Anybody ever done this? Any electronics or mechanics especially susceptible to water infiltration?

Bueler? Anyone? Anyone? Bueler? Anyone?

 

Greetings,

The first AJ8 engine swap I did was the installation of a customer's salvage yard engine in his 2000 XJ8. After everything was buttoned up and running fine, I used a low pressure soap bath and rinse to clean the engine. On restart, the ECM flagged both knock sensors. I cleaned the connections for the sensors, cleared the codes, restarted the engine, and the codes recurred. I removed both of the knock sensors and cleaned them and their mounting bosses on the block, cleared codes, restarted, codes flagged again. I relaced one sensor, cleared codes, restarted, andnow only one sensor was flagged. I replaced the other one, and the problems were gone for good.

I don't wash AJ8 engines anymore. Atowel sprayed with Armor All and wiped over the intake runners and all plastic engine bay covers leaves everything looking just fine.

 

Wondered this myself...going to go with the 'hand' washing for now after hearing Jagtech's little story.

 

ruh ro raggy... (reference to Scooby there...)

Ok. I definitely DO NOT want to screw up anything uder the hood. I guess I will use the wipe method as well as best I can!

 

Eazy scoob, I would really like to hear how the dealer cleans the engine...maybe steam clean only, then wipe down?

 

...ohh..Thanks for the info guys..im planning to wash my engine with soap or dish washing liquid... but how you get rid of those oil spill stuff in the engine?..

 

This stuff works pretty well:

I've also just used a solution of this stuff:

 

See if this helps http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairEngClean.htm

 

Thanks K. but i dont think it is available here in mid east but i'll search for it. glass cleaner will do? or jiff maybe? what is that "pine-sol" for?

 

I cleaned my engine with some engine cleaner stuff I bought at Advance Auto Parts. I forget the name of it, but it wasn't anything fancy. You spray it onto the engine and engine bay and then let it sit for a few minutes. Then you gently hose it off. It didn't cause any problems at all, the car started fine immediately after using it. I was careful not to spray the water directly into any electrical connectors, but some of them definitely got splashed.

 

Yeah, you might have difficulty finding it in the middle east, lol. Pine-Sol is a concentrated all purpose cleaner. It's similar to the Simple green stuff (although the Simple Green is already mixed and ready to go), but you mix it with water to clean with it. It's got a nice pine scent from the pine oil in it (although they have other scents) and it also has some de-greasers in it.

Any all purpose type cleaner with some de-greasers should do the trick, just don't get carried away with it with too heavy of an application running into places it shouldn't.

 

There's only one way to clean an engine bay, theres just never enough paint under a hood...sooo...





OK this might be a bit extreme for your average XK owner but I do it everytime I swap an engine or take one out, at least give the owner the option.



I did this one with the engine in situ, the car had a colour change but under the hood was never done so still had its original silver/primer finish, and basically looked really bad, we never had white XKs in the UK, they were only done for Europe and US market.

 

XKRacer: Now you got my attention.

 

I have a 2003 XK8 also and would like to know if you have the factory phone installed?
Bermuda 40

 

Hi Bermuda40-

No, but these days it would make more sense to add a bluetooth handsfree kit to use with your cellphone. If you need assistance, I can explain to you how to wire it directly into the car's exisiting audio and mute functions....but please start a new thread and ask the question....this is completely off the topic of this thread.

 

I've detailed the engine bays of almost every car I've ever owned (even a Saturn and a Neon) and I've never sprayed water; just went the wipe method.

Especially on an English car I'd avoid getting water anywhere near engine wiring. Lucas lives on...

 

Hi, I have cleaned all my engines with the HIGH pressure, HOT water car wash. I first apply a spray-on engine degreaser and then spray it off. The hot, high pressure cleans the engine bay very well. I have several cars and I clean the engines usually twice a year. I then stray "NO TOUCH' tire cleaner on the entire engine bay. DO NOT use the new "NO TOUCH WET FORMULA". You want the red and black can. NO TOUCH is not greasy like most tire cleaners. The engines look better than new and cleans easier the next time.

My 2001 Jaguar XK8 that I just bought had an extremely dirty engine. Now it looks very good. I did not have an electrical problems. Maybe I was lucky due to the other threads, but It cleaned up like all the other engines. My Z06 Vette looks better than new inside and out. My Jag is getting that way. Ron

 

+1 on Lindas comments from me......

I've cleaned engine bays on at least half a dozen Ford Mondeos, Saab 93, Jag X type, 2 Renault Clios and an Audi A6....ALWAYS with the same method.

I run the engine first to get it reasonably warm, then spray liberally with a garden hose, followed by an application of an engine degreaser such as Gunk.
Leaving this to work its magic for a few minutes, then with a spray bottle of cleaning fluid I spray the parts I want to clean. The using either a 2" paint brush ( this gets into all sorts of nooks and crannies ) and or a rag I clean the area, followed by a dose of fresh clear water from the garden hose.
Obviously I take care not to aim water directly at any part I shouldn't and then dry off, making sure to get into all the hard to reach areas.
Once clean I spray with Wet n Black ( Armorall or similar ) onto the black plastic cover areas, hoses etc and am left with a gleaming engine and NO start issues / codes or problems.
Just a clean engine bay

I know its not Jag, but here's an example of the above process on my sons Renault Clio....before and afters

 

I would NEVER use a water hose, high or low pressure, ANYWHERE around the engine bay. Notwithstanding the aforementioned posts of those who have done so, I say it is a very risky thing to do.

Before the advent of computers, selenoids, and electronics; yes, you could spray Gunk on and hose it off w/o anything more than a plastic bag over the distributor. But using water around electronics in modern automobiles is asking for trouble. It's not like we don't already have enough electronic gremlins in our cars without adding more.

Get a rag and wipe it down.

 

A good friend of mine took his Miata in to have it detailed and when he got it back it looked great and ran like a piece of junk. Several thousand dollars later it was found that the pressure washer the detailer used to clean the engine compartment penetrated the sealed computer components rendering the car nearly inoperative. I would never recommend a power wash to be used on any car more especially a jag!