If you open your car's engine hood, is it clean there? (car engine, leaks)

[don1945]

Maybe twice a year I clean the engine compartment with a couple of cans of spray degreaser and the garden hose. I put a plastic bag over the intake to the fuel injection or carburetor, let the degreaser sit for a while, then hose it off. Then I use compressed air to blow as much of the water off as possible.

I not only do the engine block but the surrounding sheet metal too, like the aprons, firewall, radiator area, etc. Having a clean engine makes it easier to work on and also makes the car easier to sell when that time comes.

Don

[43north87west]

My cars are pretty much spotless.

[automobilist]

Keeping your car's engine compartment clean is pretty important. It's the best way to spot any leaks, and the engine runs cooler when it's clean.

On our vehicles, I use a 50/50 mix of degreaser (typically simple green type) and warm water. I use a spray bottle, and gently apply. Then I respray with warm water only. Any oil/grease spots I use a terrycloth towel or toothbrush on.

All of our cars engines look great, and it takes all of five minutes or so to do a car. I try to do every one at least a couple times a year.

[Fargobound]

Originally Posted by GarageLogic

I've actually used oven cleaner on occasion. I just don't let it set very long before hosing it off. It's okay, but I wouldn't say it's any kind of miracle cure.

That sounds like a great way to ruin connectors, etc

[gbugmiami]

Originally Posted by Fargobound

That sounds like a great way to ruin connectors, etc

Literally 'etc'. We use it to eat powder coating off wheels. (intentionally..) Its the only thing that wil take off the factory fuchs paint/coating. If you leave it on too long, it will proceed to eat the wheel.

[wawa1992]

Yup, she's pretty clean. Then again it is a 2011 Honda Accord just purchased from a Cadillac dealership on May 4th... so I assume they cleaned her up and prepped her for sale

[Jan Alaska]

You mean under the hood or under the big piece of plastic that covers the actual engine and gubbins ? answer to both .. shamefully disgusting. 3,700 miles of Alcan and dirt roads in Michigan mean it may never be clean again.

[southernnaturelover]

I've used many different cleaners, Purple Power, Mean Green, Simple Green, Gunk, etc... Harbor Freight has a brush kit that has some slender brushes that get into tight spaces.

I usually do it in the middle of the summer, and I leave the water hose out in the sun so the rinse water is good and hot. I have also connected the hose directly to the water heater in the garage.

[don1945]

One of my first jobs out of High School years ago was at a Ford dealership. I worked in the used car clean up section. We would scrub under the hood with a strong solution of Tide and water. This was the old Tide that had all the good stuff in it and you had to wear rubber gloves because it would hurt your hands as it was so caustic, but it really cleaned up the engine compartment. I can still remember the tiny shocks you got as you scrubbed across the top of the battery, it must have conducted electricity somehow.

I would laugh because occasionally you would see some potential buyer looking over one of the cars we detailed and they would say "Wow, this car must not have been used much, look how clean even the motor is !" If they only knew what they looked like before we worked on them.

Don

[CALGUY]

I have always made it a point to keep both my vehicles looking the best they can, and that includes the engine bay.
They have never been steamed cleaned, just a weekly detailing by me.
The 2002 Dakota top pic, and the 66 Tbird bottom pic.




Bob.