What Causes a Car to Fail to Start After Prolonged Inactivity?
1 Answers
The reason a car fails to start after prolonged inactivity is due to battery depletion and gasoline deterioration. For long-term parking, it is necessary to start the car periodically or disconnect the black negative cable of the battery to prevent complete battery discharge. Reasons why a car cannot operate after prolonged inactivity: Battery depletion: The battery cannot power the starter motor, ignition coil, or fuel pump. In this case, an external battery is needed to jump-start the car. Gasoline deterioration: Gasoline has a shelf life of about one month. After three to four months, the gasoline actually evaporates and deteriorates, requiring the engine oil to be replaced. Precautions for long-term car inactivity: Pay attention to the "four fluids": The "four fluids" mainly refer to engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, and windshield washer fluid. Among these, engine oil is the most critical. Even if unopened, engine oil undergoes slow oxidation. Starting a car after prolonged inactivity is a significant challenge. When a car is left unused for a long time, most of the engine oil drains back to the oil pan, leaving the upper parts severely lacking oil film protection. During the restart process, the engine experiences severe dry friction, which is when the most wear occurs. Therefore, it is especially important to monitor the condition of the engine oil. Ensure sufficient battery charge: Even if the car is not used, the battery slowly discharges. If left inactive for too long, the battery may deplete to the point where it cannot start the car. If the car is left unused for more than two months, it is best to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery (only the negative terminal; the positive terminal does not need to be touched). Chassis precautions: First, maintain proper tire pressure. To prevent localized tire deformation during prolonged parking, the car should be parked on a flat surface, and the tire pressure should be slightly increased—around 2.8 BAR for both front and rear tires. Second, a thorough chassis inspection is essential. Check for oil leaks in areas such as the CV joints, transmission, shock absorbers, and oil pan. If leaks are found, they should be addressed before long-term parking. Rust prevention is critical: Rust prevention mainly applies to damaged paint on the car body. Even minor paint damage, if left untreated, can lead to rust spreading and potentially corroding through the metal. If rust spots are present, they should be covered with toothpaste or a touch-up pen to prevent further expansion. This is an important step before long-term parking.
