nicolaselias

Hi everyone,
My dad's 97 RL has been parked since 2006 because a stone cracked the transmission pan (long story)... Anyway, he seemed unwilling to fix it but I am finally taking it on as my project.

I am looking for advice on what parts may be problematic/need changing after being parked for so long..

I have all of the transmission issues taken car of, I am more concerned with other components of the car.

Battery has been out of the vehicle for a few years well, so that will be replaced and the tyres have been kept inflated, so they are good enough to drive to the tyre shop (5 mins away) for replacement (assuming I get the car started)


Here is what I have in mind, if you can shed some more light on other parts that I have missed let me know:
1. Battery + Tyres
2. Brake pads and fluid.. SHOULD I CHANGE THE BRAKE MC, it has fluid in it still but its been sitting there for 6+ years and I haven't seen a seal kit selling for this car.
3. I will have to change out the power steering fluid, what is the easiest way to do it in these vehicles?
4. What to do about the gas that has been sitting in that tank for years?
Anything else I can expect to give trouble/require work?

Accordman1

You probably should have rescued this poor car much sooner. The number one and two enemies of the car that sit are moisture and heat. I would hope that your dad would at least start the car up every months to keep it lubricating to prevent rust inside the cylinders. About your list of things to consider, definitely battery and tires. I don't think that you need new brake pads unless they are worn to less than 3mm on each wheel. You definitely need to change the brake fluid, it is a fairly easy job to bleed the brake. I don't think you need to change out the PS fluid but you should replace the engine oil and filter. In addition, you should check the coolant and replace that too if it has been in the engine for more than 7 years. Once you change the engine oil, you should start it up and let it idle for at least 5 minutes to warm up the engine and lubricate the internal of the engine. If the engine does no start, it could be the gas or the spark plugs. Test the spark plugs to make sure they are still good. Oh, about the gas, it is likely stale by now so you may have to add a few gallons of gas to mix with the old gas and hope that it will turn over the engine. If you still have a lot of gas in the tank, you may have to pump it out and replace with new gas. You can probably put them back into the tank if you have a higher mix of the new gas vs. old gas so don't pour them down the drain or the ground, it is a fire hazard. Next, if it is running, check the AC and heater to make sure they are still working. I think that the AC could be a problem sitting around that long and it may leak. Lastly, consider changing out the drive belt, the timing belt and water pump, they are probably in bad shape so don't plan on drive it too far. Good luck!

nicolaselias

Thanks for the help man... I am planning on doing all the timing components of the car (belts, pulleys, maybe water pump) and probably all radiator hoses and other belts

In addition, I already have pads, all filters and spark plugs, just need to put them in.

My dad has not started the car ONCE since it was parked down, it has just sat there, so I don't expect it to be pretty.. It has been sitting in a covered garage and has had a dust cover over the car most of the time.

IIRC it has about half tank of VERY stale gas so i'll probably have to siphon out as much as I can and then replace it with some fresh gas just to get it going.

I will probably change all fluids in the vehicle anyway just as a precaution and I expect the AC will probably need regassing but that shouldnt be too bad. My main worry is the absolute lack of lubrication on startup..

I figure everything including labour and parts would run me about $1100 or so on this project. Shame about my father leaving it parked so long but those days are done... Going to turn this one into my highway runner and keep my accord as a fun car