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Has anyone power washed their engine bay? I am about to hit 12k miles, and my engine bay is all dusty and a little bit dirty. I have always power washed engine bays in the past, with no ill consequences. I'm planning on spraying a little degreaser on it, and then just giving it a quick spray with the power washer.
Any thoughts, tips, or advice? Is there a degreaser that anyone could recommend?
I prefer to use the less invasive method, to avoid water getting into some of the electrical components - and having a huge issue.
1) Cover all electronics and the air intake with plastic before starting to clean.
2) I use a sprayer with a little bit degreaser and or just regular Dawn liquid soap (the latter is my favorite).
3) Spray the area, use a soft brush and toothbrush to get into all the tight areas.
4) Wipe each section down with micro fiber towels. Once you do the entire engine compartment, use some plastic protection on everything,
***I try to wipe down the entire engine compartment after every wash - that quick weekly maintenance goes a long way.
Some pro detailers will use a small steamer to get the engine clean, which avoid soaking critical parts.
I routinely clean all my engines, but no way will I use a pressure washer! I just dump a full bucket of car wash and water all over, scrub the dirtiest parts with a soft long hair brush, rinse really well with low pressure, and blow everything dry with compressed air. Follow up with cotton rags to dry completely. Every now and then I will treat all the rubber and black plastic parts with a detailing solution, I REALLY like https://www.griotsgarage.com/vinyl-rubber-dressing/ ... It looks natural (not oily) and it doesn't attract dust. Great for tire sidewalls too. Be sure to run the engine for a half hour after, don't just leave it sitting wet in your garage for a couple of days.
Modern engines do not normally leak any fluids, so you do NOT need a traditional petroleum based engine degreaser like Gunk! If there is a leak, get it fixed.
John Davies
'Spokane WA
Last edited by John E Davies; 05-19-2022 at 08:59 PM.
I’ve been cleaning my engines with a pressure washer in all of my Honda and Acura products for 20+ years. I use the white or 40deg tip and I spray the engine down with Simple Green after a quick rinse. I usually clean my engines after an oil change. Here’s my Daughter’s 2007 CRV with 290k engine after an oil change.
My dealer pressure washes the engine bay at certain service intervals. If yours does too, you could call and ask if they follow any Acura recommendations.
05-19-2022, 09:46 AM
