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Old 06-06-2020, 10:13 AM   #1
babyjulie83
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Unhappy Need advice on SS that's been sitting (yes I am an idiot!)

Hi everyone,

(UPDATE - estimate on page 2 of thread.)

I haven't posted in forever and could really use some advice. Long story short, my 2010 SS has been sitting for about 3 years....yes that's terrible and I am so mad at myself for it....had two kids, car seats don't fit, blah blah blah, excuses excuses. Anyways now i'm ready to get it back on the roads and never let it sit again. I really miss driving it.

I know nothing about cars and my husband knows very little. Right now my plan is to take it to an auto shop that charges $70 to do a full check on the car and tell me what needs to be fixed. I'm nervous to try and drive the car to the shop too so I also plan on having it towed there....i'm worried that if I drive it there then i'll cause damage.

I don't like the thought of paying someone $70 to tell me what needs to be fixed. I'm trying to keep from getting screwed over. I'd rather go there and tell them what needs to be done and pay them money for actually fixing things. I know it needs an oil change and new fuel. We are putting a new battery in it ourselves this weekend so that will be done. How do you guys think I should approach this?

I wonder if i'll need new tires too......I'm betting so. The car was running fine before I let it sit except that the A/C had stopped working.

Thanks,

-Julie
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Last edited by babyjulie83; 06-12-2020 at 02:56 PM.
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Old 06-06-2020, 10:45 AM   #2
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This seemed like a pretty good list and associated advice:
  • Replace the engine oil with fresh, new oil
  • Change out the oil filter for a new one
  • Remove and replace the transmission fluid
  • Install a new battery
  • Flush the radiator and replace coolants
  • Replace the brake fluid
  • Add new power steering fluid
  • Pump out the old gas and replace it with fresh gas

https://mandjsunshine.com/mj-sunshin...sitting-years/
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Old 06-06-2020, 10:55 AM   #3
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Take it to Anything Automotive Performance in Corinth/Denton. They will not rip you off.
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Old 06-06-2020, 11:14 AM   #4
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Not really much needed. Change oil. You can fill up the gas tank and burn through the old stuff. You can drain and fill the radiator. Tires will likely have flat spots....but, that'll most likely even out after some miles. If not, new tires.
When I was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015, mine sat for a year and a half. All I did was change the oil and charge the battery.
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Old 06-06-2020, 11:16 AM   #5
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Glad to see you get your car back on the road. 3 yrs is significant, but not a crazy long time. Do an oil change for sure. Remove gas cap and take a sniff. Does it smell like varnish? If so then remove as much fuel as possible with a small pump and pour in 5 gal of fresh fuel. Remove rad cap and check coolant level. Add as needed. A procedure I do on old vehicles is disable ignition, remove spark plugs and motor engine over to get oil press up and get rotating parts lubricated. I have yet to do this on a modern computer controlled vehicle but I THINK you can pull the ECM fuse to disable both the ignition and fuel system. Put car on jacks and check tires for condition and pressure. Dry rotting? Replace. Depending on mileage you may want to replace tires for safety sake. This should get you mobile so you don't need a tow. After some short drives I would change trans and rear fluids. $70 sounds a little steep for an inspection but if it's a facility with a good reputation it will give you piece of mind. Disclaimer: this is what I would do. Doesn't make it 100% correct. Wait for some of the other folks to chime in and form your own opinion.
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Old 06-06-2020, 11:31 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babyjulie83 View Post
Hi everyone,

I haven't posted in forever and could really use some advice. Long story short, my 2010 SS has been sitting for about 3 years....yes that's terrible and I am so mad at myself for it....had two kids, car seats don't fit, blah blah blah, excuses excuses. Anyways now i'm ready to get it back on the roads and never let it sit again. I really miss driving it.

I know nothing about cars and my husband knows very little. Right now my plan is to take it to an auto shop that charges $70 to do a full check on the car and tell me what needs to be fixed. I'm nervous to try and drive the car to the shop too so I also plan on having it towed there....i'm worried that if I drive it there then i'll cause damage.

