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I like a clean car. Even under the hood.
After a day in the mud with my Subaru i always cleaned the enginebay with water at the local car wash. But looking at the complex engine of my 600h... Well i don't have the guts. Everywhere i look i see ECU's and connectors. How do i clean that engine?
And no, i'm not afraid of the high voltage over those orange wires.
I remember the Acura dealer (Niello Acura) would clean mine periodically after service. No rhyme or reason as to why and I never requested it, but it was nice when they did it and they cleaned and degreased top and bottom.
You try asking the dealer for cleaning methods or if they offer to do it? While my car doesn't need it, I'll ask when I go in for my first service.
Other than that, you could always clean those dusty, grimey surfaces by hand pretty easily. No idea about the safety of pressure washing that thing, though.
I wouldn't use water or steam. The short term results can look good, but I'd be concerned of the longer term hidden damage.
I clean my engine bays with old rags and a mild detergent or detail spray. Just recently, based on suggestions here and in the detailing forum, I started to use 303 Aerospace to really make it shine.
Of course if you have the money, have it dry cleaned!
I can tell you what I do (and many others) on our LS. I do this several times a year:
1. Remove all the engine covers
2. Spray a 50/50 mix of all purpose cleaner all over the engine and let it soak for 2-3 mins. (I use Purple Power or Simple Green). I make NO effort to avoid electrical connectors or anything else.....engines are designed to get wet and all connectors are gasketed.
3. After the 3-5 min soak, I use a garden hose and trigger sprayer to hose everything off.
4. Spray a protectant spray such as 303 Aerospace or other quality product and just let it sit (no wiping or anything). After a few hours, the engine will literally look brand new.
Keep in mind that all the above is done on a COOL engine.
I do this on all my cars several time each year. You can LITERALLY eat off my car's engines. When it comes time to do any service, it's nice to do so on a clean engine. Being able to spot leaks, etc is an added benefit of a clean engine.
I can tell you what I do (and many others) on our LS. I do this several times a year:
1. Remove all the engine covers
2. Spray a 50/50 mix of all purpose cleaner all over the engine and let it soak for 2-3 mins. (I use Purple Power or Simple Green). I make NO effort to avoid electrical connectors or anything else.....engines are designed to get wet and all connectors are gasketed.
3. After the 3-5 min soak, I use a garden hose and trigger sprayer to hose everything off.
4. Spray a protectant spray such as 303 Aerospace or other quality product and just let it sit (no wiping or anything). After a few hours, the engine will literally look brand new.
Keep in mind that all the above is done on a COOL engine.
I do this on all my cars several time each year. You can LITERALLY eat off my car's engines. When it comes time to do any service, it's nice to do so on a clean engine. Being able to spot leaks, etc is an added benefit of a clean engine.
Just did mine with the above method. Been doing this for years and countless miles with zero issues.
My engine bay looked just like yours and end result was stunning. Zero issues in anyway.
I do exactly what Mr. Frog does and have done it this way many times on different makes. Simple Green is my "go to" cleaner along with a paint brush....... Let soak for 10 minutes then spray off with water from a garden hose (light spray) Do not use a pressure washer because the high pressure may cause damage. Blow off standing water with a air hose or blower and follow up with 303 wipe down on plastic pieces. Once the engine is clean it will be easy to maintain by doing a yearly or bi yearly cleaning.
TIP! Take a bar of Irish Spring soap and place it on a "flat area" (secure with a ty-wrap) in the engine compartment (away from hot parts) and this will keep mice away plus make your engine bay smell clean. Another product to use to keep mice away is Fresh Cab that can be purchased at Tractor Supply or online....... This is what I use and it works great! If you park outside mice can be a problem and cause major damage.
DO NOT STEAM CLEAN! The high temperatures will do damage!!
Some interesting stuff on this thread, I too have contemplated cleaning my engine compartment. I'm starting to get some buildup of small pebbles, dust and salt in the corners of the compartment. I've tried getting in there with a shop vac, but I can't reach in there, so I may give it a go and clean it.
I'm always afraid of damaging connectors and computers, but everyone I talked to says it'll be fine (still I don't think I've seen so many wires and connectors on an engine before in my life). I was planning on going over it gently with a pressure washer just to kick out some of the pebbles that are getting lodged in the corners of my engine bay, but I'm going to be careful not to directly spray anything electrical. Then my 80 mile commute will probably burn off all the water that's left hanging around.
Some interesting stuff on this thread, I too have contemplated cleaning my engine compartment. I'm starting to get some buildup of small pebbles, dust and salt in the corners of the compartment. I've tried getting in there with a shop vac, but I can't reach in there, so I may give it a go and clean it.
I'm always afraid of damaging connectors and computers, but everyone I talked to says it'll be fine (still I don't think I've seen so many wires and connectors on an engine before in my life). I was planning on going over it gently with a pressure washer just to kick out some of the pebbles that are getting lodged in the corners of my engine bay, but I'm going to be careful not to directly spray anything electrical. Then my 80 mile commute will probably burn off all the water that's left hanging around.
All the connectors are weather proof with rubber gaskets...... No need to worry about damage from the LOW PRESSURE water from the hose. DO NOT a pressure washer because this will cause damage to the wiring connectors and delicate wires.
Use an air hose or shop vac blower to blow off the dirt, salt, leaves, pebbles,, etc. BEFORE you wash the engine........ The Simple Green applied to a cool dry engine and water will get rid of the rest. If your engine is really dirty you may have to do a second wash AFTER the engine dries...... Spray the SG on a dry engine (not wet) then use a brush to agitate before rinsing.
Simple Green seems to be the best detergent to use because it is mild and will not discolor aluminum parts like some of the harsh cleaners...... 303 will condition (nourish) all the rubber and plastic. Do not use tire dressing or any greasy dressing!
Last edited by Chuckinnj; May 1, 2016 at 12:37 PM.
I normally remove covers and just wipe it down with amorall wipes... Nothing fancy... I'd avoid connectors too even if it is safe... Won't be as clean as a steam clean or anything but will look clean enough
All the connectors are weather proof with rubber gaskets...... No need to worry about damage from the LOW PRESSURE water from the hose. DO NOT a pressure washer because this will cause damage to the wiring connectors and delicate wires.
Use an air hose or shop vac blower to blow off the dirt, salt, leaves, pebbles,, etc. BEFORE you wash the engine........ The Simple Green applied to a cool dry engine and water will get rid of the rest. If your engine is really dirty you may have to do a second wash AFTER the engine dries...... Spray the SG on a dry engine (not wet) then use a brush to agitate before rinsing.
Simple Green seems to be the best detergent to use because it is mild and will not discolor aluminum parts like some of the harsh cleaners...... 303 will condition (nourish) all the rubber and plastic.
The CD2 detailer looked great HOWEVER it attracted dust....... It has been discontinued and can not be found. The 303 will not attract dust so give it a try!
Cleaning the enginebay
