QuestionJust got an 84 Coupe Deville that sat for 6 years, had an engine replacement in 1999, worked fine was last inspected in 2000. What should I do to get it going again?
AnswerHi Chris,
Getting a vehicle operational after sitting so long is a wait and see what happens type thing. However these would be some of the things that would be good to do.
1) If the engine hasn't been started I would remove all the sparkplugs and squirt 2-3oz of lite weight oil in each cylinder such as trans fluid, marvel mystery oil or 0W20 or 10 weight engine oil. Change the engine oil and filter and make sure to fill the oil filter with fresh oil before installing it. Let the engine sit overnight and then with the spark and fuel disabled turn the engine over to make sure it is freed up and the oil can coat the cylinder walls and rings to aid in building up compression. Then install the plugs and enable the fuel and try to start it and let it idle until the thermostat opens up. It might stick closed so you will need to monitor the temp. light so it doesn't overheat. After sitting so long there is a good chance the battery will need to be replaced.
If the engine has been started then change the oil and filter and go through the warm-up process.
2) The brake drums and rotors might be very rusty at this point and the calipers and pistons could be frozen. Drive the car slowly to check for stopping opperation. It would be a good idea to inspect the drums and rotors for rust build-up before driving and if alot then replace them along with the pads and rotors. Surface rust can be worn off durring the test drive. Repack the front wheel bearings.
3) Have the transmission fluid flushed out with-in the first 100 miles of operation.
4) Flush the cooling system. Look at the belts and hoses to see if any are cracking. It would be a good idea to replace the thermostat as well as all the belts and hoses before flushing the cooling system.
5) Inspect the tires for cracking/dryrotting on the sidewall and tread. Replace them all if any are cracking.
6) Change the rear differential fluid.
The biggest things to remember are to let the engine idle until it is warmed up and not to rev or race the RPM keeping it below 1000rpm. Then during the test drive accelerate slowly and try to keep it 45mph or slower until you know that the car is safe.
Because it has been sitting so long there is no telling what might not work so take it easy and if in question have your mechanic give it a safety inspection to make sure what needs to be fixed that you don't see.
Hope that helps and enjoy your Caddy. Bill
