How to clean your engine properly
A clean engine compartment just looks so good don't you think?
It’s something that most of us rarely put much thought into – cleaning the engine and engine compartment. Have you ever cleaned that area under the hood on your car? Do you know how to clean it? Why would you want to clean the engine compartment? Well, I’m going to cover all that along with giving you a few tips to make your engine compartment really shine.
First off, there are many reasons to clean your engine and the surrounding compartment under your hood. Maybe you want to show off your car to some people in your neighborhood or maybe you even want to enter it in a car show. You know that a clean engine area will definitely go a long way in making your car stand out.
Did you know that cleaning your engine will also bring a higher resale value for your vehicle? That is correct. Even used car dealers (whom can be real hagglers sometimes) will pay more money for a nice car with a clean and dressed engine bay. So, a little work in the engine compartment can definitely go a long way here.
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Cleaning your engine area can also make your car run better and last longer. The dirt and grime around the engine block and the rest of the compartment can come loose and get on your serpentine belt, fan, or even in the air intake. By removing this dirt and grime it helps keep working areas clean and free of dirt, dust, oily residue, etc…
Your engine needs to be clean to be in top shape. Also, by cleaning your engine you may find problems you didn’t know you had (ex. a slight oil leak on the back side of the valve cover). By keeping your car clean you make it easier to work on your car, to notice problems and to keep dirt and grime out of areas where they can hurt performance and even cause breakdown.
To properly clean your car you must first pressure wash off the dirt, grease and debris. Be careful not to use a powerful pressure washer directly on electrical components. Some professional car detailers prefer to use steaming hot water to better loosen up debris and grime. You can also use degreaser sprays like Purple Stuff, Green Stuff, etc… After spraying use the pressure washer to rinse it off. Be sure and let the engine area completely dry out after this.
Next use a can of engine cleaner spray to treat and remove stubborn grease, grime and oil. I prefer to use Gunk brand engine cleaner because it is cheap and it works great even on really dirty and old engines. Because I own a service shop I can get a can of Gunk engine cleaner for around $1.50. But you should still be able to get one for about $2.50 or so at any auto parts store (Pep Boys, Autozone, etc…)
Follow the directions on the spray can and be sure and avoid anything rubber like rubber hoses, belts, etc… This will cause the parts to deteriorate and not last as long. Engine cleaner is a very strong degreaser and will literally eat rubber and some plastics so be careful where you aim it while spraying.
Then hose off and let the engine compartment dry. Repeat if necessary. I have had some cars with some really baked on gunk that took two or three treatments to get it all off. When you are done then it is time to dress and protect the rubber and plastic parts in your engine area. You can use almost any rubber protectant like Armor All – I use Armor All and have for many years, but any can of spray protectant will work.
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for most areas I prefer to spray a rag and then wipe the protectant on the parts. I don’t like to spray protectant everywhere in the engine compartment (I am kind of a neat freak). Be sure and get a spray can of car detailer (just a few bucks at Wal-Mart or any auto parts store) and spray any areas you got smudges or dirt on. It is always best to detail the engine compartment first and then the rest of the car.
