Getting my car running after a long period of neglect.

August 25, 2005 11:05 AM

CarOwnerFilter: help me get my car running again after a long period of neglect.

I've left my car pretty much unattended in my parking garage for over a year and it's (obviously) in pretty bad shape by now, beyond a simple jump. I need to get it running ASAP so I can move it immediately to avoid impoundment. What's the best way of getting this done -- calling a towing place or a mechanic directly? Will they have problems getting it out of the parking garage? Bonus: can anyone refer me to their favorite place in the SF Bay Area (Berkeley) that won't rip me off completely, or alternately have good online resource to finding one?

Also: anyone ballpark how much time/money it'll take to fix up a car in this condition -- and what complications from disuse should I be worried about? 2000 Toyota Corolla, under 30k miles, and the only other mechanical problem is that someone busted the driver's side window and ripped my CD player out of the dash, so additional electrical work might be needed if the wiring/fuses are fried (it was needed the last time this happened).

posted by DaShiv to travel & transportation (11 answers total)

It won't/shouldn't cost much (a few hundred). Call someone and have them tow it to a dealership so they can replace all the fluids. Replace the gas, it's probably dead by now too.

You should also call the garage where it is parked and let them know what you plan on doing, they may cut you some slack.
posted by 517 at 11:15 AM on August 25, 2005

I've left my car pretty much unattended in my parking garage for over a year and it's (obviously) in pretty bad shape by now, beyond a simple jump.

Well, besides a dead battery and bad gas, why would you think it's in pretty bad shape? If anything, a stored car is probably better off than one that's used and sees wear and tear.

You'll probably want an oil change, transmission fluid, coolant flush, brake bleed, and possibly a new fuel filter. Like 517 says, shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred, at most.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:19 AM on August 25, 2005

Also, a good online resource.
posted by 517 at 11:20 AM on August 25, 2005

Also in a related question: do I need to contact a Toyota dealer specifically to replace the window, or is the make/year/part a common enough one that most any car place can do the work? I'd normally take it back to the same dealership I originally bought the car from except that right now, it's over four hundred miles away.

C_D: I've been told/harangued (belatedly) from a few sources that cars need to be run regularly to prevent problems with battery/fluids, so I'm a bit paranoid about if leaving things sitting for so long like that has damaged any of the parts. Money is a bit tight right now and being a car dummy, I'm a little panicked about what kind of bill I might be slapped with and being charged for work I may not need.
posted by DaShiv at 11:34 AM on August 25, 2005

No, any auto glass place or garage will be able to do it for you cheaper than a dealership. You may have to wait a day or two though.

In general, independent garages are cheaper than dealerships but they can be more hit or miss when it comes to service and other aspects.
posted by 517 at 11:53 AM on August 25, 2005

so I'm a bit paranoid about if leaving things sitting for so long like that has damaged any of the parts

Well, you definately should not leave it for a couple of years in a barn, or (worse) outside to deal with the elements. But in a parking garage? Not a big deal.

The two biggest things that "go wrong" with a car that's left unused for a while are fouled gas and flat spots on the tires. Your shocks will probably also be unhappy. Unfortunately, there's another problem--though less so in your situation--moisture trapped in an unused engine will eventually rust the cylinder walls. That's very bad.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:57 AM on August 25, 2005

Oh, add dead battery to that list. Again, not a big deal.

As for your window: see this recent thread.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:59 AM on August 25, 2005

No need to take it to the dealer to have the window replaced. Any place competent enough to replace auto glass should be fine.

Is there much gas in the tank. I'm not sure about this but, I think the gas may be okay if the tank was relatively full. If it's almost empty filling it with fresh should overpower the badness of the old gas.

Having the CD ripped out won't necessarily do any damage that will prevent the car from running.

In your situation I would be very tempted just to try jumping it off and get it running. If the tank isn't full I'd add some gas and some "gas dry" before trying to start it up. By 'gas dry" I mean one of the products meant to remove water from the fuel system. It's basically alcohol that will mix with any water present and allow it to be burned as fuel by the engine.
posted by Carbolic at 12:02 PM on August 25, 2005

DaShiv, I have the mechanic for you: Angus Powellson at Oceanworks, on Tenth and Carleton in Berkeley. He only works on Toyotas and Hondas, and he's been keeping my '93 Accord humming. He replaced the glass when my car was broken into a few months ago. Angus was referred to me by my brother-in-law, who has been taking cars to him for about 15 years. Call him up or send him an email, and he'll tell you what to do.
posted by ambrosia at 12:15 PM on August 25, 2005

Water in the tank is less likely the issue than precipitates and additives gumming up. There's nothing you can do about what was left in the lines leading up to the injectors (or god forbid a carb but it seems unlikely your car is that old) but you can drain what's in the tank if you like.

If the tank is less than 1/2 full I personally would just add a bottle or two of octane boost/injector cleaner and top it off with fresh gas.
posted by phearlez at 2:00 PM on August 25, 2005

Also, if you don't have AAA or its green equivalent [name?], get it. A year's subscription to AAA+ costs less than $100 and you get 100 free miles of towing a few times for that. This could conceivably tow the car to a mechanic without you even having to go with it, as long as you set it up in advance. Two things to know about starting cars that have been sitting for a while

1) tires may be flat, check them before you start. If you can, bring or borrow a tire inflator thingie that will plug into the cigarette lighter and you can fix this problem yourself.
2) disc brakes often get a bit rusty if they've been sititng someplace humid. So, the first time you drive the car and stop it, it will make a horrible grindy noise. This should clear up after a few stops and starts, but it's completely normal.
posted by jessamyn at 2:04 PM on August 25, 2005