Starting problems after the winter lay up

[John M]

My Renault 4 GTL doesn't get a lot of use and I will not take it out on roads with salt on them so this usually means the poor old car doesn't get any attention during the winter.

Come the start up this year it just wouldn't start. This is most unusual. Eventually I did get it to start but running rough. Whilst proding and poking I got a bit of a tingle from the HT leads so even if this was not the cause I thought I might as well change all the HT bits. spark plugs, points, distributor cap, HT leads. It still wouldn't start. Off with the airfilter and a dribble of fuel straight down the carburettor and I got 2 seconds of running. Got to be a fuel problem then. Carb off and cleaned out and still no go.

Then the light eventually dawned. With my outboard motor for the boat I always have to put new fuel in at the start of the season or it just will not go even though the motor is only 2 seasons old.
Carburettor off again and cleaned out and new fuel poured into the float chamber. The result. Immediate start and running just like it used to.

Just to be sure I rigged up a temporary supply and fed the supply from the pump into a spare fuel can. It runs really well now but what do I do with the old fuel?

 

[André4Renaults]

Fuel "goes off" more quickly than it did when leaded fuel was around, although I'm not suggesting leaded fuel is reintroduced! My lawnmower used to suffer the same problem every spring, until I made a point of running it dry before laying it up for the winter months. Perhaps you ought to run the fuel level very low before you stop using it and then fill it with fresh fuel before you start using it again.

As to the disposal of old fuel, my local authority tip accepts it, as well as old engine oil, so it might be worth a try. Failing that, ask your local "classic friendly" garage for advice.

 

[John M]

I have disposed of my old fuel all 15 litres of it at the local reclamation centre and put some nice clean fuel in. I used the car's fuel pump to empty the tank and once emptied I ran some new fuel through just to be sure. All now is sweetness and light. The old car has never run so well. Smooth, quiet and better acceleration. In other words there is some now. Of course you never stop with an old car and I noticed the offside rear shock absorber is now clunking so I guess I had better start looking for some rear gas shocks.

 

[Simon Knight]

Hi John, I am also looking for some rear gas shocks for a GTL, if you find somewhere that has some can you let me know please?

Cheers Simon.

 

[John M]

Will do Simon.