Is there anything to protect within the engine compartment that shouldn't get wet with a high pressure cleaner? Rob.
I would not use a high pressure washer for fear of causing some electrical problems. Just use brushes and moist rags or an air blower to get rid of the dust and dirt.
Never thought of a leaf blower and I have one of those which should be ideal for the little stones caught in behind the diffuser.
Yep damp micro-fiber is all you need to clean out the engine compartment. I use the leaf blower to dry the whole car off and the clean up the few remaining spots with super soft micro-fiber. This provides less chance of swirling, however, need to be careful of debris near the bottom of the car kicking up onto the paint.
Anybody ever worry about small particles being caught in their leaf blower and scratching the paint? I used to use my air compressor but I detected a small amount of oil on the paint finish. Any advice is appreciated.
I use mine every time to remove 85% of the water from the vehicle and then use a micro-fiber to get the rest. If you are careful with aiming the blower properly at the vehicle and not the ground you shouldn't have any issues. I have never had any issues.
I use a dedicated leaf blower for the cars, just an inexpensive electric unit. It works very well and it's much quicker/quieter than firing up the air compressor. You just have to be careful when using it so you don't accidentally hit the car.
The local dealer here sprays first with a hose nozzle then soaps/washes and finally dries.(leaf blower should be fine) Use an old chamois to polish up the various parts for final detail and it'll look great.
