car wont start after stood for long time

[toollshell]

Hello

After the car has been parked up for a long time tried to start it with good battery and wont start! just turns and turns and turns no chance of fire (full throttle and choke, though it was a good starter last time had it running)

Matty with shop at end of road says that after a while the alcohol and the petrol split in the tank and this is causing the problem why cars parked up for a while wont start

Any surgestions on getting it fired up for the firs time please (please no more "easy star" surgetions please)

Thanks

[Gary C]

What car ?

How long ?

It could be anything.

Can you smell petrol in the exhaust?

[Riley Blue]

FWIW, a few days ago mine started on fuel that's been in the tank since last October.

How long has yours been standing? Is there a spark? Is the fuel pump working?

[healeyneil]

What’s wrong with easy start ?

[Sebring440]

toollshell said:

Matty with shop at end of road says that after a while the alcohol and the petrol split in the tank and this is causing the problem why cars parked up for a while wont start

What sort of "shop" does Matty have? Sunbeds?

Tell us what sort of car you have. That would be a start. If the car is relatively modern and has fuel injection, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Sebring440 said:

toollshell said:

Matty with shop at end of road says that after a while the alcohol and the petrol split in the tank and this is causing the problem why cars parked up for a while wont start

What sort of "shop" does Matty have? Sunbeds?

Tell us what sort of car you have. That would be a start. If the car is relatively modern and has fuel injection, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.

Do fuel injection engines have a choke?

[toollshell]

Gary C said:

What car ?

How long ?

It could be anything.

Can you smell petrol in the exhaust?

austin metrro mk1
about a year

[toollshell]

Riley Blue said:

Is there a spark? Is the fuel pump working?

what is that?

[toollshell]

healeyneil said:

What’s wrong with easy start ?

knackers the cylender head and piston rings

[toollshell]

Sebring440 said:

What sort of "shop" does Matty have? Sunbeds?

Tell us what sort of car you have. That would be a start. If the car is relatively modern and has fuel injection, it's likely the fuel pump has seized.

camper van body shop
Austin metro MK1

And what makes you think the fuel pump is seized?

[Turbobanana]

Is there a smell of petrol when you try it?

If yes, try putting the choke in and turning it over. It'll clear the carburetor if it's flooding with fuel. The engine may try to start but won't because the choke is in. Do this 3 or 4 times to make sure the carburetor is clear of fuel, then pull the choke out and try it again.

If no smell of fuel, the fuel pump may have failed.

Good luck!

[Rough101]

Get the plugs out, then turn over, as it may be flooded with fuel with a lot of cranking with the choke on.

With no smell of fuel, look at the fuel pump.

With a smell of fuel, check for a spark at the plugs.

[Rich1973]

The fuel pump is mechanical, driven off the engine on these. Its very simple being an a series engine. Check the distributor cap and rotor arm as well as the points gap.
Fuel and spark is all you need. Easy enough to check for both.

[austina35]

Points or condensor. Points have properly seized together

[Doofus]

Nobody who bought a 40+year old car in the last twelve months has so little technical knowledge.

I call troll. Or stuck carb float.

[Gary C]

toollshell said:

Riley Blue said:

Is there a spark? Is the fuel pump working?

what is that?

To be honest, if you don't know what a fuel pump is, I think your going to struggle to sort this out.

[Dave.]

[ferret50]

Cannot remember if my 1957 A35 had a mechanical fuel pump, but certainly the following 1967 850 mini had an SU electric fuel pump as did all the following A series engined cars that I owned!
Often applying a hitting stick to said electric pump would wake it up.....for a while.....

[austin]

Rig up a small container of fresh petrol to bypass the fuel tank. Ideally just before the fuel pump.

As mentioned above, modern petrol "goes off" fairly quickly and makes for poor starting and very lumpy running on older cars.

[Metric Max]

[quote=austin]Rig up a small container of fresh petrol to bypass the fuel tank. Ideally just before the fuel pump.

As our learned OP doesn't know what a fuel pump is that may be a challenge!