Starting up after a few months off the road (UPDATE)

[Mark Foss]

Not used the van since Novemberish, it's been sat idle due to work and bad weather etc

Any tips on starting her up after being of the road for a while? was thinking charging batterys, checking all fluid levels and poss taking plugs out and a drop of oil in the cylinders and turning over by hand? Any tips/advice most welcome.

Dont want to wreck it! Mark

[AdrianC]

Two months? Just start it. If it doesn't start, jump it.

Seriously - I wouldn't worry about a bit more than that. The fluids aren't going to have just disappeared (and you do check 'em regularly, right?).

We've got far too many cars, so are always starting ones that've been sat around over winter or even having skipped a year (or more...) - don't worry about anything much. It'll either play or it won't. If not, it was already broken.

[fullsunian]

It may rattle like hell, when you first start it. Dont worry take it for a run and it should soon be back to normal. Its just the tappets draining down

[Mark Foss]

Cheers Guys

Will bite the bullet next weekend as see how it goes!

P.S. Am use to the tappet rattle now, frightened the life out of me the first time it happened.

[Mark Foss]

Cheers for the advice guys!

Started up and ran very well, without many rattles! Only problem now there is a slight leak of oil from somewhere!

So thats next weekends task to sort out. Cheers Mark

[nevill3]

Thanks for asking the question, I am glad I did a search before I asked the same thing, My diesel has been sat in her garage over the winter and I will be taking her for an MOT next week, so tomorrow I am going to start her up for the first time since October last year. I have monitored the battery condition all winter and the only thing that has happened is that the leisure battery will not hold its charge.
On investigating I have found out that it is NOT a leisure battery at all, if the Halfords battery number is anything to go by!!!!

Fingers crossed she starts OK tomorrow (Sunday)