Good Evening,
I need some advice on the best and/or safe way to clean under the hood of the 02' Xtype I brought last month. It is extremely dirty with dirt, dust, leaves, etc. I took the air filter and cabin filter out this morning and there was dirt in the black box and everywhere else.

My question is what is the best way to get all the dirt and dust off the engine and hoses without cause air pockets or damaging anything? Someone mentioned steam cleaning but I have never heard of that. Would air blowing with a pressure washer be okay?

Also in the process of doing tune up but its so dirty I don't want excess dirt in any compartments of the car.

Do anyone no where to get new installation also. Mine is old, dried out, and dirty.

Thanks in advance!

 

Hi there, here's some pics and tips below that may help.....

Here's mine under the bonnet XJ 2.7 Sovereign LWB




Here's Connor ( my sons Vauxhall Astra before



After....



Peter's old Clio before...



After....



Do NOT use a steam / jet wash under any circumstances.

Only tools required are ......
1. patience and elbow grease
2. cloths / rags
3. Paintbrushes ( something like 1" and 2" )
4. Spray bottle of APC or degreaser
5. Spray bottle hot soapy water
6. Tyre shine type product


Start on the under side of the bonnet / hood, this is if you have a hood liner or not ( no difference )
Gently spray the hot soapy water and add a little degreaser to you cloth and work away, cleaning this area first, getting it nice and clean paying particular attention around the hinges and catches
Once this is completed you can start on the engine bat itself.

Spray the degreaser liberally around the worst affected areas, followed by some hot soapy water, then agitate with whatever size paintbrush is best for that area.
Best to start around the depths of the engine and work your way out as it were, using the same technique and once happy giving it a quick going over with the dry rag to wipe away any dirt / moisture etc

The brushes are particularly useful for small hard to reach areas.
Once completed and dried, you can add a spray of the tyre shine product and leave to soak in for a short time, before buffing it dry to a nice black shine on the plastics and hoses.

Shouldn't take more than an hour or so to get a really good clean engine bay, one you can be proud of and go from there.

On a side note, every time I wash the car, the doors are opened as are the boot and bonnet, all giving a quick once over......Once you've got it clean it's then very easy to keep it that way

Good luck

 

My favorite way to clean the engine compartments is to use any brand of spray on tire/wheel cleaner that is safe for all wheels.

It's strong enough to cut right through all the oil/grease and doesn't hurt any of the paint, hoses, or other stuff.

Just soak it all down everywhere (when the engine is cool) including the underside of the hood and inner fenders, give it a quick wipe over with any soft bristle brush and hose it off and in less than 3 minutes it looks brand new.

If necessary, you can hit any stubborn spots with another dose and you're all set.

As long as you don't go crazy rinsing it off there is no need to even cover anything up, just let it sit for 10 minutes or so before starting it up and you're good to go.

After that I give the hoses and engine covers a coat of my favorite interior plastic detailer spray and hit the hood latches with WD-40 and it looks great for a long time.