Car sitting for two years 01 V6 Camaro

[qwikz28]

Hello all-

An inactive member on this site, and close friend of mine shipped out to school overseas two years ago and is returning in two weeks. He left the car in running condition for his brother who had just got his drivers license and needed to use it. Soon after, he got his own car and parked the Camaro and it sat. Now, he is coming home on the 19th, and will depart on the 21st to Miami (he was planning on purchasing a car to do that in, but we all know how that goes). So he doesn't have to spend his only two days home working on the car, I want to get it ready for him.

I have already placed the battery on my trickle charger and filled up the tires. Besides the battery and some fresh oil, filter, and gas, what should we look for?

Additionally, there was a large puddle of fluid under the rear of the car. The family cleaned it up so I have no information on it besides that it was below the rear of the car and in large quanitity. Besides diff and trans fluid, what could it be?

Thanks guys.

[maroman88]

u got it all covered... once all the fluids are changed make sure to get it up to operating temp for a good while.

as for the puddle, the only fluids back there are from the rear and the gas tank...

[qwikz28]

Gas tank. Cannot believe I didn't think of that. Good call.

Edit: It would have smelt like gas. Even if it were over a year old. I was in the garage at some point and I would have noticed.

[sweetbmxrider]

Brakes. Lines, pads, rotors, calipers, drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, etc etc etc.

[Pampered-Z]

What I did for a car that sat was to pull the plugs, put a small shot of WD40 in the cylinders, turn the engine over slowly (rachet/crank hub) to make sure nothing was frozen or rusted. Then turned it over via the starter to get the bearings and such oiled before installing the plugs and starting it.

[qwikz28]

You think new plugs are a must? They were relatively new before the car sat. Maybe two years old (which is now 4 which sounds like a cheap replacement idea).

[sweetbmxrider]

He's saying pull the plugs to lubricate the cylinder walls. I would be more concerned with deterioration and corrosion of the underside of the car and all of the components that attach to it, mainly the brakes.

[qwikz28]

Yeah I understand the lubrication ideas. I'll check for excessive corrosion when I'm underneath. Not sure what I would do when I see it though.

[Jersey Mike]

I may have to do the same with an Audi pretty soon--Will be my first time wrenching on a German car.

My checklist so far looks a lot like yours, Jake:
*Drain gas tank
*Tire PSI
*Rotors & Pads
*New Spark Plugs
*New Battery
*Oil Change
*Air Filter
*Seafoam


I'm glad this thread came up. I'm curious to see what everyone recommends.

[sweetbmxrider]

Yeah I understand the lubrication ideas. I'll check for excessive corrosion when I'm underneath. Not sure what I would do when I see it though.

If you see a rusty wet brake line, you don't drive the car :lol:

You are doing a safety check for the driveability of the vehicle. If it isn't safe, it isn't safe and needs to be repaired. Chances are most everything will be alright but you gotta look at most of the major stuff and see what is going on. You definitely want to figure out what the fluid leak in the rear is. See if the master cylinder is full.

[qwikz28]

If you see a rusty wet brake line, you don't drive the car :lol:

You are doing a safety check for the driveability of the vehicle. If it isn't safe, it isn't safe and needs to be repaired. Chances are most everything will be alright but you gotta look at most of the major stuff and see what is going on. You definitely want to figure out what the fluid leak in the rear is. See if the master cylinder is full.

Well, that much I know. The master is full and the brakes build pressure. I know this much because we rolled the car out of the garage, and onto the street. Tested the brakes then. This was only two months ago. As for rotted suspension components, I don't know what I'll do. If they clunk and what not, I'll likely take them to get inspected and replaced if necessary at a front end shop. You definitely bring up a good point about hte safety of the vehicle.

Mike- Good call on the reminder to pick up some Seafoam. Need half a can for my Saturn as well.