A car that has been detailed and polished gives its owner a sense of pride and accomplishment. Your car must look good both when you’re driving it and when it’s sitting in your driveway.
It’s not enough to simply wipe down the outside, though. If you take a peek at the engine, you’ll see that it’s filthy. Even though the engine compartment is protected from the elements, dust can still enter through the doors and the floor, especially when driving on dirt roads.
Cleaning the engine compartment is a challenging task. Electrical components such as spark plugs and alternators are particularly vulnerable to water and should never be submerged. These components are water-resistant, though a high-pressure water jet will not clean them effectively.
It’s common to practice cleaning the interior and exterior of a car during routine maintenance, but the engine compartment is often neglected. Most of the time, the engine compartment is forgotten about. Keeping the engine bay clean is important for a few reasons. It improves the space’s aesthetics and facilitates routine cleaning. Suppose you have to check the engine oil, transmission fluid, or power steering oil and you have to touch a dirty surface.
If you don’t clean the engine bay, what good will it do you?
In addition to making it simpler to perform routine maintenance tasks like inspecting fluid levels, a clean engine bay also improves the safety of the vehicle. One can drive around with the engine compartment open to the elements and oil and dirt. Over time, engine parts that are constantly in the open can deteriorate. Moisture can cause metal parts to rust, and it can dry out rubbers and plastics, making them brittle and easy to break off.
It’s much simpler to find leaks, broken pieces, and worn-out components in an organized engine bay.
Every three to six months, you should clean the engine bay. While the initial cleaning of the engine compartment may be time-consuming, maintaining its cleanliness is a breeze going forward.
The engine compartment needs some TLC.
Having the necessary equipment and materials on hand is essential for any sort of upkeep. Protect your hands and eyes by donning a pair of gloves and safety glasses.
The following materials are required:
A spray bottle containing a soapy water solution
Cleaner, Vacuum
Brushes in a set
Cleansing with a Powerful Spray
Using microfiber towels
Decorative plastic trim for the inside
Wrapping water-sensitive components in plastic wrap or trash bags
The first step is to remove the engine cover and any other heat- and sound-proofing plastics. If you take them off the car, you can wash them in the sink or the bathtub. Get the battery out of the engine compartment and disconnect it. You must take care not to cause a malfunction by shorting out the engine’s electrical system.
Use cling wrap or trash bags to conceal any electrical components that are exposed. This way, when you use the pressure washer, none of these water-sensitive parts will be ruined. When working on electrical components under the hood, make sure the engine is turned off.
Get a new brush and start stirring up the dust in the engine compartment. Use the vacuum to pick up any stray dust or dirt as you go, and do so in a methodical fashion. At the very least, this should allow you to clean up half of the engine bay. Use the microfiber cloth to dry-wipe the engine components of any dirt or oil.
The next step is to clean the engine compartment using the pressure washer. We don’t want any of the delicate components to get soaked, so turn the water pressure down. Put the pressure on low and spray water evenly around the engine compartment.
You can also use the pressure washer on the firewall and the inside of the wings. Before using a soapy water solution, it’s best to loosen the dirt as much as possible. You can use a commercial degreaser if you want, but soapy water is effective and won’t corrode the engine.
Cleaning the engine is best done when it is cool to avoid getting burned by the moving parts. Spraying water on hot engine parts may cause them to contract too quickly and break. Be sure the vehicle has been sitting for a while before beginning any maintenance.
Degreasing the engine compartment
Avoid getting any degreaser on the paint or any other body parts when using it. There is a chance that a soapy water solution will not damage the paint, but a powerful degreaser could remove a protective wax or ceramic coating.
To remove oil and grime, spray the soapy water solution on the engine block, the air filter, and anywhere else it appears necessary. It is best to give the degreaser a few minutes to set before wiping it down so that it can get to work dissolving the grime.
Now, using the brushes, gently scrub the area to agitate the dirt and remove it from the engine components. An old toothbrush is useful for cleaning under and around wires, spark plugs, and high-tension leads. Most of the grime can be easily removed by brushing vigorously. A brush with a long handle can be used to reach and clean those hard-to-reach places.
Now is also a good time to jack up the vehicle and check the undercarriage for dirt. Get under the car with the brush and remove any dirt you can, just like you would during an oil change.
Use the pressure washer to remove the grime from the engine compartment. You can use the soapy water solution to degrease any areas that you may have missed. One can use a microfiber cloth to remove the soapy water solution and any dirt that may be hiding underneath.
If the initial pressure washing wasn’t sufficient to remove all the grime, you can always give it another go. Repeatedly pat each component dry with a microfiber towel.
Now that you’ve finished washing the engine, there are two options for drying it off. Two options exist for drying the engine: either leaving the hood open to let air circulate, or using microfiber towels to soak up any remaining moisture. To speed up the drying process, start the engine and let it run with the hood open to let the heat from the engine do the job. When water collects in inaccessible places, a compressed air gun can be used to force it out.
Plastics and rubber polished to perfection
Use a plastic and rubber dressing compound to make the engine compartment look as good as the rest of your car. The black components of the engine bay will regain their showroom luster. Rubber and plastic dressers that can’t take the heat will eventually melt and leave a white residue on the engine, so be sure to use only heat-resistant materials.
Plastics can be kept shiny and pliable to prevent cracking with the help of waxes and polishes.
In the end, use a dry microfiber cloth to buff the area for a lasting shine.