Is this advisable to clean?

[casperfun]

I notice that the plastic intake tube leading to the engine air filter is dirty. The opening is kinda rectangular and mine seems dirty inside. Has anybody disassembled this for cleaning and is it worth the trouble? Seems that is can snap out of place but I don't wish to break anything.

In other words should I clean it?

[Leo2005]

Any dirt would be nice to clean including engine. I usually go to car wash once a month to clean everything under my hood with power wash. If the engine is clean it is not just looks better but helps perform better and control temperature (not sure about that for 100% but makes me happier )

[kerrton]

Well yeah if you're careful it doesn't hurt to clean out that conduit. But I would really hesitate and carefully consider spraying a powerful jet of water into our engine compartment. The main concern is electrical components such as your alternator, I definately wouldn't want to the alternator wet. You may get away with it for a time or two, but over time electrical components that get wet will corrode and fail prematurely.

I am the first to admit I am no expert on everything under the hood so I wouldn't blast away with a jet of water unless I was completely familiar with all the components and I would ensure critical electricals were covered with plastic to keep them dry. Leo, I agree a clean engine is a good thing, but I sure don't want people taking this the wrong way and going wild with spraying water into the engine compartment and potentially damaging things, or at the very least corroding electrical components over a series of washes.

[TonyJohn]

I'd suggest having a Nissan dealer (used car department) perform a complete engine detailing. That way, you know it will be done correctly and if there IS a screw-up and something gets damaged by water, then it's the dealer's fault!

I have occasionally seen some Nissan dealers that do not do engine cleaning, for whatever reason, and apparently outsource their used car detailing needs.

If you run into that scenario, then I suggest a good professional car wash/detailing company. I use one here in SoCal and haven't had any problems with engine cleanings, for years.

[DanTheMan]

I always clean under the hood. My '04 Sienna looks almost brand new. Most people that see it can't believe how clean it is! I typically will use a soft stream of water for the compartment areas. I really like how Meguiers Ultimate Quick Detailer spruces things up. As indicated above, as long as you are careful, there won't be any issues. If you begin to clean under the hood from the beginning, it shouldn't get that dirty to where a pressure washer is needed.

Cheers!

[Elton Noway]

I notice that the plastic intake tube leading to the engine air filter is dirty. The opening is kinda rectangular and mine seems dirty inside. Has anybody disassembled this for cleaning and is it worth the trouble? Seems that is can snap out of place but I don't wish to break anything.

In other words should I clean it?

Hi Casper... its seems everyone is missing your preliminary questions. The question isn't so much should you clean under the hood... but rather... has anyone disassembled the intake tube... does it just snap in and out... can it be done without breaking anything... is it worth the trouble?

Is it worth the trouble? Actually its not much trouble at all.
Is it worth the effort? That depends on how much of a fanatic you are about a clean engine bay.

It actually comes out fairly easy and Yes... you can do it without breaking anything. When first looking at the prospect of removing it... the only unknown was how the clips holding the front of the tube function. Are they removable? (ans. Yes) Will they break? (ans. No) Are they a one shot clip? (ans. No) Can they be reused? (ans. Yes) Are they easy to remove? (ans. Yes) These pics should help:

Location of three snap retaining pins/clips/b]


Carefully work a blade under the head of the pin and fift Up. NOTE: The Pin only comes up about 1/4 inch then the whole pin and capture assembly lifts out as shown in the third photo.


Pin Closeup... the assembly simply expands as the pin is depressed... and contracts (releases) when the pin is lifted up.


As to the cleaning... I use a garden hose to "gently" wet down an really dirty areas being careful never to hose down any electronics or shoot water into any openings. FYI: Normal driving in heavy rains and flooded streets can result in some water splashing up into the engine compartment so I'm not freaked out about using a little gentle water to rinse off the inside fender wells, firewall etc. However, if you detail the engine compartment everytime you detail your car you should never have to do anything as serious as pressure washing. As a general rule, I don't recommend using a pressure washer or using one of those high pressure engine cleaning wands found a do it yourself car washes. If your engine ever gets so dirty that you might consider pressure washing... you wil lbe much better off finding a dealership, car detailer or truck stop that has and used a Steam Jenny to clean engine. The steam cleans really well , gets into the nooks and crannies, and does it without flooding sensitive areas. It can make an engine look new.

If you've never seen a steam cleaning before check out this clip. Its not a real exciting video but you'll get the concept:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdrtQmOI ... re=related