I don't like the thought of paying someone $70 to tell me what needs to be fixed. I'm trying to keep from getting screwed over. I'd rather go there and tell them what needs to be done and pay them money for actually fixing things. I know it needs an oil change and new fuel. We are putting a new battery in it ourselves this weekend so that will be done. How do you guys think I should approach this?

I wonder if i'll need new tires too......I'm betting so. The car was running fine before I let it sit except that the A/C had stopped working.

Thanks,

-Julie
3 years .....your not a idiot life happens and priorities change at least you didn't sell it.a few hundred bucks and let the good times roll.
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Old 06-06-2020, 01:27 PM   #7
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My biggest fear would be old gas that has gone bad. Other than that it will just need an oil change.
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Old 06-06-2020, 02:49 PM   #8
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I was out of the country for two years and my truck sat the entire time. Changed the oil, replaced the battery, drove it. No issue.
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Old 06-06-2020, 04:37 PM   #9
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$70.00 doesn't sound out of line to me...
When they give you the list of what they think it needs, post it on here and see what the people here think.
I drive for a diesel performance/repair shop, and they charge $125.00 for that. They check everything from the headlight to the taillights. As long as they don't try to talk you into anything, this would be worth it, in my opinion.
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Old 06-06-2020, 05:05 PM   #10
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"Husband knows very little" .........
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Old 06-06-2020, 07:40 PM   #11
babyjulie83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davidscamaro View Post
"Husband knows very little" .........
Haha, I guess that does sound pretty bad.
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Old 06-06-2020, 07:42 PM   #12
babyjulie83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesMyBoy View Post
$70.00 doesn't sound out of line to me...
When they give you the list of what they think it needs, post it on here and see what the people here think.
I drive for a diesel performance/repair shop, and they charge $125.00 for that. They check everything from the headlight to the taillights. As long as they don't try to talk you into anything, this would be worth it, in my opinion.
That's a good idea, i'll post the list on here. I would feel better going down the highway knowing that someone had looked the car over.
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Old 06-06-2020, 07:42 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babyjulie83 View Post
I'm nervous to try and drive the car to the shop too so I also plan on having it towed there....i'm worried that if I drive it there then i'll cause damage.
. The car was running fine before I let it sit except that the A/C had stopped working.

Thanks,

-Julie
Me I'd probably roll the dice. Put in a new battery and see if it starts. Check the oil on the dip stick and see if it looks like water condensation is on it before starting it though.
The harm that might happen is a stuck fuel injector just pushes fuel into the engine and it ruins it.
I contend that half the shops won't check for this even if you towed it to them and they tried to start it then wouldn't pay for a new engine even though it was their "fault" for not pulling the injectors for a check first. I can't say it's a high risk so that's why I'd roll the dice, but just sayin' even if you take it somewhere I don't have great luck getting professional service most of the times.
The AC problem could be the dreaded "blend door" issue you can search on here.
If it runs then yes add some gas to at least have a mix of new and old then put in more after you've run it low. Same with an oil and filter change soon and likely time for new coolant.
I hesitate for "flush" services as usually it's highly over priced.
Brake fluid, meh, it's probably fine too, as long as all your fluids are topped up like any other day. Look for any obvious leaks after you start it, and let it run in the driveway. I think it'll be fine.
edit: water in the oil makes it look milky. If it is black that's ok, or honey color thats fresh oil. The corrosion resistant properties in the oil and coolant eventually fade away so that's why they will need changing someday soon but water will ruin the engine right away. I recently worked on a relatives car that makes only short trips and had lots of milky sludge near the oil fill cap and top of the dipstick from water condensation. I thought maybe it had blown a headgasket but just warmed up the engine sitting at idle for an hour to evaporate off the water and it's been fine.
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Old 06-06-2020, 07:43 PM   #14
babyjulie83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vegas Bound View Post
Take it to Anything Automotive Performance in Corinth/Denton. They will not rip you off.
I looked their website over, if they were a little closer I would probably try them but since i'm thinking about having the car towed to a shop, i'll probably try to find a closer place. Thanks!
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