Starting up for the first time in 6months

Sat Mar 02, 2013 1:41 pm

I've read dribs abd drabs in the passed, but couldn't find much from a search.

My IS has been sat in a garage for 6 months. Going to pop up and try to start it up tomorrow. I'll check all levels and such but what other precautions should I bare in mind/do?

It's not to really drive it. I just want to check it fires up before I get it trailered down to where I intend to work on it.

Cheers

Sat Mar 02, 2013 1:44 pm

Some would say spin it over with the HT leads off until the oil pressure light goes out.

As it is a mere 4 pot,I would just turn the key and hope for the best!

Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:29 pm

Watch the temp gauge!

Mine 325 has been sat for about two years. Started the beast up after turning over to build oil pressure.

It looks like the stat was stuck.

Caught in before it got too hot but have since cracked the thermostat housing putting the new stat back in.

WAPITA

Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:42 am

Okay thanks for the comments chaps. Going to head up today and try starting it up...

Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:09 pm

hope it goes ok mate! starting mine tomorrow in the garage after 7 months, have had a trickle charger on it then getting it taxed in the next few weeks woohoo!

Sun Mar 03, 2013 6:17 pm

i've started mine by simply turning the key in the past with no problems (after 6 months).

I'm going to start mine up for the first time in 6 months tomorrow aswell.

Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:46 pm

Started mine up today for the first time in over 6 months. had the jump leads on for a bit to get a bit of juice into the battery. Fired up first time. No over heating, pumped out loads of steam for a good 10 mins then ran sweet as a nut.

Hope it went well!

Sun Mar 03, 2013 11:56 pm

Cheers gents.

Its garaged at my sisters house. Got there this morning promised i'd build a wall unit for her.. Got roped into driving to Ikea and collecting more additions for the wall unit (more units), building it all, then hanging it all on the wall for her. By the time i was finished it was dark and I was shagged. So didn't even get a peep of the car

Oh well another visit soon.

Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:11 pm

Hi all,

I am new here and not very mechanically minded ...yet! I love my E30 but after the head went on in 2 years ago and a friend 'fixed' it by pouring something in (sorry I really have no idea about these things yet!) i havent had it back on the road. Over the next two months I will (with the help of my mechanic friends) be getting it back on the road.
Any ideas on what the person may have poured in to fix it and should I trust it or get it done properly. Also anything else I need to check before turning the key(other than the battery obviously)?!

Thanks

Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:12 am

EmzE30 wrote:Hi all,

I am new here and not very mechanically minded ...yet! I love my E30 but after the head went on in 2 years ago and a friend 'fixed' it by pouring something in (sorry I really have no idea about these things yet!) i havent had it back on the road. Over the next two months I will (with the help of my mechanic friends) be getting it back on the road.
Any ideas on what the person may have poured in to fix it and should I trust it or get it done properly. Also anything else I need to check before turning the key(other than the battery obviously)?!

Thanks

Anything that claims to fix something by just pouring it in is usually a bodge IMO. What was the initial problem? Head gasket failure? If so, he would have likely used a couple of bottles of radweld- definitely not a long term fix.

After two years, I'd be changing the cambelt and aux drive belts for piece of mind. While there, I'd also swap the oil, oil filter, fuel filter etc.

Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:28 pm

I used K seal to get my old e36 through its test when the head gasket went, got another engine and took 3 month to get round to fitting it (1.

. Used no more coolant once I added it but changed it for peice of mind anyway.

Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:22 pm

EmzE30 wrote:Any ideas on what the person may have poured in to fix it and should I trust it or get it done properly.

It's a sealant used to fill cracks in the head etc. You run it through the cooling system and it sinks into any cracks and sets hard, theoretically fixing the problem. It can work quite well but it's a bit imprecise and you can't be sure it's got into every bit of the engine internally and found your problem.

You'll know pretty fast if it starts overheating when you run it. Watch the temp gauge closely and do some miles. You may well be looking at some engine rebuilding in the end anyway, and long term you should definitely put it on the to-do list even if it runs ok with the sealant..

Wed Mar 20, 2013 10:22 am

Just for the sake of wrapping up this thread. Went up to the car yesterday, reconnected the battery. Turned the key and started up first time, after sitting garaged for nearly 7 months..

Wed Mar 20, 2013 10:41 am

Good old BMW engines, mine started straight away after sitting for a year and half and that was after taking the M60 out of a 540i and putting it in my E30. Legend of cars!

Wed Mar 20, 2013 11:50 am

In 16 months mine has been started twice - I started it a couple of weeks back and let it run on the drive for a while, no issues. This morning it fired up first turn of the key and was absolutely fine. I forgot how much I love that car!

However now it's in for it's MOT...

The nervous wait continues....