[rdc4201979]

i was wondering what is the best way the get all the dirt and dust from the engine and the under side of the hood area, i like to keep my car spotless but this is one area that i am not sure on how to keep clean.

 

[maykevin5]

i just do a light mist rinse and then when it dries, use some protective wipes on everything.

 

[Lampoon]

+1 but my mist comes from a bottle of cleaner....

 

[w3ap0n-x]

Try to stick to using cleaners that aren't greasy or oily...this sticky crap will just accumulate more dirt, dust, and grime quicker than usual.

 

[djinferno]

idk if any one else suggest this, but i always just spray it down with degreeser, cover any visable electronics with plastic, and do a real quick/light spray with a pressure washer.... then to top it off, spray a cover of armerall over all the plastic/rubber things... dont start your car for a good hour or more after doing this tho... besides the water all over everything, the armorall will attract even MORE dirt before it drys up a little bit... if you wanna keep it looking shinny and clean you gotta do this like once a week.

 

[jamestg6gt07]

take it to a detailer and have it cleaned. if it were me i would do that than do it myself...i might get water in places it shouldnt be

 

[djinferno]

most detailers are gonna do exactly what i just said lol... thats where i learned it from, unless you go to a really nice one some of them use hot steam to clean the engine bay...

 

[w3ap0n-x]

Actually...unless it's a showcar professionals tend to stay away from the underhood area (with the exception of wiping down surfaces) unless specifically asked due to the liability involved. 99.9% of the people that bring their car to a true detailer don't even know where the fricken dipstick is or what it's used for.

 

[Chris_G6]

Detailing

I used to be a PDI and Make-Ready worker at Don McGill Toyota and while i worked there, i learned the best way to detail your engine bay. Its simple, use ArmorAll, the same armorall you use on the interior, use it under the hood, let it sit for 10 seconds and wipe it down with a lint free cloth, armorall also works as a tire shine Hope this helps

 

[G0VTCH33ZE]

I detail cars on the side and the most effective way that I've come across is this:

-Look over and identify key places
-Spray the engine down with water (when cooled off)
-Spray degreaser over entire engine bay (don't get it on the paint)
-Wait 10 sec after done spraying, then rinse
-Then go back in with a small nylon bristle brush and get what the pressure washer can't.
-Final rinse
-Go over everything with a water based shine

Tools I use are pressure washer, nylon brush, degreaser (Super Clean/STP Oomph/ Purple Power etc), and Meguiars or Mothers interior/vinyl shine.

These are the results I get.

 

[Lampoon]

Come do mine!

 

[Ensur3]

I used to be a PDI and Make-Ready worker at Don McGill Toyota and while i worked there, i learned the best way to detail your engine bay. Its simple, use ArmorAll, the same armorall you use on the interior, use it under the hood, let it sit for 10 seconds and wipe it down with a lint free cloth, armorall also works as a tire shine Hope this helps

Detail companies like armorall because its cheap and it does the best clean.
But also it makes it so the engine bays get dirty again faster. So people come back more often.

 

[Lampoon]

Yeah...I was gonna say simple green, water and a few rags.

Armor All is like oil.....your gonna crap it up good in a short time. lol

 

[y84pauloflondon]

idk if any one else suggest this, but i always just spray it down with degreeser, cover any visable electronics with plastic, and do a real quick/light spray with a pressure washer.... then to top it off, spray a cover of armerall over all the plastic/rubber things... dont start your car for a good hour or more after doing this tho... besides the water all over everything, the armorall will attract even MORE dirt before it drys up a little bit... if you wanna keep it looking shinny and clean you gotta do this like once a week.

See, now back in my day, I was told that you should have the car running when washing it with water!? But then again, this was on cars 10 yrs ago! And yes, I do not spray directly onto electrical parts.

 

[Chris_G6]

Thats true, I live in Katy, Texas. I forget how dirty some other places can be lol. Once i armorall mine, it is showroom good for almost a month, but I can see other climates and regions getting it dirty quicker.

Detail companies like armorall because its cheap and it does the best clean.
But also it makes it so the engine bays get dirty again faster. So people come back more often.

 

[w3ap0n-x]

Don't use a pressure washer under the hood.

You'll get a hundred people that will swear that they've done it their entire lives and their dad did it his entire life and their dad's dad has been doing it since they bought the very first pressure washer ever to be sold to consumers and have never had a problem.

Smile and nod when they say this...then go home and when it comes time to clean the underhood area don't use a pressure washer. Cars are made to wishstand rain, not hurricanes.

Soap and water in a spray bottle or some gentle cleanser and a wipe down. Get the areas you can see if they bother you that much.

 

[G0VTCH33ZE]

Don't use a pressure washer under the hood.

You'll get a hundred people that will swear that they've done it their entire lives and their dad did it his entire life and their dad's dad has been doing it since they bought the very first pressure washer ever to be sold to consumers and have never had a problem.

Smile and nod when they say this...then go home and when it comes time to clean the underhood area don't use a pressure washer. Cars are made to wishstand rain, not hurricanes.

Soap and water in a spray bottle or some gentle cleanser and a wipe down. Get the areas you can see if they bother you that much.

I don't know about that.... If you have a motor that's been to hell and back you will need either a steam cleaner or a pressure washer. It's not that they're bad, you just need to know a little bit about what you're detailing. Like the LT1 car in my previous post, I used a pressure washer on all of it, I did however cover up/steer clear of the Optispark dist. Unless you have leaky gaskets/seals where water can enter, you'll be good

 

[y84pauloflondon]

I've been using a high pressure washer on my 87 Firebird GTA for the last 10 years now. I take it to a car wash bay that has Low pressure engine soap and Low pressure rinse, the car is ALWAYS left running during the wash! And before I do wash it, I spray on Gung's Engine Degreaser, let it sit for a couple of mins, then I soap it and rinse off. I'll back it out into the parking lot, let it run for 10 mins or so to dry up. Then drive away.......I've NEVER had ANY problems.

But you can't be stupid about it.....Cover up the dist., avoid air intake/filter, and do not Blast water directly onto the electricals/relays, alt, plugs and wires, etc.....Low Pressure will work just fine!

 

[blackg6_vdub]

black magic 2-n-1 engine shine works... I love it spray let sit and rinse no scrubbing just nice n clean

 

[360ci]

I use a foam de-greaser (spray can) on my vehicles. I rinse first, spray foam, then rinse everything off again. I also plastic bag the alternator, PCM and fuse box. Everything else can handle the water just fine. I'm another one who uses the armorall vinyl protect spray to dress some parts of the engine bay up and use a rag to dry it in. The results afterward are rather fantastic. A pressure washer WILL BE NEEDED to clean the driveway off after.