# Cleaning Engine Bay



## no name (Feb 16, 2014)

Now I know I'm in the right forum for this question 

Engine bay cleaning tips please.

The man in me wants to just stand on the wings and jetwash the lot but that's not going to end well. :lol:


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

Jizer, hose, job done. Better results than a tpms retrofit


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## Mr GTS (Dec 17, 2019)

placeborick said:


> Now I know I'm in the right forum for this question
> 
> Engine bay cleaning tips please.
> 
> The man in me wants to just stand on the wings and jetwash the lot but that's not going to end well. :lol:


I do the engine bay every time I clean the car - just a quick wipe down is usually all that's needed - even though I'm doing about 250 miles a week, as I am cleaning it regularly. A much deeper clean I do every couple of months.

Don't wash if the engine is warm (obvious to most I'm sure)... I use Chemical Guys Orange Degreaser on the tougher dirt or grime - just spray on, let it dwell and pressure wash off. I'll then use Valet Pro Citrus Prewash as a general cleaning agent, I mix it 5:1 with water for cleaning the engine bay and apply using a Mesto pressure sprayer, usually leave it for about 5 minutes before pressure washing off. When pressure washing, I wouldn't recommend using the main lance, instead I use a vario power jet (Karcher) - that ensures you can get in all the hard to reach areas, even underneath things and the pressure can be finely adjusted to ensure no damage is done to any engine components. Once done, just dry down with an old drying cloth and dress with 303 Protectant - then stand back and admire your work 8)


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## aeroflott (Feb 18, 2019)

Is there any need to protect any components under the hood? I've seen videos of people wrapping carrier bags around certain parts to prevent water directly getting in places.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

You should try and avoid spraying water directly at electronic components and their connectors, however, almost every connector in the engine bay is a sureseal (or similar) type and are water resistant.

Apply common sense and as said earlier don't use the pressure washer on full blast, it's worth just using a gentle spray when cleaning around sensitive areas like the fuse box and so on.

A steam cleaner used carefully makes getting the dust out of the plastic nooks and crannies super easy


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## Mark Pred (Feb 1, 2017)

I use the pressure washer to clean my cars engine bays on a fairly regular basis, have done so for many years; as long as you regulate the pressure to sensible levels, there are zero problems. As to water ingress, well, we all drive our cars in the rain and they don't break down or fall appart :wink:


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

Mark Pred said:


> As to water ingress, well, we all drive our cars in the rain and they don't break down or fall appart :wink:


There's a difference between rain and high pressure water jets. That's why you shouldn't jet full force water at certain parts of the body as it forces water into places it can't normally get to and most likely are not covered in corrosion protection (wax and so on) :wink:


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

If I may chime in here. 
I asked Audi at my last warranty service to clean my engine (some metal struts and components were covered in road salt. Completely abrasive to the touch and white).

They deep cleaned the engine for free (otherwise its 20£). And applied some rust/salt protection. 2.5 years latter. Still showroom clean.

There are tons of genuine YouTube tutorials for this (most say use bags to seal of and cover certain parts). If you are that bored. Go for it.

But otherwise leave it to professionals. Both for quality and safety.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

captainhero17 said:


> But otherwise leave it to professionals. Both for quality and safety.


Audi dealer? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

For a free job or 20£. Its not something I would complain about. Plus like I said. Still sparkling clean after 2.5 years. The protective film they used still holds remarkably. Its not just the simple hose down wash. The after wash products which are applied are even more important 

Not saying you should go to Audi. Just go anywhere where pros do it (unless you consider yourself a pro with his own car wash station) 

Here where I live. Most car wash places dont do engine wash from fear of damaging it. So its not exactly a job that cannot go sour if you are not careful.


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## no name (Feb 16, 2014)

Did a half arsed job whilst the paint dried on my rings this afternoon with a can of jiz and used my hosepipe on very low pressure spray. 
No issues and seems to work well. Looks better it's not been cleaned in 55k miles.
Will hit it with a second wave and some earbuds to get the trickier bits when I'm really bored.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

Those plastics are crying out for some love! Grab some 303 Aerospace and bring them back.


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## no name (Feb 16, 2014)

I'll rub em with my greasy chip paper next time i get somw fish and chips :-D


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## captainhero17 (Apr 10, 2018)

What phone did you use to get the picture? Its very good resolution and colour range.


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## phazer (Apr 2, 2018)

placeborick said:


> I'll rub em with my greasy chip paper next time i get somw fish and chips :-D


 :lol: :lol:


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## aeroflott (Feb 18, 2019)

Rings lookin' sharp there @placeborick.


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## no name (Feb 16, 2014)

Iphone X, I parked in a sunny spot, that helps.


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## credy68 (Nov 1, 2019)

can recommend autoglym machine spray simply wet the engine bay with fine water spray then spray product allover go in with a brush to agitate the rinse off with fine spray while engine still wet spray over with autoglym vinyl n rubber care and leave to dry.brings rubber n plastic parts up like new.only problem makes a right mess of your drive.


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## mawetib (10 mo ago)

My recommendation is to start with a DRY cleaning first. In other words... use a vacuum cleaner of sorts (with a brush end) to remove any loose stuff. Trust me. Makes the whole process much easier. From there, I use a glass cleaner type product (nothing special) to clean all the plastic bits and any metal areas that I want clean. I haven't actually sprayed water with these kinds of sprayers directly inside the engine compartment yet (with a hose) although you probably wouldn't damage anything so long as you were careful in doing that.


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## TTS OAP (9 mo ago)

Protect electrics then go to town, engines are made to keep some pretty hardcore stuff on the inside, so a bit of water on the outside ain’t gonna trouble it. Use a garden pump sprayer full of water for better control, a jet wash will not do any damage but it will make considerably more mess than necessary. Absolute best tool for engine bays is a steam cleaner, clean and degrease at the same time, just don’t tell the wife what you’re using it for! Also get yourself a batch of the cheapest supermarket microfibres you can find for drying up. If you have a wet and dry/workshop vac with a blower function they can help get water out of the hard to reach spots, compressed air will do it too. Finish up with an exterior dressing and you’re good to go.


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## MrOCD (Feb 9, 2021)

aeroflott said:


> Is there any need to protect any components under the hood? I've seen videos of people wrapping carrier bags around certain parts to prevent water directly getting in places.


Not necessary.

Citrus degreaser, agitate with a brush then rinse off with pressure washer and use a bit of common sense. Works for me and has done for years.


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## jammy86 (11 mo ago)

Everything in the engine bay should be IP65k or better. Spray Bilt Hamber Surfex everywhere, rub the bad bits with a brush and gently (no closer than 0.5m) jet wash off. If you're luck enough to have a compressor then blow off any standing water, or take it a quick spin round the block.


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