# Sat for two years?



## sirpsychor6 (Jan 14, 2008)

Hello,
I'm trying to help my girlfriend who's '96 Jetta III has sat in the garage for the past 2 years. It was originally parked because of a bad coil, bald tires, an approaching winter and the availability of other cars. We now need to get this car on the road again and I would appreciate any suggestions for what I should check on and what I might need to do to get it up and running (at least to take in to a proper mechanic). I'm fairly competent with a wrench for basic maintenance, but I'm just not sure what needs to be done in this case.
I haven't tried to start it yet. I replaced the coil today (old one was arcing) and I've just pulled the battery and it's currently charging. It had it's oil changed about 700 miles before it's long slumber, should I change it now? I imagine the fuel is bad and needs to be drained too. Best advice on how to do that? What else?
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!


----------



## Andromeda451 (Jan 6, 2006)

*Re: Sat for two years? (sirpsychor6)*

Siphon out the fuel. From the trunk open the top of the tank and get as much fuel out as possible. Reassemble, put in a few gallons of fresh fuel. Drain the fuel filter then reassemble. The oil should be fine for the startup effort. Start the car.


----------



## 66busman (Jan 11, 2008)

*Re: Sat for two years? (sirpsychor6)*

Replace the battery and check the wiring. Make sure there are no mouse nests in the airbox or wiring harness, they can wreak havoc on a car that has been sitting(ask me how I know







) Check the brakes to see if they have rusted solid, although they really should be fine if it was in a garage. Good luck, letting cars sit for that long is never good for them.


----------



## JPX (Nov 6, 2005)

*Re: Sat for two years? (66busman)*

Do a brake flush.....empty the fluid reservoir without going to the master cylinder (no air!). Add new fluid, then start bleeding each wheel. Moisture in the fluid can cause corrosion. So this will help remove any that has accumulated. But you might want to make sure the brakes are engaging at all (independent of the parking brake).
Same for the coolant. If it didn't leak and is still full, you can use it to start. But you should flush and replace the coolant once things get going. Check the hoses for cracks, excessive swelling, etc.
Great advice already given on the gas above. I would simply change the fuel filter while in there.
And definitely check for pests. This includes insects in the seats and carpet as well as rats' nests in the air ducts, intake air box, exhaust (couldn't hurt to check), and under the dash.


----------

