Mobile Wildlife Area Could Still Be Fit for the Road, Not Toads

Dear Car Talk:

Ihave a 2003 Pontiac Bonneville that has not been driven since the March 2020 arrival of COVID-19. Long story short:

It has 66,000 (accident-free) miles on the odometer and should have lots of around-town miles left.

It was well-maintained and running fine until it was parked in a back lot three years ago but won’t start now. Upon investigation, a toad leaped out from the trunk and there was leafy green growth in the engine compartment.

It’s accessible for towing. I want to tow it to a mechanic to see what it needs to make it road worthy again. What do you recommend I ask the mechanic to check to get a comprehensive evaluation of its condition?

Anxious to get your reply, and thanks for your sage advice. -- Chris

Well, it needs a sign that says, “Caution, wildlife area.” And maybe a pass with a mulching lawn mower. But other than that, it may not need much of anything.

Your mechanic should begin by getting it started. If he wants to be ultra-safe, he can remove the spark plugs and squirt a shot of oil in each cylinder first. Then, with the plugs still out, he can hand turn the crankshaft a few times to get the rings moving and cylinder walls lubricated.

After that, he can put a good battery in it and fire it up. If it runs, he’ll know pretty quickly from any noises, smells or fumes whether anything else is seriously amiss.

If it doesn’t run, he’ll have to do some detective work and figure out whether it’s lacking fuel, spark or both.

It’s possible that rodents chewed through some wires or dined on a crucial sensor connection. Or maybe the fuel pump relay is rusted and stuck in the open position. Given the vintage of this car -- and the fact that it was running well when you parked it -- it shouldn’t take him too long to figure out what’s keeping it from starting. Regardless, once he gets it started, he should test drive the car, to be sure the brakes are working well and that there are no snakes under the front seat looking for those toads. Then, he should check all the key systems -- brakes, steering, exhaust, cooling, etc. -- before he returns the car to you.

Then you drive it around, Chris, and see if you notice anything else misbehaving. You may not.