Cleaning under the bonnet

[Cleo]

The last time I used a pressure wash under there (and wrapped all I could see plus was quite far away) was an old bm 535 for dam near a week it ran on 5 then coughed and spluttered on 6 again, never again. Diesels might be tougher I don't know, but sensors are sensors, plus they way things are made now, they'll be cheaper ie rubbish so water will probably get in easier

Edited 11 January, 2015 by Cleo

[NorthernMonkey]

I use APC & a de-greaser with brushes & old rags. I'd never, ever use a pressure washer on a modern car. Too many sensitive electronics & sensors. A hand held steamer is the most I'd use, but on,y if necessary.

[ChrisRs]

Thanks fellas

This is the problem with Car Forums

There is always someone who thinks they know it all..I call it the 'DW Syndrome'

 

Just to have a last comment

 

May I add this?:

 

When I use a pressure washer under the bonnet, I never ever flood the bay..that is asking for trouble

Short blasts for a split second directed to a  small spot at a time (Away from electricals) is perfectly safe, once any exposed electrical part has ben covered in cling film

Warm up the engine (Not hot) and use a liberal amount of degreaser and apply with detailing brush. leave for a few minutes

Common sense is paramount...Dont flood the engine bay!!

Once this is done, spot blast the area as described above

Remove all the cling film

Dry using old MF cloths and apply some engine bay protectorant..again a small brush may be handy here too

Buff as much as you can get to....otherwise it will attract dirt again

 

If you dont fancy using a PW, then fine...It can be done without..a garden sprayer and warm water is also a technique Ive read about, but not yet used myself

I fully understand that many people reading this would be nervous using a pressure washer for doing this

Cleaning a diesel engine is obviously a lot easier and therefore safer than some petrol engines

I write this to highlight this:

Please dont say you shouldnt do it ...What works for one doesnt always, for another

 

Good luck with your car cleaning

 

Edit: Removed offending words

Edited 12 January, 2015 by ChrisRs

[Clarkey666]

There is always some smart arse that thinks they know it all..I call it the 'DW Syndrome'

 

Chris, none of the attitudes of posters on this thread strike me as people who think they know it all. Nor does anyone come across as a smart arse. All I got from it is that there are differing views on techniques for cleaning engine bays. Simply because someone disagrees with someone else doesn't make them a smart arse. To me it is what forums are for and what they are about; suggestions and recommendations. You said it yourself, what works for one person might not work for another.

 

Perhaps folk just need to remember that if others do things differently to them, it doesn't make it wrong nor does it mean what you are doing is wrong. Example being, I drove past a guy washing his car with a sweeping brush and bucket the other day. Now I, and many of you I suspect, wouldn't dream of doing that- but hey if it works for him and he's happy with the outcome, then great. His actions certainly didn't offend me because they're different to my own. I won't get upset about it.

 

Back to the question in hand, I personally wouldn't pressure wash my engine bay, I'd opt for APC agitated with a brush then cleaned up with old cloths and dressing applied. I've not used a pressure washer on the engine bay so I'd be reluctant to try, I'd rather err on the side of caution there.

[ChrisRs]

Edited. Thankyou for your comments

[Hunty278]

Thanks fellas

This is the problem with Car Forums

There is always someone who thinks they know it all..I call it the 'DW Syndrome'

 

Just to have a last comment

 

May I add this?:

 

When I use a pressure washer under the bonnet, I never ever flood the bay..that is asking for trouble

Short blasts for a split second directed to a  small spot at a time (Away from electricals) is perfectly safe, once any exposed electrical part has ben covered in cling film

Warm up the engine (Not hot) and use a liberal amount of degreaser and apply with detailing brush. leave for a few minutes

Common sense is paramount...Dont flood the engine bay!!

Once this is done, spot blast the area as described above

Remove all the cling film

Dry using old MF cloths and apply some engine bay protectorant..again a small brush may be handy here too

Buff as much as you can get to....otherwise it will attract dirt again

 

If you dont fancy using a PW, then fine...It can be done without..a garden sprayer and warm water is also a technique Ive read about, but not yet used myself

I fully understand that many people reading this would be nervous using a pressure washer for doing this

Cleaning a diesel engine is obviously a lot easier and therefore safer than some petrol engines

I write this to highlight this:

Please dont say you shouldnt do it ...What works for one doesnt always, for another

 

Good luck with your car cleaning

 

Edit: Removed offending words

Aw,come on Chris, don't be like that. We are just some car enthusiasts chatting about engine cleaning.

DW is a great place for picking up new techniques. I remember that lad who used to post on here, Si Baker was it? Such a knowledgeable pro that stopped posting on here because he was accused of pedalling his wares. I still read his stuff over there.Miss his contributions on here, so I get that kind of input over pn DW, you do have to sift through it though; it is what it is. Ironically, some bloke was PMing people on here at the time pedalling his wares. Dunno who but we lost a good one there.

