Chances of my car starting...???

sudzs

I've been away for over 3 months and the car, a '97 BMW 323, petrol, has been sitting outside all that time and somebody has put it in my head n that it might not start when I get back next week. :rolleyes:

Before I left it, it had a full service and a new battery fitted. The battery was disconnected before I went away. So what are the chances that it will start or should I be ready to look for a jump start. The thought of it not starting hadn't crossed my mind until it was mentioned to me so would appreciate a few opinions!

forgotten password

it will start

KwackerJack

New battery....should start!

Start it up and let it idle for a while!

sudzs

forgotten password wrote: »

it will start

Thank you!

biko

80/20 it will start once battery is reconnected.

MuppetCheck

It will start. I regularly did the same, left my car for 6-12 weeks at a time and came back and it would start first turn of the key. New battery gives it an even better. I'd be more concerned about the locks having seized than it not starting

CiniO

If you didn't disconnected battery it would probably need jumpstart.
But as you did - it will start.

sudzs

Thanks all for the super quick and reassuring replies.

I'll get back to ye on sunday if it doesn't start!!

KwackerJack

sudzs wrote: »

Thanks all for the super quick and reassuring replies.

I'll get back to ye on sunday if it doesn't start!!

If it doesn't start just burn it

SCOOP 64

Should do a poll.

sudzs

KwackerJack wrote: »

If it doesn't start just burn it

Mech1

First, light your fire just below the sump, give it a few min to warm everything up, just before it really catches, jump in and try to start.

If it starts (and my money is on it will), reverse quickly and put out the fire on your driveway, if it doesnt, Sure you covered all the options:D


ps. dont do this!!!!

sudzs

It started!!!

forgotten password

course it did

Mint Sauce

sudzs wrote: »

It started!!!

How was the Hand Brake?

sudzs

Mint Sauce wrote: »

How was the Hand Brake?

Ok I think... I didn't drive anywhere in it, just let it run for 20 minutes and reversed it a bit to move around the tyres and gave the brakes a tip or two. Will be driving tomorrow, what should I look for in the handbrake?

Stheno

sudzs wrote: »

Ok I think... I didn't drive anywhere in it, just let it run for 20 minutes and reversed it a bit to move around the tyres and gave the brakes a tip or two. Will be driving tomorrow, what should I look for in the handbrake?

That is neither seized or loose.

sudzs

Stheno wrote: »

That is neither seized or loose.

I didn't notice....

WEll, I didn't notice if it was loose. It isn't seized anyway. I did notice a very small oil stain on the tarmac, sort of between passenger and back seat around 2 ft in. It has never had any sort of oil leak before. It's in really good condition, a BMW technician owned it before so he treated it like his baby. Would the summer heat have anything to do with it?? Some sort of expansion in the heat squeezed something out? Or is that a stupid notion?!!

KwackerJack

Remember that the brake disc's will have a layer of rust and until that goes the brakes will be crap, so take it easy for the first few miles.

If the hand brake is seized, when you release the lever there will not be any tension when pulling it up again!! Well usually anyway!

sudzs

KwackerJack wrote: »

Remember that the brake disc's will have a layer of rust and until that goes the brakes will be crap, so take it easy for the first few miles.

If the hand brake is seized, when you release the lever there will not be any tension when pulling it up again!! Well usually anyway!

Thanks for the tip. If the handbrake is seized what should I do?? It would be seized so that it is on on would it??

Hal1

A couple of J turns .. Joking, maybe a bit of wd40 / boiling water? someone will have a better answer soon.

KwackerJack

sudzs wrote: »

Thanks for the tip. If the handbrake is seized what should I do?? It would be seized so that it is on on would it??

If its drums on the rear try a good smack with a hammer with some timber to soften the blow....:D

If it's Disc's you may need to see if you can wind back the adjuster and that may be enough to release it

Simply try rocking back and forward really easy to see if it releases

Mint Sauce

sudzs wrote: »

Ok I think... I didn't drive anywhere in it, just let it run for 20 minutes and reversed it a bit to move around the tyres and gave the brakes a tip or two. Will be driving tomorrow, what should I look for in the handbrake?

Stheno wrote: »

That is neither seized or loose.

Its possibly fine then. You have noticed something wrong when taking it off (assuming it was on) and then trying to drive.

If parked up for a while with it on it can seize, sometimes pumping the handbrake, whilst car is stationary of course will release it.

sudzs

Thanks again everyone!

I'm so glad I didn't have to burn it!

CiniO

sudzs wrote: »

I didn't notice....

WEll, I didn't notice if it was loose. It isn't seized anyway.

Did you have your hand brake attached when car was parked?

Easiest way to check if it is seized is to lift the rear of the car, and check if wheels run freely (with handbrake off of course).

I did notice a very small oil stain on the tarmac, sort of between passenger and back seat around 2 ft in. It has never had any sort of oil leak before.

Between passenger seat and rear seat looks like either braking fluid or fuel.
In both cases worth having a good look what is it.

sudzs

CiniO wrote: »

Did you have your hand brake attached when car was parked?

Easiest way to check if it is seized is to lift the rear of the car, and check if wheels run freely (with handbrake off of course).



Between passenger seat and rear seat looks like either braking fluid or fuel.
In both cases worth having a good look what is it.

Actually it did smell like petrol... I always assume something like that is oil after the oil-leaky Mazda 626 I had for years.... yes, even when it smells like petrol. :rolleyes:

I have a trip tomorrow, early morning, 60km each way, do you think it would be ok to go ahead? I suppose if the fuel gauge drops dramatically as I hit the motorway I should pull over!

CiniO

sudzs wrote: »

Actually it did smell like petrol... I always assume something like that is oil after the oil-leaky Mazda 626 I had for years.... yes, even when it smells like petrol. :rolleyes:

I have a trip tomorrow, early morning, 60km each way, do you think it would be ok to go ahead? I suppose if the fuel gauge drops dramatically as I hit the motorway I should pull over!

I would just put dirty clothes, get a torch and go under the car to see what is leaking. That's the easiest way to find out.

Greenmachine

I read 3 years first time around. :P
It should be good I would think, hasn't really been cold yet.

ma88

after i was in holiday more that a month,my car,a 99 yaris,doesn't drive as it was before,when trying to accelerate to change highgest speed its like dying and sputters,even start to move from traffic light with 1-st speed,its like a snail.
i changed the plugs,and used injector cleaner in petrol,but no good news...
any ideas what could be?

sudzs

sudzs wrote: »

Actually it did smell like petrol... I always assume something like that is oil after the oil-leaky Mazda 626 I had for years.... yes, even when it smells like petrol. :rolleyes:

I have a trip tomorrow, early morning, 60km each way, do you think it would be ok to go ahead? I suppose if the fuel gauge drops dramatically as I hit the motorway I should pull over!

Okay, I didn't check out under the car except to see there was no more petrol on the tarmac. Then went to get petrol and the pump was acting like the tank was full, took me ages to ger 20 quids worth into a half full tank. The guy in the garage said there must be air in my tank. I said it had been parked up for 3 months and he said that would do it. So I'm wondering if during the hot weather something happened the petrol, (expansion??) and when I started it up on Sunday some petrol was forced out of the fuel line?? would there be any joins?? Would that make any sense? I made the 60 km drive no problems BTW!