How To Clean Engine Bay?

How would you feel to have your mechanic often complain about debris and dirt whenever you need to repair any part of your vehicle’s engine? It can be really embarrassing. A neat car with a clean engine bay, looking all shined up, will improve your confidence on the street.

Cleaning the engine bay will also help prevent unnecessary corrosion within the engine compartment. Cleaning up a car’s engine can also impact the level of the car’s performance and efficiency.

Understanding how to clean the engine bay is a necessary task every car owner ought to be used to. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to take the car out to a car wash service provider across the street or decide to do it yourself.

How To Clean Engine Bay

Kindly take a moment and watch this video. It gives a great insight into all you need to know about washing a car’s engine bay. Endeavor to pause and play the video to enable you to note important areas with key information.

Cleaning a car’s engine bay can be really interesting if you take a moment to schedule the task for a warm day with probably a few other tasks within the day.

So, to have a satisfying engine bay clean-up, fix the task for a day with warm or sunny weather and cool wind to enable the engine to dry up after the cleaning.

After deciding on a specific day (probably within a weekend), the following procedures will help get the job done.

1.Cool off the engine

You don’t want to burn yourself with the hot engine after a trip or immediately after returning from a cruise. So, it is important first to open the car’s engine hood to allow the engine to cool off completely.

Also, note that spraying cold water on a hot engine can result in rapid contraction, which is capable of damaging some system components.

2. Remove any covering after the hood and the battery

Once the engine is cool enough to let you touch it, remove any covering over the engine after the hood. Then, remove the cable on the negative terminal of the battery. You could remove the battery if you prefer that.

Electrical components can be easily damaged when the battery is fully connected. You may also be risking an electric shock when the battery is still fully connected.

3. Cover the sensitive engine parts

A car’s battery, ignition wire, alternator, air filter, distributor, fuse box, cold air intake kit, and other delicate parts are susceptible to water and other fluid. Hence, the need to cover these sensitive parts with a plastic cover or waterproof.

Ensure to carefully cover these parts before commencing the washing. Kindly skip this part if you are sure of being extra careful when rinsing the engine. But it is best to cover them in order not to worry about damaging any parts as you wash them.

4. Degrease the engine

Get one of the best engine bay degreasers and thoroughly spray the engine to completely degrease it and remove dirt. A minor degreaser like a kitchen cleaner can do the job, or better still, get a good engine degreaser.

5. Scrub the engine

After applying the degreaser, take your time to scrub the engine and brush off dirt using a synthetic bristle brush (please avoid using a metallic brush). The extent of scrubbing would be determined by the amount of dirt or caked-on oil in any part of the engine.

6. Rinse the engine

Once you are satisfied with the brushing of the dirt, get a power washer or a standard hose (preferably) to rinse off the dirt and substances on the engine carefully. Ensure to rinse every part of the engine back and forth until the degreaser and dirt are off the engine.

However, ensure to avoid spraying water on the sensitive areas of the engine. Also, avoid spraying water on any engine area you know that may not dry easily or as fast as required. You could find out how to clean engine bay without water.

7. Dry up the engine.

At this point, you can get a clean towel or any thick piece of cloth and use it to wipe the engine carefully to dry up. If you can access compressed air, it would be helpful to blast air into the nooks and crannies of the engine to remove the excess water and any other hidden dirt grime.

8. Reconnect and replace all removed parts

Once you are satisfied by the entire process of cleaning the engine, replace the battery and reconnect the cable on the negative terminal. If there are any other parts disconnected at the beginning, ensure to connect them again. Then start the car to ensure that all the disconnected parts were correctly fixed.

It is important to ensure that your car’s engine doesn’t become very dirty before scheduling a thorough cleaning of the component. You can decide to wash the engine bay every single year or after every two years. This will help keep your car’s engine sparkling and performing well.

FAQS:

Q: Is cleaning engine bay worth it?

Cleaning a car’s engine bay is 100% percent worth the task. As a matter of fact, it ought to be a must if a vehicle must perform excellently well and last long to reach its lifespan.

Cleaning a vehicle’s engine bay would help prevent or remove debris, dirt, and gunk from the engine compartment. This preventive measure helps protect the engine from damages that result from the accumulation of dirt or debris and corrosion.

