Not driven in a long time

Tiny
INMYHEART28
  • MEMBER
  • 2010 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 15,000 MILES
I let my car sit since last July without driving it. At this point what would I have to do other than changing the battery to get it to be operational again?
If it matters at all it has been sitting in a garage.
Saturday, April 21st, 2018 AT 12:24 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,916 POSTS
Nothing. Pop in a good battery, check the tire pressures, and buzz off into the sunset.

I have two cars that regularly sit for more than five years without being driven. One is a 1980 Plymouth with 45,000 miles. I just dragged it out due to a minor breakdown with my daily driver. I did run it last summer. Did not even have to jump-start it. Pumped up one tire, turned the key, and off I went. The other one is a 1993 Dodge with less than 5,000 miles. That one runs fine on five-year-old gas, but in most parts of the country, you will hear stories of gas going bad, often in as little as a few months. Do not panic if your engine does not run as well as it normally does at first. Use up the old gas that is in the tank now, then fill it with fresh gas. You should see an improvement in performance shortly after that.
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Saturday, April 21st, 2018 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
INMYHEART28
  • MEMBER
  • 223 POSTS
Thank you very much Sir! That was most helpful!
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Saturday, April 21st, 2018 AT 7:04 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.

Cheers, Ken
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Tuesday, April 24th, 2018 AT 11:54 AM

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