Hosing down the Engine Bay

V

vINCe_Inc

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Car
2009 Infiniti FX35 AWD
Hey guys, now that winter is coming to an end, and i took a peek into my engine bay and saw loooots of salt deposits all over the engine bay. Question is, is it safe to hose down the engine bay ? Should i high pressure wash it, or simply hose it down with a garden hose ?

thx !
 
I think it should be fine to wash your bay, since a lot of car detailing shop has package for engine bay shampoo. Make sure you don't get any water into your battery compartment, no grounding wiring installed to the ECU and make sure your engine is cold.
 
also you might want to stuff your intake airbox with something to absorb water to prevent any from getting into the intake and your engine. You might also want to cover the alternator
 
White_Hair said:
I think it should be fine to wash your bay, since a lot of car detailing shop has package for engine bay shampoo. Make sure you don't get any water into your battery compartment, no grounding wiring installed to the ECU and make sure your engine is cold.
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pmanliu said:
also you might want to stuff your intake airbox with something to absorb water to prevent any from getting into the intake and your engine. You might also want to cover the alternator
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low pressure is more appropriate given that there are a lot of precautions to take. or you could try to clean thoroughly with a soapy solution and a towel.
 
A garden hose or pressure washer is a bad idea. I have read enough threads on other forums of people having electrical issues like "my car won't start" after having hosed down there engine. While yes the engine compartment is designed to get somewhat wet it is not designed to take a bath. A good degreaser and a roll of shop towels followed by some detailing spray are your best bet if you want it to look nice. I have also heard of people using steamers with success.
 
damit. i hate it when salt crystallizes in the engine bay. dirt i dont mind, but salt. its a whole different issue.
 
I hose my engine compartment down with a garden hose to all my cars about 2x a years to all my cars without any problems. Just like Tko512 said, you just have to know what to watch out for.
 
so spill the bean and help a brotha out. what do i need to watch out for other than the obvious wire connections, filter / intake.
 
Alternator can get a lil wet you just dont want to hit it with straight shots of water. Stay away from the 2 closed in compartments bc if water gets in those compartments all of your cars electronics systems will be affected. The filter like you said obviously shouldn't get wet bc then if you run the car immediately after that water will go right through the engine which ='s very bad!
 
vINCe_Inc said:
Hey guys, now that winter is coming to an end, and i took a peek into my engine bay and saw loooots of salt deposits all over the engine bay. Question is, is it safe to hose down the engine bay ? Should i high pressure wash it, or simply hose it down with a garden hose ?

thx !
Click to expand...

I do this all the time and have been doing so with all my cars. Here is what I do, whether it's the "right" way or not:

First buy this at your local automotive store:
http://www.crcindustries.com/auto/content/prod_detail.aspx?PN=05101&S=N
05101.jpg

I then make sure my engine is cold and visually inspect all wires that I can. I spray it down with the CRC spray and take note of where the connections are.

I then spray any household cleaner, like 409 or whatever (I don't use a degreaser as it'll strip the grease off of where I need it, doesn't get it as clean but that's fine with me). I turn on the engine and then spray the cold engine with water from the hose. As the engine heats up the cold water isn't such a "shock" to it as that can cause the metal to go brittle.

I use a slow flow garden hose, wetting what I can after making sure I'm not getting the parts that shouldn't get wet, wet.

After I'm done, I let the engine run for 10 minutes to further dry. Then I turn off engine, wipe off access water, then spray liberally the CRC spray.
 

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I don't like to spray the engine bay with water if I don't have to. I've done many engine bay details and only had to spray down a handful with a hose. I would much prefer to spray some cleaner (like Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner, diluted 5:1), agitate the areas with a brush, wipe it down with some damp terry towels, and then dress it with some type of protection (i use 303 Aerospace Protectant - a very nice versatile product). Below is a picture of a 350z engine that I detailed using the above method. It takes a bit more elbow grease and time, but the thought of getting water where you are not supposed to (air intake, alternator, wire ends, etc.) is well worth the extra effort to me.

BEFORE (picture came out a bit fuzzy):
engine1.jpg

AFTER:
engine2.jpg

Just my 2 cents.
 

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pmanliu said:
also you might want to stuff your intake airbox with something to absorb water to prevent any from getting into the intake and your engine. You might also want to cover the alternator
Click to expand...

smart man! a pressure washer is not needed. your garden hose will give you enough water pressure to sfely wash your engine bay. after your done, dry the engine bay with a leaf blower & an old towel.
 
I got some grease in my engine compartment on the paint. Is it ok to use some spray nine to clean it off? will it damage the clear coat??

also is it safe to use spray nine to clean the engine bay compartments?
 
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