Q: Car sputtered and stalled after sitting

asked by on January 22, 2016

The car sat for almost seven months. I jumpstarted it and drove it for about two miles when it began to sputter and stall. I revved the engine to 3000 RPMs for about two minutes, put it in gear, and the car stalled. Now, it will not start.

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After that amount of time, the first thing I would check is the fuel quality. Water could have condensed in the tank. The fuel itself could have separated. Most fuel now has 10% ethanol. Gas and ethanal separate over time. Ethanol by itself does not protect against corrosion. This means your fuel tank could have stated rusting on the inside. That could clog filters, damage the fuel pump, or rusted injectors. There are other possibilities as well but taking a fuel sample, or draining the tank would be my first guess. A qualified mechanic from YourMechanic would be happy to come out and diagnose your car’s stalling issue.

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