High pressure washer seems dramatic, and air pressure hose doesn't seem to clean the build up. Engine areas pretty clean, just wanting it better. Any ideas or good experiences? Thinking chemicals on the wiring and hoses may not be a good idea. Been putting off detailing the engine till the weather gets better.

 

Do not use high pressure wash. Several members have reported multiple codes and even damage to modules due to water getting into connectors. I don't even like degreaser followed by water, prefer solvent and brush, staying away from connectors.

 

Simple Green, big brush, small brush, toothbrush, Qtips, elbow grease. Lots of paper towels (Bounty works best). {Let's see if we can start a paper towel debate as lively as which oil to use!}

See if you can make it nicer than the guy in Moscow . . . the high water mark! Get's dirty, go buy new parts!

To quote danielSand (wonder where he went?): "It's just a car!"

 

here is how to do it.

eShine Canada - How To Wash a Car Truck Engine Bay, Klasse Car Care, Klasse All-In-One, Klasse Sealant Glaze, Automotive Cleaning, Sheepskin Cloth, Terry Cloth, Soap, Wax

 

RJ- That's what I was worried about.
Jharts-very funny.


Looks like hands, elbows and face gonna get dirt. Cheers!

 

A few cans of brake cleaner with the straw nozzle will work wonders on those many little places that only an tiny artist brush could reach. Actually it is a pretty safe cleaner for lots of things.

 

After spraying mine all over with anti-rust oil film, I'm not taking it off

Clean engine bays are nice to look at, but lots of cars also have rusty bits
at seams and so forth. I'd rather have the oil film.

 

+1 Bounty. I even use them when wet sanding between primer and finish coats.

 

Here's the results on my sons Renault Clio...French car with decidedly dodgy electrics.

Simply used a spray bottle of APC solution and one of plain hot water....a few sprays with hot water followed by APC solution.

This then agitated with a rag or 1" paintbrush for tricky areas or hard to reach places, then dried with a clean damp microfibre.
Once finished this then a going over with "Wet n Black" or Aerospace 303 or similar buffed to a matt sheen.


Before


After



The results below are not perfect, but a simple 30 min method for cleaning a filthy engine bay.
Obviously take a little more care / time for even better results and NO starting / running issues afterwards either.....all good

 

I strongly, but respectfully, disagree with the advice in this link. It says to rinse the engine compartment with a garden hose! Do not go after the engine with a hose or pressure washer unless you want to spend the next few weeks drying electrical connections and diagnosing all kind of codes!

A spray bottle of some mild cleaner like diluted Simple Green, followed by another light spray of clean, hot water, some soft brushes of different sizes, lots of soft rags or paper towels and Q-tips if you are really meticulous will do the job. I usually follow up with a little vinyl/rubber spray dressing in appropriate areas and a polish dry with a clean rag.

If you do the spray and wipe after each wash, complete detailing is only necessary if you get into some really dirty or dusty conditions.

Just to make it clear:

DO NOT FLOOD THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH WATER FROM A HOSE AND GOD FORBID TO DON'T USE A PRESSURE WASHER!

It is not necessary for normal cleaning and causes all kinds of problems with the electrical connections and sensitive electronics in the engine area.

If your engine is really that "dirty," just buy a new car.
Vector

 

I guess you never drive your car in the rain and your engine never gets wet.

 

You are correct, I never drive my car in the rain with the hood removed. Is that what you mean?

Or are you trying to say that flooding the engine with a garden hose from the top is the same as driving in the rain?

If that is what you mean, then I will say that you are simply wrong and let it go at that.

Vector

 

Hey Zach, probably unlike Vector and lots of others, I don't have the luxury of 3 or 4 cars and store them for the winter etc, mine is my daily driver, every day no matter what the season or weather.


Trust me in Scotland we get lots of weather, not much of it good, especially in Autumn / Winter.


This means my car is out in gale force winds, driving rain, standing water, snow, slush and ice, with generous helpings of road salt thrown into the mix.


As I posted earlier in post #9 I have detailed my engine bay to some degree and out in all kinds of weather, with the under tray attached and obviously bonnet closed I get very little dirt and grime in the engine bay.


Every time I wash the car the doors are opened and door shuts, including the boot and bonnet are cleaned too. I find this regime means that my engine bay never gets really dirty and nothing a 2 minute wipe over won't restore to as new condition.

 

From what I read, Vector and the others are only throwing in their experience.
They are just warning against hosing off a Jaguar engine, and run into electrical problems.
Do a search, and there are several such issues on this and other forums, from members confronted with all kind of issues, and screaming for help on the very same forums...

I myself hosed down my Jeep Grand Cherokee engine bay every month, but never did so on the XJ8 after reading on this issue.
Plenty of other ways to keep it showroom condition.