Car Not Serviced for 5 Years – Guide on Correct Break-In

It's not uncommon for cars to sit in the garage for several weeks when we are on vacation. And it's completely OK for any vehicle. You will just need to check the battery before you start the car. Also, checking the fluid levels will be beneficial for the owner. But other than that, the vehicle should be good to go. But what if it has been standing there for 5 years?

If your car has been sitting without service for 5 years, it's important to start driving it correctly. You should change all fluids, the battery, check everything before you start the engine. Otherwise, it's very likely that after several tries of starting the vehicle, you will be able to call some guys from a scrapyard and sell them this car for some hundred dollars.

Here's what I will cover in this article:

• What happens if the car is not in use for 5 years?
• How to prepare the vehicle for driving after 5 years of sitting?
• What if the car hasn't been serviced for 5 years but was driven?
• Things to avoid in a poorly serviced car.

Let's get started!

Car sits for 5 years - what happens with it?

We'll start with the softer version of the situation. How to service and prepare a car that has been sitting for five years without maintenance and even without starting? Unfortunately, things may be much worse than you expect. If the owner didn't prepare the car for long sitting five years ago, some parts and units of the vehicle may require replacement or repair.

Time is ruthless and when it comes to metal things, it destroys them by corrosion. While body parts corrosion is questionable because the car may have been sitting in a good garage and is still OK in terms of rust on its panels, the corrosion of the engine, transmission, and cooling system units is inevitable.

Here's what happens with such a vehicle:

• all the fluids usually go bad - they lose their properties and won't do their job anymore;
• the battery goes bad no matter if it was disconnected or not, it may have destroyed some electrical and electronic modules if it was connected;
• there is a huge buildup of dust in the interior and it may need professional cleaning or even repair;
• some hoses and tubes under the hood may have been dried out and now have some cracks in them making fluid circulation impossible without repairs;
• engine parts that haven't been covered with oil have dried out and maybe developed some kind of corrosion;
• electrical wires may have been corroded and attacked by rats or insects creating even more problems;
• electronic units may not be working properly because they may be damaged by water or just time.

Everything depends on the conditions of storage. If the car was outside and the climate in the area is changing much from winter to summer, you shouldn't expect a lot of good news. Changes in temperature most likely attacked all wiring and electronic units by moisture and they are not working now.

But if the car was in a good garage with a more or less stable environment, no rodents, no dust, etc., then it may still be OK. It doesn't mean that the vehicle is now good to drive. No, you still have a lot of work before you start the engine. But there is a high chance that the car is good and it just needs some maintenance.

Preparing the vehicle for starting after 5 years of sitting

Forget about starting the engine - before that, you will need to do a lot of boring things that will make sure the engine will survive after it's started. According to the list of problems that happen with cars when they sit for too long, I've prepared a list of first-to-do things for such cases.

Here's what you will need to accomplish:

1) Change the battery

There is no chance that the car battery that has been sitting for 5 years is still alive. Even if it takes the charge, it will lose it quickly. You better get a good appropriate battery for your vehicle. Pay attention to the parameters that are recommended by the car manufacturer.

2) Change the oil and oil filter

For 5 years, the oil in the oil pan of the car has been completely destroyed. There is no oil anymore, there are several separate products. I strongly recommend cleaning the engine with some special oil types because the components of the old oil may still be there and contaminate your engine severely. Also, change the oil and filter again after about 1000 miles of driving.

3) Check transmission fluid.

It may also require changing after so much time of sitting. But a professional mechanic can check it and say if the fluid is still good to go.

4) Change air filter, cabin filter, and fuel filter

All filters and cleaners require replacement. Also, I would recommend changing the fuel filter that's located in the tank. It may be now dry and inefficient. Usually, this filter lasts forever, but if the car has been sitting for a long time, it may now be dried out and lose its capability to clean the fuel.

5) Check and change the spark plugs

Although the plugs may be good, I would change them because the corrosion is almost certainly there and they are destroyed. Changing them will help you make sure that the engine will eventually start and won't cause a lot of problems.

6) Check all the fluids

The brake fluid should be changed and the brakes should be pumped. It's an important safety feature and you shouldn't ignore this.

Also, check the coolant. I would change the coolant, too, because if it works inefficiently, the engine may suffer from overheating.

7) Check the belts or chain

It's important to take the timing cover off the engine and look at the timing belt of the chain. If my car was sitting for five years, I would certainly replace the chain or belt kit. The tensioner may be corroded and inefficient, the belt may have some cracks because it's now dry. The chain may also be damaged by rust. If they break, the engine may just die.

The car was driven but wasn't serviced - what to do?

Now, it's not that bad if your vehicle has been sitting for such a long time. But what if the car was driven but wasn't serviced for five years? This is much worse.

Basically, you will need to change all the fluids, belts, chains, and all other things to try and save the engine from dying. But it's very likely that such a 5-year-long driving marathon will leave its trace on the engine's fate.

It's extremely important to check the health of the engine using different methods of diagnostics. I would find a good mechanic who knows what to do with engines and ask them to take care of it.

Yearly service is not just a marketing trick of dealers to take money from you. One year is enough for the oil and filter to get dirty. After that, the oil will only spoil the engine and contaminate it with different kinds of buildups. So, regular service is extremely important.

What should you avoid in a poorly serviced car?

If you need to drive a car that hasn't been serviced for years, you need to follow several rules:

• don't rev the engine up too much, it may kill it;
• watch the engine temperature when you drive and stop if it's over half of the gauge;
• avoid driving long distances without changing oil and filters and checking other fluids;
• sometimes, it's cheaper and safer to call a tow truck, in such cases;
• be careful when driving and be ready for any surprises from your vehicle.

How to start a car after a long sitting?

When the vehicle is ready to start, you've done everything that I told you about in this article, it's important to correctly start the engine. Wrong actions on your side may damage the engine and bring more harm to it.

Here's what you should do:

• Turn the ignition on for 5-7 seconds. You will let your car remember that it still works, the ECU will launch.
• Crank the engine for several seconds. Then get the key back to the off position even if the engine starts. This will allow oil from the pan to go up and lubricate some important parts.
• Wait for about a minute. This time is needed for oil to go down and lubricate more parts in your engine for a safe start.
• Now, you may start the engine. After you start it, avoid driving right away, you should let it idle till it reaches the working temperature. This may take about 5-7 minutes.
• Listen to the work of the engine and observe the temperature gauge. This may help you identify some minor problems that you may still not know about.

Such an engine start will prevent it from failing. Also, you will understand if there are some other problems like the stuck thermostat, bad water pump, clogged idle valve, etc. This will help you build a plan for further repairs or just make sure that the engine is good to drive.