RECOMMISSIONING YOUR AUSTIN SEVEN

DID YOU LAY UP YOUR AUSTIN 7 FOR A FEW MONTHS? Here is the recommissioning guide for your Austin Seven.

Petrol: Make sure you refill the tank with fresh petrol as this will help to get the car started and running better. Don’t forget it will take time for the petrol to get from the tank to the carburettor. If you did not drain the tank you may find the petrol has gone off and may cause the engine to run badly.

Water: If you drained the system remember to add antifreeze when you refill the radiator even though it is the summer soon it will help to protect the radiator and engine. Or just double check that you still have water in the radiator with sufficient antifreeze and it has not gradually leaked out.
Oil: Oil will deteriorate over time so now would be a good time to drain and put in fresh oil. If the car has not been used for a long time, also use the starting handle to get some oil circulated before starting the engine.
Engine: Double check the engine bay and make sure you have not had mice in the garage and everything is all connected and no rusted connections.

Tyres: Check the tyre pressure, you may have over inflated to prevent flat spots or they may have lost air since the car was last used.

Battery: Hopefully your battery will have survived its lack of use or you have keep it charged up. But it is likely that it may have deteriorated a bit. Check the acid levels.

Insurance and Tax: If you decided to uninsure or SORN your car make sure you reinsure and tax your car before you go out.