So my parts car, a 92 Mazda protégé lx, has been sitting for 4+ years (it did run when i parked it) with a full tank that was treated with stable. I am moving it, pLanning on having 4 people push it, this evening, but happen to have a charged battery for it. I know that it shouldn't be driven with a new fuel filter, plugs, timing belt, oil change and at least cheking over the hoses and all rubber components before driving, but it only needs to go 60 ft, so if it starts I'm puttering it there.
So what does the hive say, without anything other than cranking, will it start?
(I'm betting no, but think that it's a fun game to play).
I'd vote for pull the plugs, squirt a little bit of thin oil in the cylinders. Let it sit for a few minutes, then crank it to blow out the excess. Re-install plugs and fire it up.
It's going to come down to if there's any Stabil in the injectors.
Keith Tanner wrote:
It's going to come down to if there's any Stabil in the injectors.
and if the local rodent population discovered the engine wiring or not.
I parked an old buick for about five years and when I popped the hood to get it running I had boots on the plugs and boots on the distributor but no trace of the Accel 8.8 wires between.
In reply to ultraclyde:
Location A where it was stored for 2 years had a large groundhog population, some field mive, but hawks took car of most of them as it was in a fairly flat open gravel lot. Location B where it was for about 6 months has a heavy rat infestation, it was kept on jack stands wrapped in honda's rat tape during that time. Location C, for about a year, was indoors with no rodent issues. Under hood doesn't show any visible rodent concerns, but it doesn't take much to take out a small ground of vacuum line. I'm saying a roughly 10% chance of rodent issue.
Put me down for "It'll start" 
Tyler H
SuperDork
8/11/16 11:54 a.m.
Japanese car...always start. One of the first features in the early war against domestics.
mndsm
MegaDork
8/11/16 12:04 p.m.
Im im for the gonna start camp.
It'll start, but you might want to look on/under the air filter to avoid mice nests being sucked in.
My money is on starting with no issues
When you do start it you have to get a video to prove it really happened.
Cotton
UberDork
8/11/16 12:43 p.m.
It'll start with just that charged battery I'll bet. 4 years is nothing imo and I wouldn't pull the plugs for that.
In reply to fireball123:
If it starts I'll get video of it running. I'll want use the battery inflator to inflate 2 of the tires first. But there will be video.
It'll start. I let my 66 Pontiac sit for two years once and it started no problem. A modern ish fuel injected car? No problem.
I like to think positively, it will start.
ive always had the mindset that all engines want to run, some just need more motivation then others sometimes
i vote 'yes'
It will start. Just be careful to not let it die right away, or it may flood and wash the rings and be really hard to restart.
