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What to Do When a Car Won't Start After Long-Term Inactivity?

2 Answers

LaCarmen

09/07/25 2:24am

Solutions for a car that won't start after long-term inactivity are as follows: 1. First, consider that the battery may be depleted due to prolonged inactivity, unable to power the starter motor, ignition coil, and fuel pump. In this case, an external battery is needed to jump-start the car. 2. Secondly, gasoline has a shelf life of only about one month. After three to four months, the gasoline may have evaporated or deteriorated, making it essentially unusable. Even if the car can be started, it should be driven to a gas station to add fresh fuel and use up the old tank. Additionally, it is necessary to replace the engine oil, as used oil can also deteriorate after five to six months. 3. If the vehicle will be inactive for an extended period, first park it in a safe location and lock it with the remote. Then, disconnect the negative terminal of the car battery. Note that after disconnecting the battery, the remote locking function will be disabled, and the key must be used to open the door when needed.

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WalkerFitz

09/18/25 8:41am

I've also experienced the issue of a car not starting after being parked for too long. That time when I returned from a three-month business trip, the car wouldn't start no matter what—clearly the battery was completely drained. I first tried jump-starting it, connecting the positive and negative terminals to a neighbor's car for about 15 minutes to charge it. The car did start but ran a bit rough, probably because the fuel line was clogged with solidified deposits. Later, I drove it to the repair shop, replaced the battery, and had the fuel tank and filter cleaned. For prevention, I now start the engine every week and let the car idle for 20 minutes or take it for a short drive to avoid leaving the battery unused for too long. In winter, extra care is needed as low temperatures can degrade battery performance faster—keeping a battery charger handy is much more reliable. For long-term storage, consider removing the battery, but don't forget to cover the engine hood to protect against dust and moisture.

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What Causes a Car to Emit Black Smoke While Driving?

Car emitting black smoke while driving is caused by: 1. Use of low-quality fuel; 2. Clogged air filter, resulting in an overly rich air-fuel mixture and insufficient oxygen supply to the engine, leading to incomplete combustion; 3. Spark plug leakage, weak high voltage, or poor sparking; 4. Poor driving habits during acceleration, insufficient cylinder pressure, or excessively low engine temperature. Solutions for a car emitting black smoke while driving include: 1. Repair or replace relevant components such as the air filter, fuel injector, valve seals, cylinder and piston assembly, and oxygen sensor; 2. Clean relevant components to prevent clogging, such as the air filter and fuel injector; 3. Change driving habits, as frequently flooring the accelerator will worsen and increase the occurrence of issues like black smoke emission.

What is the reason for the failure to switch between high and low speeds?

Possible reasons include staying in neutral for too short a time, which is the most common cause; another possibility is gear clash in the auxiliary box. Here are some additional details: 1. Inspection: If there is no high-gear start and the operation is correct, then thoroughly inspect the air pressure, air pipe, pre-selector valve, shift cylinder, auxiliary box shift fork, auxiliary box synchronizer, and auxiliary box drive gear. If no other issues are found, these can be disregarded. First, consider the shift cylinder and fuel tank synchronizer. 2. Precautions: It is recommended to switch between high and low gears only between 4th and 5th gears. Skipping gears when switching can cause severe wear on the auxiliary box synchronizer, leading to malfunctions. When parking, only park the vehicle in neutral in the low-gear range, meaning the shift lever's side knob should face downward. It is strictly prohibited to park and shut off the engine in neutral in the high-gear range, as this may cause serious malfunctions.

Is there a possibility of reversing on the highway without being caught by cameras?

It is almost impossible. According to the relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Safety Law, reversing or driving in the opposite direction on the highway not only results in a fine but also leads to a full deduction of 12 points in one instance. Below is some information about the driving test: 1. Subject 1: Road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge test. It is a written test conducted on a computer, with a full score of 100, and a passing score of 90 or above (including 90). 2. Subject 2: Field driving skills test. It is a practical test conducted in a designated area, with only pass or fail results. It includes reversing into a garage, parallel parking, S-curve driving, right-angle turning, and starting and stopping on a slope. These five items are mandatory and conducted in sequence, with a full score of 100, and a passing score of 80 or above (including 80). 3. Subject 3: Road driving skills test. It is a practical test conducted on a road or simulated area, with a full score of 100. The passing scores are 90 or above for large buses, 80 or above for large trucks, and 70 or above for other vehicle types. 4. Subject 4: Safety and civilized driving-related knowledge. It is a written test with a full score of 100, and a passing score of 90 or above (including 90).

Is a 1.5L Car Engine Sufficient?

A 1.5L car engine is sufficient as long as the vehicle is not fully loaded. Climbing hills and overtaking can be quite effortless. However, if the driver frequently travels on highways or drives on mountainous roads, it is advisable to opt for a vehicle with a larger displacement. The 1.5L designation refers to a naturally aspirated engine with a displacement of 1.5 liters. The working principle of a naturally aspirated engine is that it lacks a supercharger; air simply passes through the air filter, throttle, intake manifold, and reaches the cylinders. Gasoline is directly injected into the intake manifold via the fuel injector. The engine consists of: 1. Valve train; 2. Crankshaft and connecting rod mechanism; 3. Ignition system; 4. Cooling system; 5. Lubrication system; 6. Starting system; 7. Fuel supply system.

What causes engine knocking?

Engine knocking occurs due to the following reasons: 1. Carbon deposits in the combustion chamber; 2. Low octane rating of the fuel; 3. Incorrect ignition timing; 4. Overheating of the engine; 5. Incorrect air-fuel ratio. Solutions to engine knocking include: 1. Delaying the ignition timing; 2. Cleaning the fuel system and injectors; 3. Using qualified fuel additives; 4. Choosing fuel suitable for the engine's compression ratio; 5. Repairing or replacing the water pump. Engines are categorized by their working principles into piston engines, ramjet engines, rocket engines, and turbine engines. Their function is to convert thermal energy into mechanical energy by burning fuel in a sealed cylinder, causing the gas to expand and push the piston, thereby providing power to the vehicle.

Should the Car Air Conditioner Use Internal or External Circulation?

Whether to use internal or external circulation in a car's air conditioning depends on the situation: use internal circulation for short trips and external circulation for long trips. Internal and external circulation in cars refer to: 1. Internal circulation means the air conditioning system is closed to outside air and only recirculates the air inside the car; 2. External circulation means the car's air conditioning system is open to outside air, drawing in and circulating air from outside the car. The functions of a car's air conditioning are: 1. To cool, heat, ventilate, and purify the air inside the car; 2. To provide a comfortable environment for passengers, reduce driver fatigue, and improve driving safety.

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