Im planning on washing my engine bay....anything I should do to prevent any mishaps? what should I cover? what should I not worry about covering?

I noticed the alternator is dead smack in the front...should I worry about water getting in there?

on my Civic:
I usually just cover the distributor cap along with the Cold Air Intake
everything else is exposed to the cleaning agent (GUNK) and the light water I spray after to clean it

any input is appreciated!

 

I've sprayed mine a couple times but I normally just wipe it down. When i spray I make sure I stay away from the battery, alternator and of course I never do it when the engine is hot. Maybe a little warm would be okay but not hot. Just watch out for any electrical wires, other than that, you should be fine.

 

You definitely will want to be careful not to spray too much around the electrical sensors. Here's a real life story for ya .. Had a full detail at the dealership last week, inclusive of the engine bay. Left the dealership, turned onto a busy street during rush hour and car stalled outta nowhere. Wouldn't crank for anything! Immediately called dealer, and they came to get car. Pulled code, and lo and behold -- a TDS sensor electrical short (has something to do with the engine timing). They disconnected sensor near the P/s pump to wipe the small bead of water, and applied di-electric grease. Afterwards, everything was good as new!

In short, there usually is no harm in cleaning the engine, as ours is pretty well sealed. The issue comes in where you may overspray the electrical connections. All it takes is a small bead of water on the wrong connector ..

 

Use a vapor machine or a steam cleaner?

 

I use Gunk citrus smell added! to clean everything and rinse with a gentle stream of water.
Cover brake master if possible- water and brake fluid are like magnets to each other
Avoid the obvious and keep WD40 handy
its name is from their original test for Water Dispersant- formula test #40
Spray all the connectors from the outside and inside the alternator etc.
Just preventative measure
Wipe all standing water

I worry more about getting water in my headlights with a pressure washer than the engine bay

 

I did this a couple weeks ago. I recommend going to a self car wash place if you are going to power wash it. You dont want all those harmful chemicals going down the sewer... I think its illegal in most states

 

pls elaborate on the WD40 skit....

you are saying to spray the connectors and the alternator before washing the engine? I never heard that before.

 

read the can

 

Anyone with picture(s) of the engine bay marked with what to cover up?

I remember seeing one a while back.

 

did this a couple weeks ago also, i used aluminum foil to cover all visible sensors i could see in the engine bay, also removed the plastic covers from the engine, and placed a big piece of aluminum foil over the alternator. COvered the battery terminals with a plastic bag, then sprayed it down with a garden hose, then with some engine degreeser/cleaner, then respray it with water. I then removed all the foil and bag and then i used an air compressor to get as much water out as i could, then started the car to let the engine warmth dry it out also while i continued to use the air where i saw water.. Aftter that i took it for a spin and all was fine

 

i use simple green max. spray it on a cold engine block. let it sit up for 20-30 min then run water over everything. like the above have stated try and stay away from electrical connections and sensors. itll leave your engine nice and clean. for stuck on grime use brake cleaner

 

see my above post for details on locations to protect
Its worth spraying everything electrical you can see with wd40 BEFORE and after the cleaning- before starting the car

Water Dispersant test formula # 40 is its real name

And the brake fluid will suck some moisture in- so good time to flush the brake fluid for the year- get ready for winter!

 

I pressure wash all my cars, my wife car and my mom car.
Never have a problem at all.
I've been doing this for about 11 years.
And I usually try dry off where ever you can reach with towel and let it run for about 2 or 3 minutes.
But now I always blow it off with air till dry and let it run for about 2-3 minutes.
It's better if you have compresor to blow off the water.

 

i use engine degreaser with some water and then i use cd2 engine detailer, and my engine looks like if it as brand new. all i covered was the alternator and battery post.

 

I use my leaf blower. Low tech but effective.
Also, our engines don't leak, I just have lots of dust.
I wash the engine bay once a year, then every car wash, I wipe the bay with a wet cloth.

 

I use Simple Green on a warm (NOT HOT) engine with an at home pressure washer (medium nozzle).

I cover up the battery, fuse box and, alternator. I avoid direct pressure on those areas along with other sensors and connectors.

I use the leaf blower to get out any standing water; wipe it down, then drive. When I get back I spray the hot engine with low gloss armor all for a matte finish. Works great.

 

I wouldnt recommend using simple green on the engine, it dries out plastic, and rubber, not a good idea, especially around belts...

 

I'm having difficulty identifying all the sensors and connectors because to me everything seems to be a connector or a sensor..

Would love this picture marked up...

 

x2, a marked/circled "do not wet" picture would be great.

 

interesting thread

 

I finally did my engine compartment this summer. Just went to self service, used the presoak spray then closed hood and did rest of car, opened hood and blasted high pressure soap, then rinse. I guess I was lucky or it's not much of an issue as I took no precautions and the car fired right up and ran fine. I thought the presoak soap at the self serve did a very good job, save your money on the bottled stuff unless you're doing it at home or have a lot of gunk in there. My compartment was/is very clean and I have 174K on the odo.

 

yeah it would be nice if someone can mark the sensors and other components to cover up when cleaning the engine bay it would be much appreciated

thanks

 

all i covered up was the battery and the alternator, i used engine degreaser with a soft amount water, ive had no problems started up fine and runs great

 

i never covered nething in my 93 camry ... juss pressure washed it ... nothing ever went wrong, never tried it on my TL though