Question: Cleaning a really nasty engine bay?

[Fallout]

Ok this may be a stupid question and i'm relatively sure that this is safe to do but better safe then sorry. My engine bay is embarassingly dirty and today I took the spark plug and IM covers off and it's seriously just nasty all over.

Question is this: If I pressure wash under my hood will it foul anything or do I have to clean all the surfaces by hand?

[thechromecoyote]

The only thing a pressure washer should be used on is your wheels.

Just cover the electrical stuff with baggies and give the whole engine a spray down with simple green or some engine degreaser. I like the new stuff from black magic bc it really shines!

Use a brush on the dirtier parts if needed, but let the stuff sit a minute to loosen all the grease and dirt and whatnot.

Grab a hose and just spray the cleaning product off with a light spray. Its about coating, not pressure.

When its dry, touch up the plastic parts/ hoses with some armor all and you are good to go.

[Fallout]

Well that is a really helpful post. Still, grease isnt really the main problem under my hood. There is literally dirt and gravel in all the nooks and crannies and flat surfaces and i'm just wondering if it's cool to blast that stuff out. I knew I wasn't gonna be cleaning oil and stuff off with a pressure washer, lol.

[thechromecoyote]

compressed air canister would work for that kind of loose stuff.

[thechromecoyote]

but to answer a very low pressure setting wont do much damage. Id just avoid it around electrical stuff.

[oogy-boogy]

Don't ever spray down a warm engine bay. You're asking for stains. Let it cool.

1 - Spray the bay with a hose (cover SRI's with a bag)
2 - Spray down with Simple Green
3 - Brush under hood, engine bay, etc with a soft brush
4 - rinse with hose
5 - repeat



Let it dry and you're all set. It'll take you 5 minutes. If you do it at every wash you'll minimize the time spent. My engine bay still looked brand new when I sold my EP after 5+ years of New England driving.

[Chazwick05]

Don't ever spray down a warm engine bay. You're asking for stains. Let it cool.

1 - Spray the bay with a hose (cover SRI's with a bag)
2 - Spray down with Simple Green
3 - Brush under hood, engine bay, etc with a soft brush
4 - rinse with hose
5 - repeat



Let it dry and you're all set. It'll take you 5 minutes. If you do it at every wash you'll minimize the time spent. My engine bay still looked brand new when I sold my EP after 5+ years of New England driving.



:yeahthat: and if you do this towards the beginning of your car wash endeavor, then the bay will be all dry and sparkling by the time you finish washing the rest of your car :mcool:

[T_Virus]

I think I need to do this too but I don't know what exactly to cover besides my air filter on the cai...

[Gargola]

Very good tips,I would like to add one.

Even with just a hose and a nozzle, stay away from the condenser/radiator fins.

[Fallout]

Thanks for the info guys! Why are you saying to stay away from the fans? Easy to short out?

[thetunersource]

i get my steam cleaner, wrap up the electronic elements as best as you can, have at it, and then dont start your car until it is entirely dry... if your in the socal area, ill be more than happy to help you, i do it all the time.

[Fallout]

Well I took it to a carwash today. To re-clarify: My car only has ~65k miles on it and the engine bay wasn't all oiled up or anything (a little here and there on the valve cover probably from filling) but there was dirt and gravel and shit all over everything (probably because my splash guard is MIA). I used packing tape to cover the plugs that were clearly visible, making sure to cover the WHOLE harness not just where they plug together but also where the wires go into the plug itself. I put a bag over my CAI filter (I wasn't worried that it was gonna get wet but I just cleaned the filter out and I didnt want filthy ass water running over it). I let the car cool completely. I should also probably mention again that I have my spark plug and IM covers off. I pressure washed it all over (not point blank all over but close enough to get off some stubborn stuff). I only passed over the coil packs for the plugs like twice and not close range although I imagine it would be pretty hard to get enough water in there to mess something up. I was just careful since I taped over all the other electrical. I used a damp rag to wipe any junk off the valve cover from spillage, took my tape off the electrical stuff and I was done. Thing looks bling now, maybe i'll post a pic in a bit, lol. Thanks for all the input guys!

[Gargola]

Thanks for the info guys! Why are you saying to stay away from the fans? Easy to short out?

What I meant was the actual radiator and the condenser.

I been to car washes and have observed people pointing the high pressure nozzle right up against the radiator, while trying to remove bugs and the such, but instead bending the fins in the process.

[FoReVaPmP]

Well I took it to a carwash today. To re-clarify: My car only has ~65k miles on it and the engine bay wasn't all oiled up or anything (a little here and there on the valve cover probably from filling) but there was dirt and gravel and shit all over everything (probably because my splash guard is MIA). I used packing tape to cover the plugs that were clearly visible, making sure to cover the WHOLE harness not just where they plug together but also where the wires go into the plug itself. I put a bag over my CAI filter (I wasn't worried that it was gonna get wet but I just cleaned the filter out and I didnt want filthy ass water running over it). I let the car cool completely. I should also probably mention again that I have my spark plug and IM covers off. I pressure washed it all over (not point blank all over but close enough to get off some stubborn stuff). I only passed over the coil packs for the plugs like twice and not close range although I imagine it would be pretty hard to get enough water in there to mess something up. I was just careful since I taped over all the other electrical. I used a damp rag to wipe any junk off the valve cover from spillage, took my tape off the electrical stuff and I was done. Thing looks bling now, maybe i'll post a pic in a bit, lol. Thanks for all the input guys!



hahha nice.... :msmile: in for pics....

