Hello everyone, First off let me say that I thank ALL of you whom have put together such detailed and informative information on how to and what to about performing an oil change on a 348 !! After scouring many of the threads I feel very confident that I can perform my own oil change now and have ordered the correct kit from Ricambi. However, in my searches of this topic I feel I have missed a thread somewhere about performing an oil change after a car has been sitting idle for OVER 1 YEAR without running. Last April I had to move away for work suddenly. I had to leave my poor Ezmarelda (1989 348 TS) in my garage (not climate controlled, but garage is under the house, attached) in Pennsylvania to sit. She has been on Jack Stands, covered and on a battery tender for the past year and has NOT been turned over since April 2012. In all of the posts I have read so far, and the instructions for a regular oil change they all state that you run the engine until warm then you perform the change. I am a little nervous of starting the engine when it has been sitting so long. Can I perform the oil change when the engine is cold? Or does it not matter that I start it for this long? The last Oil change was in June of 2011 and the car has been driven LESS THAN 2000 miles since that change. Although the car was not driven, I started it and ran it at least 15-20 minutes once a week from June 2011 till April 2012. Before I left in April of 2012, I filled the gas tank and added 1 bottle of Stabile. The Oil from the last change is AGIP 2000 10W-40. Please be GENTLE with me...I know I am an ALFA PUTZOLI for letting this happen, but I have learned my lesson and if I have to leave for work again....SHE IS COMIN with ME !!! Thanks....Kevin P.S. to summarize.........Car has NOT been turned on in over 1 YEAR. I want to complete oil change....should I attempt cold oil, or does starting her after all this time not matter?
I would do it cold. There may be lots of condensation in there and I wouldn't want to mix it up. Once you change the oil, start the car but don't rev it. There may be condensation in other areas of the engine and in that case some might say start it and let it warm up and then change it. Either way might not make a difference. If you are really worried, drop it cold and replace with a mobile one oil that is cheaper, warm it up and drive it for a couple of days and then change it up again with the oil you normally use.
I'd start it and warm it up first, but I agree that you shouldn't rev it right away. It should be just fine.
