chrisk008

Need some advice please. I am very comfortable and confident with the detailing on the outside and interior of my car. On the flip side I have never touched under the hood. I assume there is a whole different process as well as supplies.

Can someone walk me through the basic steps on the process. Don't want to go crazy, just want it to look good. Car is a 2005 ES 330, pearl white with 86500 miles on her.

Thanks

Vims

I used to clean my engine w/o any chemicals. Just very hot water and some soap, washer detergent. Reason is - chemicals eat aluminium and it looks ugly after that.
Put couple of bucket into the engine and wait for 15-20 minutes and then just rinse either by pressure washing or regular water. The tough spots clean manually.
Always do it in summer hot weather to let water evaporate. I've done it on all my vehicles, but not on my GX470 yet, because it filled with electronics and i have to be careful. Just my 2 cents.. :-)

jj14

Check out this article
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ur-engine-bay/

I follow most of the steps here (didn't use fade2black)

felixt

iTrader: (2)

Just saw the article above.

Is it safe to hose down the engine bay like in this picture without covering the battery and such? It just says he covered the alternator.

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

You're rinsing, not flooding. A rinse level of water won't hurt most components, including the battery. Obviously you don't want to spray vast amounts of water under the hood, and you want to avoid spraying directly down into wires/connectors/plugs, but simply rinsing off cleaning agents shouldn't really pose much danger. As was already said, doing it when it's warmer out allows for better evaporation times, but you could always use a spray bottle to rinse things off that are being cleaned, or simply use a wet rag and wipe things off by hand.

Of course, you could always wrap things that you are concerned about if you wanted to, but I really don't think it's necessary provided, again, that you rinse, not flood.

Big Mack

LeX2K

I've washed the engines on many cars and never had a serious problem. Worst thing that has happened is water got into the distributor so the engine had a miss until the water evaporated, which didn't take very long. If you use a pressure washer be sensible, don't aim the thing 2 inches away from components.

As for the alternator, I don't cover it, but I don't hit it directly with water either. Remember when it rains water is driven into everything under the hood anyway including the alternator. One thing that I rarely see mentioned is brake fluid. Depending on the car and the location, make sure to cover the brake fluid reservoir! The cap is vented so water can get in which is the last thing you need, brake fluid absorbs water readily to say the least.

YviE

iTrader: (3)

I never use a hose to wash the engine bay. I use two small spray bottles, one with the detergent, one with plain water. I also use a paintbrush to get in all the tiny corners. It helps to have some handtools in case you want remove the air intake and other stuff to clean everything thoroughly.

chrisk008

When talking about a detergent or cleaning agent is there any recommendations? I like the two spray bottle approach. Never thought you could take a hose to rinse off the engine, just seems crazy to me. Guess that's why we ask the questions.

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

Depends on what you are cleaning. In some areas, such as under CV joints or steering knuckles, you may need a degreasing agent in order to cut through what is down there as slag from the joints. For most areas, APC (all purpose cleaner) works well. I prefer the Meguiar's because I like that you can dilute it and it still smells good, not overly harsh. Once you have rinsed, you have the option of putting a dressing on, but I would steer clear of anything that is silicone based since it will attract dust.

A good set of basic brushes will benefit you in cleaning under the hood as well. Old paint brushes can be helpful, but you need a variety to get into the nooks and crannies that an engine bay has. This is also why sometimes using a hose on a light spray works best for rinsing - it can get into those areas with a lot less effort.

Big Mack

jj14

I actually use the hose, but with either the "mist" setting on the nozzle or a very light shower setting on the nozzle. As a precaution, I did cover the electrical connections (remember to use plastic wrap, not aluminum wrap), but as the other folks mentioned, you really don't need to.

The hood is not sealed, so rain water does get in.
Must use common sense of course - don't pressure wash it, or use the nozzle with the flood setting - The spray bottle suggestion is pretty good too if you don't have the right nozzle settings.

YviE

iTrader: (3)

I use Bilt Hamber Surfex HD, a water-based detergent. I does a great job.

Here a pic of my engine bay (98 GS3 w/ 120k miles):

chrisk008

Appreciate all the answers. Looks like I will go the hose and common sense route. Hope to get it done this week and will let you know how it goes.

lilSCsteve

iTrader: (71)

chris, If I could also recommend some detailing products underneath the hood. check out Detailer'sDomain. Pick up some APC and some In and Out Spray made by Adams. The APC won't hurt your components, and the In and Out spray will help treat/restore your plastic pieces, etc. Check out the automotive and detailing section here. Phil-is the man, check out some of his work there. Good luck!

Steve

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

If you don't want to get fancy and order expensive cleaners online, just go to Home Depot and get a gallon of ZEP Citrus Degreaser (the orange one). It's $10.99 for a gallon.

Dilute it 4:1 (4 parts water, 1 part ZEP) into a regular spray bottle, and BAM, you got an amazing and safe degreaser. I see no difference between it and expensive products I have tried like Optimum OPC or Megs APC+.

chrisk008

Thanks for all the help. Worked on the car yesterday and the result was fantastic. Really wish I took some before pictures. Followed the plan, covered with saran wrap what needed, used the hose wisely and the results were great. About 90 minutes start to finish. Great to have the first one under my belt. Next week I will attack my wives Highlander.
Big sigh of relieve when the car turned over after completion!!!