Engine cleaning

[Sonny]

I was looking to take my P5 to the car wash and spray down the engine and clean it up. What are the do's and don'ts or is this just a don't? New hoses and wires coming I want it all to look nice and shine.

 

[melicha8]

Don't directly spray the area near the psark plugs. You will get water into thesparkplugs and they will rust

 

[PuertoRicanMP5]

Make sure you cover up the alternator

 

[mazdadan]

Yeah, the main thing is to keep the water away from the electrical system components. Electronics and water usually don't mix too well

 

[gjmoreo]

yo, just hand wash it .... That is your best bet ..... takes longer but is safer and you get a chance to "bond" with your car

 

[Bijou-MP5]

where's alternator located??

 

[CanMP5]

the alternator is at the bottom... just follow the main drive belt and its accessories... its pretty close to the bottom, it really visible when you're under the car (I know its a strange place) It'll be hell to take off come replacement..

 

[upsman]

I hand clean my engine. It takes more time but when you are done and you KNOW that everything is clean to your specs...well theres no better feeling. People will notice the difference of one just sprayed down and one hand cleaned.

Try hand cleanind it with a bucket of warm water and some simple green.

 

[gjmoreo]

hence - what i said

 

[herarety]

Isn't it bad to spray a hot engine with water anyway? A steam cleaner might be a good compromise though...no water so you don't have to worry about elektriks, and it gets it cleaner than just water.

 

[Sonny]

thanks for the replies, a hand job it is! I mean I clean it by hand.

 

[blynzoo]

Good man!

Simple green is simply the s***.
Although magic purple and perfect orange are good, too. Purple does wonders on a greasy shop floor, or your garage.

 

[mopiko]

Simple green, magic purple and perfect orange??? Wow, what's next? Maybe some Wonder silver and Super yellow? It's amazing how marketing people come up with product names these days...

BTW, no offense to anyone....

 

[Edison_Chen]

is there such thing as steam cleaning the engine?

 

[jsgolfer]

i use purple power and water. only when the engine is cold. spray with the cleaner and let it sit. then use a brush to losen up and grime or dirt. rinse with the hose but not with high presure. after im done i usually dry everything with a towel then cover everything with CD2 engine detailer. it makes everything look brand new.

 

[nckid]

is there such thing as steam cleaning the engine?

yeah, I just had my car detailed Friday and that was part of the job, he steam cleaned my engine