[Chainblade]

well the car that I just got back is really dirty and dusty. I doubt my ex even cleaned it once. anyways, what is the best way to clean the engine compartment area? I don't need it spotless but just wanted to get the dust and dirt out of there. Like can you spray it with a hose or will water get in places that it isn't supposed to be? what cleaners should I use?

[Jishory]

do you have access to a pressure washer? like even one of those do it yourself car washes that you feed quarters, just watch out for stuff that looks delicate

[Chainblade]

Originally Posted by Jishory

do you have access to a pressure washer? like even one of those do it yourself car washes that you feed quarters, just watch out for stuff that looks delicate

i don't have a pressure washer but ya, I could go to a self service washer. so that should be fine though? I don't need to like cover anything up do I? I don't really know what parts are "delicate".

[Phant0m51]

If it looks like cheap plastic, don't blast all over it. And no you don't really have much to watch out for. Your entire engine compartment gets wet when you drive on the freeway in the rain, so it's not going to hurt anything. Probably don't want to spray directly onto the alternator though.

[Chainblade]

Originally Posted by Phant0m51

If it looks like cheap plastic, don't blast all over it. And no you don't really have much to watch out for. Your entire engine compartment gets wet when you drive on the freeway in the rain, so it's not going to hurt anything. Probably don't want to spray directly onto the alternator though.

cool, thanks. sounds like it shouldn't be a problem then. I was reading some articles where some people cover certain parts with plastic bags and stuff and i'm like uhhhhh.

[Torx]

is this a new car youre trying to clean or an old school carbureted car?

[Chainblade]

Originally Posted by Torx

is this a new car youre trying to clean or an old school carbureted car?

it's the 2003 mazda protege so I would hope it's considered new

[Torx]

i dunno about these new cars when it comes to cleaning the engine bays.
i know my car requires limited cleaning especially when using a pressure washer to NOT spray around the valve covers because water could seep and foul the coils on each spark plug.

i would get some good cleaner that isnt hard on rubber hoses and plastic, spray or soak a rag in it and hand clean the engine. If its dusty then it shouldnt be a major problem.

I hand clean my engine for the simple fact that coils are like $50.. 50x8=... yea. you get the point. not about to take a chance fucking my shit up.

if its an 03' there shouldnt be any grime on the engine block itself anyways.

[Mr. Ali]

So what exactly is the benefit of doing this? Sounds like a bunch of shit could go wrong for no reason.

[Jishory]

dude don't worry, just wash everything that looks dirty, the coin washes aren't that powerful and wont damage anything, try to get underneath too because after it dries out you'll see shit at different angles and be like damn, i wish i would have got that, stuff shouldnt be that sensitive to getting wet or something may be wrong

ali, if you work on your car, youll learn its nice to work on a clean car

[sims]

an engine degreaser like simple green is what you really need.

spraying your engine is fine. it gets exposed to water via puddles and during rain storms anyways so everything is sealed, but do use a little logic well your doing it. there are area's that well sealed you still don't want to get water in, primary the ignition system. Just try to avoid spraying down the ignition components as much as possible, but don't worry about it to much, just don't have the nozzle 2 inches from your spark plugs spraying full force to try and get some grime away.

[Diesel]

Pressure wash with a boiler type pressure washer (very hot water). Pressure is good but the hot water melts the grease and residue away. Keep the car running and spray while hot. If it starts to sputter, stay away from that spot.

you can blow out your spark plugs with a can of compressed air afterwards so the water dosn't settle in the orifices around the plugs or use shop air (way better). Most everything else will be ok. Alternators are very weather resistant as are ECU's or any other module.

For carbureted cars, cover the carb aswell as the distributor. For any car, try not to soak the air cleaner element. It's not a big deal but try to keep it dry. If worse comes to worse you may crack a vacuum line or cause a misfire so a code reader/reset tool will come in handy to reset the misfire monitor, or just drive it for a while till the misfire monitor resets therefore clearing your check engine light if need be.

I wouldn't suggest spraying any solvents because they are abrasive to certain materials and not others. Water based solutions are okay but not very effective so save your money.

For a finishing touch kill the engine, spray all over everything (plastic, belts, pipes, hoses, etc) with armor-all in a fine spray (don't worry about over-spaying it) and let sit 15 mins or so. afterwards you have a engine bay that looks as good as it ever will without too much elbow-grease.

FYI: most coin-washes are cold water supplies. If you live near a truck stop, the truck wash bays are usually hi-pressure hot water so that'd be your best bet.

Now is a good time to disconnect and clean your battery/terminals and coat with batery terminal protector (yes it does..help).

You might have some initial belt squeal but it should go away after the pulleys dry out.

There you go. I might post a video soon...