How to Start a Car After Storage

For those car owners that have had their vehicle in storage, starting it up for the first time can be a little scary. It is natural to wonder if you can do the engine harm by trying to start it after it has been sitting in storage for a while. Fortunately, there are some best practices that you can employ to protect your engine and start your car safely after it has been stored.

Things You'll Need

• Motor oil
• Oil filter
• Fuel filter(s)
• Marvel Mystery Oil

Instructions

1. Change the oil and replace the oil filter.

2. Remove the spark plugs and inspect them. This is a good opportunity to replace them if they show signs of wear. Leave the plugs out for now.

3. Replace the main fuel filter with a new one, and if you have a fuel filter at the carb inlet, replace that also.

4. Pour approximately one ounce of Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder.

5. Get in the car and turn the engine over a few times (still with the plugs out), pause for a couple of minutes, and crank a few times again. Repeat this process until either the oil warning light goes out, or your oil pressure gauge begins to show an increase in pressure.

6. Put the spark plugs back in.

7. Get back in the vehicle and push the accelerator to the floor twice, and then start the engine.

References

• What to do when taking cars out of storage

Resources

• Long-Term Storage the Correct Way