Embarrassing engine wash...

hmmm... I should look into cleaning my engine compartment. Who knows when that was done last. But yeah that is a pretty embarrassing story.

 

Agitating dirt in areas (such as the engine compartment) is something even we try to avoid. Unfortunately, getting electrical components wet and then sending a current through them usually equates to irreverisble damage. Some pointers.

Don't start the car immediately after cleaning the engine compartment. Keep the hood up and allow most of the water to dry or drip off. If accessible, take an air compressor and blow off as much as possible.

When engine cleaning...never steam clean. The water is vaporized so fine in steam cleaning, that there is a higher risk of water entering "water sealed" components. Let's face it, nothing in the engine bay is waterproof.. just water resistant.

Pressure washing is recommended over steam cleaning, but at a lower psi rating. When at all possible, avoid agitating electrical wires, sensors, clips, etc. A good engine degreaser/cleaner does not need extra brushing. Only agitate dirt when necessary and very lightly.

Make sure the engine is warm and off before your process. Go through the compartment (lift plastic covers) and look for any exposed wiring/sensors/etc. If in doubt...cover it with masking tape or plastic bags. Block off any air intake passages.

Use a safe/biodegradable engine degreaser. Heavily diluted simple green is ok. I avoid that product. Griot's engine cleaner is fine... we use Meguiar's professional engine degreaser and dilute it based on what we're working with.

After you've prepped your work area, be trigger happy. Spray the product. Don't allow degreasers/cleaners to sit for more than 30-45 seconds. Then hose off thoroughly. Thoroughly.

If carbeurated...cover all the carbeurators, plugs, distributor cap (completely seal it off), etc. After the cleaning...open the distributor cap and verify there is no water in there. Also blow off any water sitting in the valleys of the plug covers.

Degreasing (especially if done often) will dry out hoses and in some cases you'll see uneven white patches on hoses, so make sure you have proper dilution of products and I would recommend applying a good rubber protectant such as 303 aerospace. I know.. a lot easier said than done. Rubber components in the engine compartment are designed to withstand the heat and such, but who likes looking at patchy rubber?

 

And if you start your car and find a misfire, usually all it takes is packing some grease into the spark plug boot. Just a little bit of water can break a good electrical connection.