was out of the sun. so my question to you is: was it sitting in the sun and getting hot in hazelton, pa?

if so, then i'd say for certain your gas is bad; your fuel pump could be toast (because it sucked up the j-e-l-l-o shellac from the fuel tank (doesn't take much) but the test would be to check if you have any residual pressure in the fuel line by checking the bleeder valve; and then pull the connection to the fuel rail and or the entire fuel rail and collect a sample of gas. do you know the signs of bad gas? the smell? the colour? if so you can make the educated guess that it's either good or bad and proceed accordingly.

so, the questionable gas in the fuel line might not've had the chance to get entirely through the system to the rail and injectors and so the combination of bad gas and the good stuff you just put in haven't mixed there, in the line. if the gas is bad you have the choice of continuing to crank the car over and flush out about a quart of gas (no more than that is necessary to clear the pump and lines of the certain bad gas) and re-attach the connection to the rail or the rail itself and try starting it again. if it doesn't try to grab [at all] when you turn it over then* you might as well eliminate the fuel condition entirely by siphoning the tank dry, and fill the tank with good gas and start from scratch to proceed in your trouble-shooting.

* of course, if you relieve the system of pressure and there is none? (no pressure) or you crank the engine over to accumulate the gas from the line or rail and there is none? then there's a better than good chance that the pump is labouring (toast) or the relay or fuse is shot and these possibilities should be eliminated before putting more gas into the tank.

long story short, if the car was running good before you set it aside my guess is that you just have bad gas.