Anyway, back onto the subject. Engine bays are designed to get really wet and even flooded up to the air intake. Thats why we have the rubber shrouding, seals and gaskets. It's the high pressure water around those components that would possibly cause the damage. How do you rinse around the electrical connectors? Do you disconnect the washer and just use a hose. Otherwise you'd just have degreaser sitting there eating into stuff.

It isn't a competition buddy, we are just having an adult discussion. I'm sure there are people in this forum who know just as much as you about detailing. Don't take offence, take a big virtual hug from me instead. Chin up old bean.

[ChrisRs]

Thanks

I wipe around connectors

Anything connected to electicity I dont PW.

As you say..modern electrics are well protected from water, but there is a limit

Common sense must prevail

A warm engine helps to evaporate water from nooks and crannies...never hot though

Never ever use the PW hose close up...Just enough to mist over the area in short blasts at a distance of 2 to 3ft is all you need

This will dilute away the degreaser and make it ready for drying

As I have said already, if its not for you ....dont do it

Use another method that works for you

Apologies if anyone was offended by my comments..it was not directed at anyone in that thread

I was only trying to get my point across....namely that it can be done safely and successfully

I would never do a clients car if I thought, at any point, that it was unsafe or a risk

Good luck

[kentphil1]

Does this help to explain your method Chris?, if it causes more problems, pm me and I'll remove it. Sometimes a picture or film can really show what short blasts with an appropriate nozzle setting mean in real world terms.

[Hunty278]

That's how I do it too, but minus the pressure washer. He'd loosened the dirt by agitation, a hose pipe would have done just as good a job. And he didn't hold the PW that far from the engine, and didn't cover all the electrical connectors. pop your hand in front of a PW at that distance, it bloody hurts. It would have forced moisture into all that corrosion on the rocker cover, possibly forced water into places like the spark plugs if they were as badly corroded as the rest of the engine bay.

Seems like a sledge hammer to crack a nut. For me, that is a great example of how to do the engine bay and why not to use a PW. They weren't short sharp blasts, that was reckless IMO.

Again though, no one is trying to prove Chris wrong or team up on him, no one is in competition here, its just an adult conversation. You can do what you want and let someone do what you want to your car. I will not be doing that though!!! Just because be calls himself the detailing guru in the video doesn't mean there aren't safer and less harmful practices.

[ChrisRs]

Does this help to explain your method Chris?, if it causes more problems, pm me and I'll remove it. Sometimes a picture or film can really show what short blasts with an appropriate nozzle setting mean in real world terms.

No...Thats far too much water..Not needed

What it does illustrate though, is that its a lot safer than you think

I wouldnt go mad like that..Quite the opposite

A little is more, if you know what I mean

That was a seriously dirty bay though..I have never tackled or possible would tackle one that bad

Here are a couple of pictures of a Pal's MX5 I did a couple of summers ago while fund raising for my 6th Form to go to Malaysia

It was quite dirty..Managed to get it clean with the described method

 

 

[Watsona6]

That looks pretty impressive Chris!

[ChrisRs]

Thanks..The whole car took me almost 15 hours over a couple of days

[Hunty278]

A pressure washer will use a lot less water than a hose pipe, so if that is the thought process then you are better off with a pressure washer.

The amount of water isn't a problem, this is why off road vehicles can drive across rivers as long as the air intake is above the water, and modern car engines would happily do that too. It's the pressure at which the water hits the components that is the issue.

Also, there is no telling what damage was or wasn't done to the engine bay of that car, it may have started, but corrosion happens over time, he may have got 20yards down the street and it conked out. It may have been fine, but a hose pipe would have cleaned that just as well. There is no doubt it will clean up an engine bay, but acid would vlean your car paintwork, probably wouldn't use it though.

Nice engine bay tidy up Chris. No doubt it does the job, but too excessive for me.

[ChrisRs]

I like to do a thorough job....given the time

[Hunty278]

Not excessive in clenliness, it's a good job, the pressure washing is just too excessive. It's too risky. It would undoubtedly affect the protective coating on bolts and nuts etc.

Like i said, it undoubtedly cleans, but you could've sprayed brick acid in there and jet washed it off and it would've come up like that. Not saying you've done that at all.

It like when people go to a car wash that uses a highly caustic or acidic wheel cleaner. They come up really well, but after a short while, they start to bubble. Yes, they look clean, but the integrity of the protective coating is being compromised. I believe that there is a greater risk of compromising the components and their protective coatings with strong degreasers and pressure washers. It would be interesting to see some pics of that engine bay now, to see if there are any detrimental effects.