[Fallout]

hahha nice.... :msmile: in for pics....

I'm trying.. my EX lost our damn camera in the ocean on vacation so I gotta scrounge up a loaner, lol.

[FoReVaPmP]

I'm trying.. my EX lost our damn camera in the ocean on vacation so I gotta scrounge up a loaner, lol.

:mredface: I hate when that happens.....:mbiggrin:

[MR.Pizza]

An old Reach toothbrush comes in handy for those tight areas. :brushteeth:

[soncep]

Thanks for the info guys! Why are you saying to stay away from the fans? Easy to short out?

Fins!!! Not fans!.
He says to be carefull not to bend the fins and make your radiators less effective...

[jtyler05si]

i use a pressure washer on my car...but i dont squeeze the handle, i let it do the idle spray. i spray everything too....maybe i shouldn't do that.

[si4life]

engine brite works well too!

[mystery1]

I just cleaned mine...but mine wasnt really dirty im a freak when it comes to under my hood i gotta have it clean all the time. Im sure yours cant be that dirty i have seen some NASTY ass ones...esp ones on this site, but i wont mention no names but Esmith engine bay...i looks like cookie monster took a shyt under there....its BAD!!!

JaY

[siver-SI]

Don't ever spray down a warm engine bay. You're asking for stains. Let it cool.

1 - Spray the bay with a hose (cover SRI's with a bag)
2 - Spray down with Simple Green
3 - Brush under hood, engine bay, etc with a soft brush
4 - rinse with hose
5 - repeat



Let it dry and you're all set. It'll take you 5 minutes. If you do it at every wash you'll minimize the time spent. My engine bay still looked brand new when I sold my EP after 5+ years of New England driving.

I do mine about every other wash mine is a 02 with IL winters. This is how it looks now and I painted the covers about 4+ years ago now.

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3348/sdc10047gg6.jpg

[Fallout]

^^Haha, that's funny. It's funny because I just painted my covers exactly like that while I had mine apart cleaning under the hood.

[trogdor48430]

i gotta clean under my hood man its dirty

[fatathaland]

Generally I just use a rag, some windex, and some time to kill.

I highly recommend staying away from power washing under the hood. I did that once in my Integra and I got a CEL shortly after. Turned out I destroyed a sensor by soaking it.

The engine bay can take a spritz, bu not a hurricane, if you get what I'm saying.

[gehjl]

I gotta do mine. 45k miles and never washed it. Do i have to cover the battery as well?

[Stanz0r]

I'm trying.. my EX lost our damn camera in the ocean on vacation so I gotta scrounge up a loaner, lol.

Should've lost her in the ocean too :mangel:

[3dkahuna]

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24269&highlight=clean+engine+bay

[nizmoluvep3]

Should've lost her in the ocean too :mangel:

lol

[mikhsoj]

lol

+1

wheres the pics? i need to clean my engine bay too but there is my retrofitted fog lights.... dont know if i wanna wet those at all...

[oogy-boogy]

Do any of you actually read???

[EP-Kaos]

if you think you got water in your electrical connections just un plug them and spray them down with "water displacement 40" aka wd-40....i can't remember what the 40 means....

[RTE117]

The only way I truly ever cleaned a bay right was with time, and lots of it.

I'd start with a soak using Simple Green max strength in a warm bay.

The rest.. rags/brushes and some quality time.

[ep3drc]

thechromecoyote does pretty much wat i do im just very carefull not to get too much water in my short ram intake filter

[whitehonda]

the best thing ive found for cleaning under the hood is a product called body pro, it can be purchased from napa auto parts comes in like a windex bottle or a jug and man does it worked cleaned a engine bay that hadnt been clean in 14 years and it was amazing, way better than engine degreaser

[ep3civic2nr]

I'm a sales rep for Simple Green and The best thing to use to clean your bay is definitely Simple Green Crystal.. They use this stuff to clean the Subway trains in NYC, Tractor Trailers that drive across country.

I use simple green crystal on everything in my engine bay and it works good to get the rubber out from the fenders when you go to the track.

I donated a few things from Simple Green to the MD BBQ.

[nrengle]

I like Simple Green, but you need to remind them to dilute it correctly. The full strength stuff on a painted surface or any metal surface has been known to leave stains especially if said surface is hot. I know I've done it before when I was young and dumb!

[EpThreeD]

Scrubbing bubbles!!

[Jukka]

okay, ive always been curious about this. Why do people feel they need to cover their electrical components?? They are in the engine bay, they get wet when your driving in the rain. Every connector under the hood is weatherpacked, so why spend extra time making sure they wont get wet??? I can maybe understand if your using a pressure washer, but if your using a pressure washer to wash your car, maybe you shouldnt be washing your car.

[LLH]

chemical guys green clean, google it ;)

[EpThreeD]

Scrubbing bubbles!!