If you’re going to wash the engine of your favorite car, first think about whether or not it’s really necessary. You should not abuse the wet cleaning of underhood space because of the mere craving for cleanliness and dislike of dust. It is not always necessary to wash the engine before selling the car, as washing can scare away potential buyers. Before starting the water treatment it is necessary to take care of the state of electronics. You should not use the services of unqualified specialists and use a pressure washer. The best time to wash the engine is off-season.
Should I wash the car engine at all?
The underhood of modern cars is well protected from dust and dirt. But even so, sooner or later, contamination still makes its way to the radiator cells, settles on the mounting hardware, accumulates on the engine block. All this worsens the cooling and accelerates the wear of power unit elements. The situation is additionally complicated by leakages of technical fluids and oils, which in some cases can even catch fire! Of course, light dustiness is not terrible to the engine. Moreover, it should be remembered that improper washing can cause enormous damage to the unit.
What and with what do you wash the engine?
Nothing special and hard to reach to wash the engine is not needed. A few clean buckets or canisters, foil, cellophane bags, spray gun, sponges, clean rags, masking tape, paper towels, rubber gloves, brushes and brushes. Of course, you will also need a specialized engine cleaner. It is better to wash the engine only with specialized chemicals, as they will not contain aggressive hazardous substances. As a rule, the necessary compounds are sold at auto parts stores.
What is strictly forbidden to do?
There are a few prohibitions, which must be necessarily observed when you want to wash the engine. During washing, it is forbidden to use flammable agents (gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, etc.). It is strictly forbidden to wash the engine with Kerher at close range. Do not use foam for touchless car body wash. Finally, it is forbidden to wash a hot car engine under any circumstances. Separately, it is worth noting that you should not resort to washing the engine with steam, if there is no full confidence in the level of expertise of the specialists offering such a service.
What should be done before washing?
Before you start washing a car engine, you should obligatory protect all potentially vulnerable parts from water penetration: sensors, cylinders, filters, spark plug wells, relays, connectors, etc. Water ingress in such places is fraught with violation of insulation, failure and corrosion development. Places that are “afraid” of water can be protected with film and duct tape. It is highly recommended to wrap the generator with foil as well. It is recommended to warm up the engine to 30-40 degrees (NOT MORE!). It is optimal for the power unit to be slightly warm, but by no means hot.
How to wash the engine correctly?
Under no circumstances should you just pour water on top of the motor! First, the surfaces to be cleaned are wiped well with rags. Then a cleaning agent is sprayed on these surfaces. Sponges, brushes and sprayers are helpful here. After applying the cleaner, you need to wait a few minutes. After that, painstaking work begins with brushes, brushes and brushes. When the dirt is scrubbed off, it needs to be gently rinsed off. You can wash either by hand or with a high-pressure washer. The first method is considered the best, but requires much more time and effort. After removing all contaminants, the underhood is wiped down with clean, dry rags and towels. The hard-to-reach places should be blown with a compressed air jet using a compressor. It is worth waiting a long time before removing the protective film and foil.