It would be helpful to practice a regular engine clean-up for your vehicle. It helps to enhance the vehicle’s performance and efficiency.

Q: Is it safe to wash an engine bay?

Yes, it is safe to wash a car’s engine. However, ensure to cover the delicate parts that may be affected by water. It is recommended to wash a car’s engine regularly to keep it clean, free from dirt or debris that can affect the engine components.

Cleaning a vehicle’s engine will also make it easy for a mechanic to access its components anytime you need to do regular maintenance or repair on the car.

So, your mechanic will surely be thankful when they can easily access the engine parts due to your regular cleaning of the engine.

Q: What’s the best engine degreaser?

As the name implies, ‘de-greaser is a mixture of chemical substances and water in a spray bottle, which helps remove grease and dirt from a vehicle’s engine. The spray is very effective in cleaning an engine bay. Some of the best engine bay cleaner in the market include;

Q: What parts should you cover when washing an engine?

Several parts of a car’s engine are susceptible to easy damage due to contact with water and other fluids. Hence, it is essential to note what to cover when cleaning the engine.

The battery, engine control unit (ECU), ignition wires, air filter, alternator, distributor, fuse box, etc., are susceptible to water damage. So, you must ensure to cover them with waterproof or plastic cover before washing the engine bay.

‘Prevention is better than cure’ Therefore, it is better, easier, and cheaper to prevent your car’s engine from damage than to repair a badly damaged component in the engine.

Q: Can I wash the engine with water?

Water can be used in washing a car’s engine. However, it can be detrimental if it comes in contact with sensors, wires, and other delicate parts of the engine. So, it is important to observe maximum care when washing a car’s engine with water.

In most cases, car owners take their cars to car wash service providers when they need to clean the engine. The service providers are professionals who know the delicate areas of the engine, and they know how to protect them from damages.

You can decide to clean the engine yourself. But you must be very careful not to damage any sensitive parts of the engine.

Q: Can you use wd40 to clean the engine bay?

Of course, wd40 can be used to clean a car’s engine bay. WD40 is an excellent fast-acting engine degreaser that many people use in removing grime and grease from their car’s engine without any left-over residue.

To use the wd40 solvent-based degreaser, ensure to wear eye-protective glasses and other safety apparel. Then, ensure to cover all the electric components in the engine bay using a plastic cover.

Once you are sure that the sensitive areas have been protected, grab the WD40 car engine degreaser and spray it on the dirty areas of the engine.

The dirtier the engine, the more you need to apply the solvent and leave it for some time. You could allow it for 3 to 5 minutes before scrubbing it off with a bristled brush and rinsing it with a hose after that. This should be helpful for those asking how to clean engine bay with wd40.

Q: Is it OK to pressure wash a car engine?

It’s OK to pressure wash a car’s engine, but it must be done with utmost care. The car’s air filters, fuse box, distributor, alternator, and other sensitive parts are susceptible to water damage.

If you must pressure wash a car’s engine, it is first essential to cover all the areas that are susceptible to damage with a plastic cover or waterproof. This will help prevent the components from imminent damage that can be caused by water.

In case you are not sure of washing your car’s engine perfectly without any damage, you could take it to the car wash service providers in the neighborhood. However, it would cost a few bucks.

Q: Can I use tire foam to clean engine?

Sure, you can use tire foam or any fluid made with tire foam in it to clean your car’s engine bay. This fluid will undoubtedly help you get rid of dirt in the engine compartment. To use tire foam to clean a car’s engine, ensure to apply it, then wash the engine bay for about 10 to 15 minutes.

After washing the engine, it will automatically give you the result you seek, with a sparkling look. However, when using any substance in cleaning a vehicle’s engine, it is essential to be extra careful.

The engine is the central part (heart) of any car; whatever affects it will undoubtedly affect the entire vehicle.

Final Words

Dirt, debris, or grime are potential enemies of every car’s engine; hence, the need to know how to clean engine bay. The steps required in performing a thorough clean-up of a car’s engine bay have been unveiled above in this article. So, you don’t have any excuses.

Ensure to clean your car’s engine bay as regularly as possible. It will help eliminate unwanted substances, dirt, or debris that can gradually affect the vehicle’s engine and damage it in the long run.

A thorough cleaning will not take the whole day; if you can’t do it yourself, kindly consult professional engine bay cleaning service providers to do the job.