Hey guys I have a TH manual magna. It hasn't been started in about 7 months, I have put 20L of fresh fuel, it's cranking fine but just doesn't turn over. I can hear the exhaust sometimes as if it's about to start then just goes back to cranking to no avail. There is a fair bit of oil up around the starter motor which seemed to smoke up a little bit, but not anymore. but seems to crank fine if that eliminates something? Any help would be great, thanks heaps!

Sounds like a fuel blockage, poor quality fuel or stuffed fuel pump to me in that you say that occasionally it wants to fire but doesn't. One of the more technical people will tell you how, but I imagine there's a way of checking fuel flow to and from the fuel pump. Also, even though you've put fresh fuel in the tank what was there already has probably gone stale. You can buy bottles of fuel conditioner/revitaliser at Supercheap and Autobarn. I'd be sticking that in the tank first (as much as the bottle says for the tank's capacity) and then topping up the tank, closing the cap, and then wobbling the tail end of the car up and down to help stir the mixture up in the tank.
This might do the trick:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Fuel-Doctor-Fuel-Conditioner-275mL.aspx?pid=120027#Cross

Hey guys I have a TH manual magna. It hasn't been started in about 7 months!

Get a can of ether aka "Start-ya-Bastard" (what well named product) squirt a good 4-5 seconds worth into the intake vent which is on top the the front radiator, then crank the car, if it tries to run you have a fuel blockage - if it doesn't try to fire at all it is an electrical problem.

Get a can of ether aka "Start-ya-Bastard" (what well named product) squirt a good 4-5 seconds worth into the intake vent which is on top the the front radiator, then crank the car, if it tries to run you have a fuel blockage - if it doesn't try to fire at all it is an electrical problem.


"Start-ya-bastard" is man's best friend when it comes to starting petrol motors that refuse to fire even though they are occasionally spluttering. I have a whipper-snipper that always decides it doesn't want to go. One spray and the bastard goes! Same with the mower.

major imbalance in fuel injector flow rates

If your going to use start ya barstard, it's better to take the hose off the inlet pipe between the throttle body and the elbow

This is why I fear storing cars :(

Thanks heaps guys!! So I did what you said, start us bastard worked! But now in idle The car sounds like it wants to stall and has a weird lumpy sound to it from the exhaust, kinda like a wrx lol. Before it stalls it just randomly accelerates by itself and then stops. Then does it again before it stalls. Sometimes it stalls though. Driving the car it's pretty much normal through the gears and stuff. Just on idle, it revs out fine..

The car sounds like it wants to stall and has a weird lumpy sound to it from the exhaust

Sounds like your car isn't running all cylinders which would match the need for Start-ya thingy to get it to go.

Best to get the injectors cleaned and flow tested, one or more sounds like it is blocked.

Would it affect the performance of the car though if it wasn't running on all cylinders? Because it revs out fine and hasn't lost power. It's the idle, and the sound of the exhaust (only in idle) when it opens up it sounds normal..

One (or more) of the injectors may be taking a lot longer to open than it should. At idle when pulse widths are narrow, it may not be delivering enough fuel; at larger throttle openings the fuel delivery would still be short of what it should be but the difference will be much less and to some extent the fuel trims will cover the deficiency.

One (or more) of the injectors may be taking a lot longer to open than it should. At idle when pulse widths are narrow, it may not be delivering enough fuel; at larger throttle openings the fuel delivery would still be short of what it should be but the difference will be much less and to some extent the fuel trims will cover the deficiency.

Great explanation and probably a good lead.