subject says it all... should I do anything before starting the car - put oil somewhere, or take it out... fuel, coolant, etc?

I hope I was smart and didn't engage the parking brake.

oh, and my battery died with the alarm on - is it going to go off as soon as I put power to the car because the hood will be unlatched?

thanks
-Brian

 

check engine bay for rat nests.

 

Sell it to someone who will use it more....


From what I understand, you really don't need to "do" anything. The alarm may go off but so what...

I would assume you would need to do the typical "warm up" period and keep it under 3K rpm until normal operating temp.

 

Definately check for critters or chew marks on your hoses, roll your car back and check for any leaking fluids, check all your levels.

This is probably overkill, but if that was my car, I'd probably change the oil since its been sitting around; its only 5 bucks if you buy by the case...filter should still be good. Car should start normally....let it idle until it's at operating temperature, so it will give some time for the new oil to work itself in...hopefully you have close to an empty gas tank....fill up and run a premix if you dont do that already to get rid of any small deposits that could have accumulated. If you need to jumpstart your car, let your car idle for 10-15 minutes, so your alternator can recharge your drained battery.