Q: I need to pass smog test.

asked by on January 13, 2016

I am wanting to restart a car that has sat for 5 years. I am not sure if there was any gas in the tank before the battery went dead? Of course the car is dead and needs a new battery. I am just trying to determine if the car is worth repairing at this point.

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Hello. When a vehicle sits for this long there can be a number of issues keeping it from starting and running right. You do need to replace the battery, and you should replace all of the fluids before starting it and driving it. The fuel will also be bad and may have begun to sludge up in the fuel system. All you can do at first is drain the fuel tank by removing it and then trying to start it. In some cases the fuel lines and injectors will need to be replaced or cleaned, but not always. Even after completing these steps you may have some serious problems with the engine or transmission that cannot be determined until you actually get the vehicle running. You should get some assistance of a certified mechanic that can look the vehicle over first, like one from YourMechanic.

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