Starting a car after a long time without being started?

When the car has been sitting that long, the cylinders will be as dry the day the engine was assembled, so having some engine assembly lightweight oil or a teaspoon of Marvel's Mystery Oil inside the cylinder walls with the spark plugs removed is a good idea while turning the engine over. Even spraying a little WD-40 down inside the chambers will help reduce the friction of startup and engine oil pump priming.

1. spray around each spark plug with air to remove debris and dirt; remove the plugs

2. spray each cylinder with WD-40 or equiv. penetrating oil

3. add a teaspoon of Marvel Mystery Oil

4. put the plugs back in

5. let the engine sit for several hours

6. remove battery cable

7. put emergency brake on

8. put transmission into neutral

9. remove the spark plugs againhand turn the harmonic balancer to turn the engine over 1/4 turn at a time. If you cannot turn by hand, the engine is seized and the car needs to be towed to a mechanic. The cylinder heads may need to be removed and the pistons loosened with a rubber mallet before it can be turned over.

It is a good idea to remove plugs and squirt a few from an oil can. Use regular motor oil not 2 cycle oil. After you are done squirting all of the cylinders let it sit for a while (preferably overnight). You don't have to crank it without starting it if it is full of oil. Just start it you won't damage it. Make sure not to rev it when you first start it up because some vehicles when they sit lose their oil pump prime. It won't take very long for it to prime so don't worry. My dad has many vehicles that have sat and been started years later. Last week he started his 47 buick roadmaster that hadn't been started since 1974. He took the valve cover off and oiled the rocker arms and valves from the top and then put it back together. He pulled all of the plugs and oiled the cylinders down and let it sit overnight. The next morning he filed the corrosion off of the points and primed it with gas and it started right up without a rattle. The best thing is not to let a car sit that long without being started but if you have to make sure you oil the cylinders before starting. Good luck.

It is a good idea, but don't use 2 stroke oil. Just a teaspoon or so for each cylinder of the normal oil you use for your car.

In addition to the other suggestions I would add 12-16 ounces of SeaFoam to the fuel to thoroughly clean the fuel system of any varnish and other contaminants that may have accumulated. It will help greatly if there is water contamination. Wonderful and amazing stuff.

Yes 18 months is a long time. anything over 3 months you should do this.

a couple of sprays is fine also let the car sit for around 20 min with out doing any thing make sure the a/c is also off because it could blow the air motor

18 months is considered very long time, you can do that after 3 months.

Regards