Engine bay cleaning – any ideas please ?

[Once Bitten]

 

I live in a rural location where my car gets constantly covered with dust from the surrounding red earth fields.  I can use my electrical power washer to clean the outside of the car , but the engine bay is an area that I have not attempted to yet clean , other than trying to remove the red dust with a damp rag.

 

I have been looking for a safe and practical way to clean the engine bay area , which is all ways covered with a thick layer of red dust and general grime.

 

I have watched several YouTube videos on how to clean an engine bay , mostly using a power washer. The opinions seem divided on how safe / practical it is to power wash an engine bay ( water getting into the electric/electronic components and connections )

 

 

 

I do remember some years ago being in a large Thai car dealership service area and seeing some one using some sort of high pressure spraying nozzle , that was spraying a liquid into the engine bay , then the the man started to wipe the liquid off the engine bay using what looked like cleaning rags.

 

I do personally own a power washer , but not an air compressor. I could take my car to one of the local car washing shops , but I do not trust any of them , so if possible I would prefer to do the engine bay cleaning my self.

 

So I’m wondering if any one here does clean their vehicle engine bay , and if so what method do you use.

 

Any advice or suggestion welcome

 

[Rdrokit]

Have power washed engine bays before. Immediately after washing dry all you can with a towel or chamois. Then start the engine and let it run to dry everything else. If you have an air intake for your engine under the hood make sure it is plugged up so no water gets into the engine.

[JAS21]

As it is basically just dust...

 

And having watched youtube you know to protect the air flow sensor, be careful with spark plug holes etc.

 

You could rince off initially with a hose pipe.

 

Then, if needed use a paintbrush or spray 50% diluted washing up liquid on stubbon areas.

 

Hose off again. On rubber hoses SONAX tubber maintenance looks good.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by JAS21

[canthai55]

Rinse with garden hose with nozzle set to a wide weak stream. Use a spray bottle filled with a mild detergent, spray the surface. Give it a couple of minutes to work. Rinse off with the same wide weak stream. Engine compartments designed to be splashed a little, not to be attacked with a narrow high velocity stream of water from a pressure washer. Any areas after the above that are oil covered need to be brushed/wiped with a rag and a stronger concentration of the mild detergent. I use the cheapest car wash soap I buy from Macro. Auto Master car shampoo in a 5 litre bottle. Never use a pressure washer on any of my cars or bikes. Too easy to force water where you do not want it - like the links in the drive chain or any electrical connection.

[VocalNeal]

Hose or pressure washer. With the latter it is only a matter of how far away the nozzle is. If you washer has a fan nozzle use that. 

 

Or take it down to the local stream and use a bucket? 

[Anythingleft?]

Powerwash is no problem as long as someone above mentioned to keep the nozzle at a distance from the engine so that you dont force water into connections or through seals. Just avoid the obvious electrical parts, fusebox and alternator etc then run the engine after
Done this for years and had no issues
Spray any electrics with WD40 after if you want and this will shift any residue water (not the belts)

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[madmax2]

I just get the local car wash to clean the engine, they use a high pressure washer from a distance and then blow the engine dry with compressed air, never had a problem restarting the engine or anything go wrong, maybe i have been lucky, i notice that the Toyota handbook does not recommend using a high pressure washer

[NanLaew]

On 4/19/2017 at 3:12 PM, Rdrokit said:

If you have an air intake for your engine under the hood make sure it is plugged up so no water gets into the engine.

If you do plug up the air intake, make sure you REMOVE it before starting the engine!!!

[commie]

If it's just dust you want to clean off - use an air compressor and then wipe off the remaing. For oil/grime etc use spray or foam. There's always a bit of risk with jet washing the engine...