engine wash
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versa071979
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:18 am
- Car: 07 versa
engine wash
anyone out there have any good advice on how to get the engine compartment nice and clean i do alot of highway driving so i get alot of sand and salt under the hood any good tips would be great
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feloniousmonk
- Posts: 490
- Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:51 pm
Re: (versa071979)
Steam clean can be done professionally by auto detailers. Or you can do it yourself if you have one of those household steam cleaners you see advertised in TV infomercials. Steam cleaning is not necessary. You can wash it yourself with:
1. simple green diluted with water in a squirt bottle.2. a brush to work loose dirt and grime.
Work in the sun or place with a lot of airflow. Cover and waterproof the battery and other vulnerable electrical components (common sense, yes?), then mist down the engine bay with water. Never use high pressure or douse the engine bay with water. Spray your diluted simple green solution and use the brush to lightly scrub loose any dirt and grime. Rinse off with hose on mist or low pressure. Let drip or air dry for a few minutes. You don't have to wait for it to dry completely, just enough so that there aren't any pools of water that could cause shorts across electrical connections. Uncover the battery etc. and go drive it for a bit; the heat from the engine will dry everything out.
FYI, many components in the engine bay are coated at the factory (cosmoline?) to help protect them from the elements. Washing with the method I described (steam cleaning too) will strip away that protective coating. If you live in a area where they salt roads in the winter, I would not wash the engine bay. In those cases, just use a wet rag and wipe away dirt from the engine bay and engine cover but leave the engine itself alone.
1. simple green diluted with water in a squirt bottle.2. a brush to work loose dirt and grime.
Work in the sun or place with a lot of airflow. Cover and waterproof the battery and other vulnerable electrical components (common sense, yes?), then mist down the engine bay with water. Never use high pressure or douse the engine bay with water. Spray your diluted simple green solution and use the brush to lightly scrub loose any dirt and grime. Rinse off with hose on mist or low pressure. Let drip or air dry for a few minutes. You don't have to wait for it to dry completely, just enough so that there aren't any pools of water that could cause shorts across electrical connections. Uncover the battery etc. and go drive it for a bit; the heat from the engine will dry everything out.
FYI, many components in the engine bay are coated at the factory (cosmoline?) to help protect them from the elements. Washing with the method I described (steam cleaning too) will strip away that protective coating. If you live in a area where they salt roads in the winter, I would not wash the engine bay. In those cases, just use a wet rag and wipe away dirt from the engine bay and engine cover but leave the engine itself alone.
Re: engine wash (versa071979)
Cover anything "important" with a plastic shopping bag. This could be the alternator, air filter, and any exposed wire.
Secondly buy some engine degreaser and liberally spray your engine bay with it (follow the directions on where to and where not to spray it!)
Wait the time noted on the bottle.
Rinse with water, again, avoiding wires, coil packs, and air filter.
Wait for it to completely dry, or take a leaf blower.
You will notice that there is no more grease but the plastics and the hoses kind of look dull. If you go to any store that sells automotive detailing products you should be able to find a product made by turtle wax called F21. Can't miss it comes in a bright green spray bottle.
Spray the F21 onto a cloth and apply where needed (hoses, plastics, wherever) it's perfectly safe because its not flammable.
Good luck
Secondly buy some engine degreaser and liberally spray your engine bay with it (follow the directions on where to and where not to spray it!)
Wait the time noted on the bottle.
Rinse with water, again, avoiding wires, coil packs, and air filter.
Wait for it to completely dry, or take a leaf blower.
You will notice that there is no more grease but the plastics and the hoses kind of look dull. If you go to any store that sells automotive detailing products you should be able to find a product made by turtle wax called F21. Can't miss it comes in a bright green spray bottle.
Spray the F21 onto a cloth and apply where needed (hoses, plastics, wherever) it's perfectly safe because its not flammable.
Good luck
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BBISHOPPCM
- Posts: 1074
- Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:38 pm
- Car: '06 Nissan Murano S AWD w/ Convenience Pkg
Re: engine wash (CodeRed)
I have owned and repaired rougly 14 vehicles, and from personal experience, engine degreasers are not a good choice for vehicles with plastics and painted surfaces under the hood. Engine degreasers tend to discolor plastics, hoses, and wiring, and are totally unnecessary unless the engine is literally COVERED in oil and greasy substances. I use diluted Simple Green for REALLY dirty engines, and wash it all off with a pressure washer. Ideally, steam cleaning is the best way to go, but you may also have success with a simple garden hose and a good nozzle. Depending on how dirty your engine is.