General Low miles garage find - how to bring it back to life

[Prof Quatermass]

OK here's the skinny:

A mate at work happened to mention that his mother-in-law had a "little Fiat" in her garage she wanted rid of. I said I might be interested and dropped by to see what she had.

Turns out to be a black Cinquecento Sporting in black.
The car, which has been kept in a dry garage, has had one owner and is absolutely pristine (apart from an inch of dust from her garage). It's done less than 20,000 miles and everything is standard. I haven't seen anything so clean in years. It still has the original bill of sale!

She used to bring it out the garage and start the engine once a month but hasn't done so for some time. I reckon the engine may not have been turned over for three years. Not sure if the handbrake was on or not.

We've just started talking money. She just wants rid and is prepared to sell for a couple of hundred quid so I reckon we are looking at a deal.

My question: what should I do to bring the car out of its enforced hibernation? Once upon a time I'd have whipped out the spark plugs, squirted Redex down the bores and turned it over.
A mate just suggested bunging on a battery and cranking it over but I don't want to wreck the thing.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[slugworth1987]

run some oil down the plug holes and turn her over by hand get the oil round the pistons, the batt will be dead all fluids and filters dead, tyres dead make sure she cranks by hand before trying to fire her.

if you determin it will turn over get her home as quickly and shortly as possible dump the oil and gearbox oil coolant brake fluid fuel and all filters flush the coolant system run some redex and engine flush with it and then start from there

good find though well done!

 

[slugworth1987]

look out for dead brake pads, clutch and throttle cables could be dry aswel so be gentle with them once you have changed the above post and BELTS (sorry didnt see it was a 1108) it should be an awsome little car, cables can be lubed with 10/40 engine oil dripped into them, or replaced clutch could be brittle? (might be wrong) hopefully the seals wouldnt of given out on anything once you have new fluids let her idle for a while until its warm and make sure she runs right with a high idle max 3000rpm check for leaks etc then take her to the MOT garage and let them tell you whats wrong with it. stoneacher have 1/2 price MOT's on atm

 

[Prof Quatermass]

Thanks that's the way I was thinking. Hopefully the clutch will be OK. It isn't far from my home so I can probably nurse her a couple of miles...

 

[Prof Quatermass]

By the way, how can I crank the engine by hand?

 

[slugworth1987]

jack her up on one wheel put into 5th and turn the front wheel OR off the pulley with a ratchet driver

 

[Prof Quatermass]

Got it! Thanks, it's a long time since I've had to get my hands dirty...

 

[andys cinq]

What a result for u i got the cinq that was put on here for free and that hadnt been run in 3 years and all i did was jump it with my booster pack and drove it straight back to my garage put it in for mot and it went straight thru...i covered 16 miles with no problems and all i did was give it a good service and checkover and change the gearbox as it had a tiny hole in the bell housing and now 6 months on it hasnt missed a beat and i use it everyday

 

[Prof Quatermass]

I'll be delighted if I can do the same. It all looks perfect but I think a fluids change should be in order and a good lube of all the cables etc.
Can't believe you got one for free!!

 

[rallycinq]

If you have the plugs out to put oil in the bores, leave them out and you should be able to turn the engine with a socket or spanner on the crank pulley with ease.

Lifting a wheel won't work, or more to the point, if it does work the diff is seized.

Cheers

D

 

[slugworth1987]

Oh yeah blooming diffs forgot about that was thinking of motorbikes and what I did...

 

[Dragon Man]

great find slugworth, i wish i could get that happen to me!

 

[allanhelen]

Other option to turn it over is put in gear and rock the car (if the brakes aren't stuck on that is)

 

[hf turbo]

Lifting a wheel won't work, or more to the point, if it does work the diff is seized.

Cheers

D[/QUOTE]

why wont this work mate?

 

[vatza]

Because the that's what the diff do - if the one wheel is spining freely , the other will be still.So , no engine turnover at that moment.You can do as RallyCinq says, or lift BOTH front wheels put into gear , and then spin the wheels by hand to turnover the engine

 

[hf turbo]

the diff give you drive to the wheel yes, but if a gear is engaged it will turn the engine also. if you lift both wheels up wont you loose resitance and just make both wheels turn rather than just the engine?

unles it has lsd fitted