Washing Your Engine!!!

Guitar_B · 03-09-2009, 08:29 PM

This has puzzled me for a loooong time... Cant you just Wash an engine? Do you have to avoid Certain Areas? Can you use soap? Special Soap? SoS Pads? Can I use a pressure Sprayer... Should the engine be Running? Should I let the Engine Cool Down?

[ion] C2 · 03-09-2009, 08:33 PM

Simple green... just use a hose... engine degreaser is awesome.

The engine should be cooled down when you do it. On or off is not important, I do mine when it's off and cooled though. There's nothing you're really going to damage, and there's far less of a chance of electrical problems if you do it with the engine off.

NickAlero2000 · 03-09-2009, 08:33 PM

I've been wanting to ask this for a long time, but I didn't want to be the first one.

Someone answer please!!!

Midgear · 03-09-2009, 08:40 PM

every time I take my car to the car wash (this happens anywhere from 1 - 10 times a month), the first thing I do is pop the hood, give the entire car a presoak, lift the hood up, spray the green shit (the engine cleaner / degreaser / wheel & tire cleaner) all over the engine bay.. ALL over.

I cover everything, altenator, heat shields, reservoirs, every square inch is doused in the green shit, then I shoot the tires, wheels, take the scrub brush and scrub the wheels and tires, scrub the entire car if it's really filthy, and then rinse the entire thing off at FULL pressure, even under the hood.

I don't point the sprayer point blank at the parts under the hood, I hold it about 2 - 4 feet away from the engine and parts and just spray till its all clean and free of cleaner / bubbles, this is all done while the engine is running.

Rinse 'er off.. shut the hood, pop the hose in the holder, jump in the car, give 'er a few thousand RPM's, put 'er in drive, and go air dry it at 70 mile an hour down the highway lol

not a single problem.

Vic28 · 03-09-2009, 08:41 PM

ROFL ION just did.... guess the same time post would explain that

Anywayz I would try to avoid the Ignition Module trying not to spray too much water in that area.

lonnie · 03-09-2009, 09:58 PM

You know what we need to start have some engine shots up on here...I've cleaned my engine once in three years on a 9 yr old car and it still looks pretty close to when it was first bought. When I washed it I pressure washed mine with it on and I had no problems. To each his own I accept know responsibility if your shit shuts off though..LOL

Kilroy · 03-10-2009, 02:24 AM

Washing an engine used to be trouble when cars came with points in the distributor, and the distributor maybe had a crack or a shoddy seal. Nowadays, some cars don't even have what would be called a distributor, but rather a sensor to tell the coil packs when to fire. I hose down my Alero engine all the time, and never had a problem.

NOW....if you have a WAI, and hose it down while the engine is running, you could run into to trouble.

Bad99Olds · 03-10-2009, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilroy

Washing an engine used to be trouble when cars came with points in the distributor, and the distributor maybe had a crack or a shoddy seal. Nowadays, some cars don't even have what would be called a distributor, but rather a sensor to tell the coil packs when to fire. I hose down my Alero engine all the time, and never had a problem.

NOW....if you have a WAI, and hose it down while the engine is running, you could run into to trouble.

dont be a kitten. get a bypass valve

Daytona · 03-10-2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kilroy

Washing an engine used to be trouble when cars came with points in the distributor, and the distributor maybe had a crack or a shoddy seal. Nowadays, some cars don't even have what would be called a distributor, but rather a sensor to tell the coil packs when to fire. I hose down my Alero engine all the time, and never had a problem.

Yeah, the engine in my Camaro was a real PITA to keep clean.

Beholder88 · 03-10-2009, 07:36 AM

For some reason, hosing the engine down doesn't sit well with me. I usually just take a few rags and do it the old fashioned way. Since I'm in the middle of my LIMG at the moment, I'm taking the time to clean everything I take off by hand. Makes it so much easier.

[ion] C2 · 03-10-2009, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad99Olds

dont be a kitten. get a bypass valve

Honestly. Think about what you just said. WTF would an AEM Bypass Valve do against a hose shooting water into the intake while the car is running. The bypass valve functions by when the filter end of the pipe is SUBMERGED, and the vacuum in the pipe is too great, the valve opens. A stream of water is not going to cause that kind of situation.

If you have a WAI, put a bag over it. CAI, doesn't matter.

Guitar_B · 03-10-2009, 12:00 PM

So a WAI and CAI is a Performance Chip?

XanderWiFi · 03-10-2009, 12:05 PM

Can Guitar be the new person to be made fun of instead of me? Lol jp.

WAI=warm air intake
CAI=cold air intake

Each with different piping with an air filter. WAI is closer to the engine, CAI is farther hence the designation of warm or cold.

Finally got to help with something besides a medical question lol.