Can your engine develop sludge if you haven't driven your car in years? (vehicle, motorcycles)
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Lets say a person has several cars, one of those cars hasn't been driven in 2 or 3 years. When they get it back on the road can the engine have sludge build up from not being driven?
My philosophy is I'd rather have at least 2 used cars then a car payment and a new car. One of my vehicles sat for 3 years, I had a mobile mechanic come out and change the spark plugs and a few other things. Its driveable but it doesn't have that "kick" that it use to have (i have new battery and starter). Had a guy at autozone tell me that the reason its acelration isn't great is because the oil say in the gas tank AND in the engine for too long while not being changed. I thought that was odd being that I didn't drive the car, but I'm no mechanic (trying to learn about cars now).
So can a car thats sat for 3 years develop sludge eventhough it hasn't been driven?
The gas in the tank gets stale, it should run better after a few tanks of fuel. Putting in some injector cleaner may help. Before putting a car "up" that's going to sit, it's recommended to change the oil because there would be less condensation in the oil and acids from combustion. It's also recommended to put a fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank. If you didn't do that, get the oil changed soon, put some additive in the fuel tank like Sea Foam or Chevron Techron, and a few tanks of good gasoline, a name brand like shell or amoco, not "Joe's Discount Gas", it doesn't have to be premium unless the vehicle calls for it. Name brand gases have additive packages to keep injectors, etc. clean.
How old is the car and what is it?
Cars are meant to be driven and sitting is not good for them. The brakes can seize up, rubber parts in the suspension can break down, tires will dry rot and in some cases develop flat spots, rodents can get into them and make a mess and possibly chew on wiring. Engine oils will break down over time to the point where they don't do the job they are designed for which will hurt your engine. Seals in your engine can also dry out and get brittle. Gasoline also breaks down as Blue biker wrote.
My boat sits for 7-8 months out of the year and I put in fuel stabilizer for the gas and change the oil before the boating season. My sports car hibernates in the Winter and I have the battery on a trickle charger to keep that up and on decent days I will fire it up and take it for a blast.
Yes your cars oil can develop sludge from sitting for 3 years. Why do you have several cars if you don't drive them on a regular basis? Do you keep them registered and insured?
Older cars are prone to more problems like these than the newer ones.
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I keep 30 cars trucks and motorcycles, tractors, dozers, semi trucks... and only use about 10 of them daily.
Most are evil diesel, so they are fine to sit a few yrs.
Modern gas is not fine for over a month MUST use a fuel stabiliizer (marine grade)
Before you park it.... Fill it with fuel, and change oil. Fresh oil is much better for bearings (acid / contaminates in used oil is not good to sit and digest your metal)
After you start using a gasser, add fuel additive and fresh fuel ASAP.
I find newer gassers are less happy about sitting.
Best course of action when starting a car that has been sitting for years is to drain the gas and oil, put fresh oil/gas in, pull the fuse to the ignition, and turn the key and have the starter turn the engine over for a bit without actually starting up. That will allow time for oil to lubricate the engine's upper moving parts without experiencing the same amount of wear it would if you were to just start it and go.
Just sitting the oil is not going to cause "sludge", unless you have sludge in the engine already. What "can" happen, is if you havent changed the oil regualry and the deposits sits in the oil pan and then the oil could get sludgy, but modern oils are nowhere near what they were back in say the 60s.
I've ripped apart motors that have sat with oil oil for them in years and seen them develop an orange, slimy good inside due to condensation and acids in the oil. While I always recommend changing the oil before parking a car long term.
yes the engine can develop sludge from sitting for long periods of time. condensation, along with any deposits that were in the oil when the car was put down all contribute to the problem. even modern cars can suffer, though to a lesser extent.
the car will run better as the old fuel is eliminated from the system. as far as the sludge build up goes, change the oil and use a good synthetic oil to remove the sludge. this might take a couple of oil changes. keep in mind that you might develop oil leaks in the process of cleaning out the sludge build up.
Take a page out of the farm book, where harvest equipment can run one month out of the year and be stored the rest. Change the oil, drain the fuel tank, fog the cylinders, put the battery on a maintainer and bag the intake and exhaust.
Take a page out of the farm book, where harvest equipment can run one month out of the year and be stored the rest. Change the oil, drain the fuel tank, fog the cylinders, put the battery on a maintainer and bag the intake and exhaust.
Excellent. Thank you.
Never ceases to amaze me that the average Jane or Joe will park a car in the yard. Leave if for a year or two and then wonder why the brakes are screwed up and wonder why it does not run right. And also smells of mice urine.
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