Hi,
I would like to clean my engine and engine bay. I have seen people steam cleaning them, has anyone any tips for this, any suggestions would be most welcome,
cheers in advance
P.S car is a '93' Audi 80 2.0.
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Better to leave it dirty. Use a strong solvent or steam clean and you will remove wax protection which prevents rusting and may also penetrate electical/electronic components with damp.
HJ
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I had this dilemma when selling the Sterling. Lovely shiny car, but with layer of dust (and no more) underbonnet.
I thought about it, then decided to leave it on the grounds that it proved to any prospective purchaser that I wasn't covering up something nasty by cleaning it.
First bloke actually said to me "you didn't really expect me to buy it with the engine looking like that?"
Sometimes you just can't win...
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A J Cloth soaked lightly in paraffin, rubber gloves, some hard work removes the oily stuff. And one of those nice shiny vinyl sprays based on silican make the hoses look as new.
madf
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Avoid steam cleaning and high pressure washers.
I have used a technique which is recommended by Autoglym and always achieve a good result with no electrical problems or wax protection removal.
Autoglym sell a product called 'engine cleaner'. This is a degreaser which does'nt smell or damage fabrics. They recommend placing cling film over electrical components first and then spraying small sections, then work the degreaser in with a brush. Its very effective stuff and makes light work of it. Once worked in just rinse with a gentle hose pressure.
Once you have completed the whole bay use some kitchen towel to remove a trapped water followed by Autoglym 'vinyl and rubber care' . This puts a mild sheen back into plastics and rubber hoses.
This usually takes me about an hour but is worth the effort and certainly creates a good impression to prospective buyers.
I dont work for Autoglym ;-)
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One more thing...
The engine must be stone cold.
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I will go with Steve G
I use this method and AutoGlym Engine Cleaner. I do not other with protecting electrics - just go careful.
I do not use a hose instead I use a redundant domestic spray bottle (like kitchen cleaner/shower spray) well rinsed out and just top it up with hot water and then spray off the brushed in degreaser and wipe away with J cloth or similar. Cover garage floor in newspapers and put out a few drip trays.
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sorry spulling mistake:
other should read bother!
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thanks for the tips, I think I will give the Autoglym a go.
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Jizer or Gunk will do the same job if used in the same way. I would guess for less money too.
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Nick
I have used Gunk - it is very effective but it stinks - yuk and the fumes permeate into the cabin. Never tried Jizer.
AutoGlym is pricey but it is very effective (as good as Gunk) but it smells niiiiiiiiiiiiiice!
:-)
NormanB
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Norman, I must be weird. I like the smell of Gunk! No wonder my missus pulls faces at some of the perfume I buy her.
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Hmmm...a spot of diesel behind the ears does it for you eh?
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For years I've kept my engine bays clean by brushing with Gunk or Jizer (nearly said Tizer!), or sometimes with white spirit, and then washing down with hot water and detergent or pressure washing with cold water.
I've only experienced one small problem, when I got water trapped in the spark plug wells in a Citroen ZX and misfiring followed.
I like to see a smart engine bay and it has also helped me in years past in spotting any fluid leaks as soon as they start. If the worst should happen, it's also nice to be able to work on a breakdown without getting dirty!
I even have a silver cup for 'Best Engine Bay' from when I was persuaded to enter my Vauxhall Royale Coupe in the concours event of an owners club national rally that I called in on purely as a spectator some years back! Got '2nd in Class' for the complete car as well! Sad, isn't it?
Good idea to let the engine bay get a thin coat of dirt before selling the car though.
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Our borough council licensing authority specify that the engine of any vehicle presented for taxi plating or annual re-test must be steam-cleaned before inspection!
I find a coin-operated "buy-time" jetwash to be adequate, use the engine cleaner first then the high pressure rinse. Of course it helps to dry things out if you drive the car all day afterwards, like I do...
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I have to say I'm with Dizzy here. I hate to see filthy engine compartments. Particularly annoys me to get a car that has been main dealer serviced from new for some years and find they never even bothered to wipe round the various filler tops to help prevent dirt ingress. Often the dirt build-up on the brake fluid reservoir is such you can't see the level....smacks of a lack of care/respect for the vehicle.
With our own cars I clean the engine compartments on arrival and then about every 18 months.
Engine cool or cold, parked over the grubby area of the gravel yard. Spray on de-greaser and leave for ten minutes, give a second coat and agitate heavy soil areas with a 1" paintbrush. Cold water pressure wash off. Then use a strongish detergent solution and spray over the painted areas.. inner wings, under the bonnet etc. Cold water pressure wash again. Run engine to evaporate off the excess water and use an air-line and towel to mop up any pools of trapped water. Take car for a short brisk run to "blow dry" it. If there are any paint chips of small rust areas to treat, say on the inner wing, do them now and dry off with a hair dryer. Then coat the engine, electrics, inner wings etc with a type of maintenance spray that is slightly heavier than WD40 and leaves a very light oily film, I'll use a whole large can. This last step is quite important in my view to stop everything corroding.
Mostly I'm doing diesels and if there are any exposed electrical units I clean them first with maintenance spray (a good solvent) and a paint brush then put a decent plastic bag round them while pressure washing the rest.
MM
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MM, I'm glad you agree. After hitting the 'post' button, I expected to get loads of responses calling me all sorts of swear-filterable names!
I'm pleased you clean your customers' car engines. You already know that in July a relative of mine had a major engine repair, a full strip and rebuild, carried out by a respected local garage. I was very disappointed to find that the engine was as thick with dirt when the car was returned as when it went in. I immediately cleaned it and a check yesterday showed that there are no leaks of any kind, something that couldn't have been determined with an engine covered in oily dirt. The engine is running perfectly but my recommendations for this garage will be less eager from now on.
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The spray bottle of cleaner then a light hose off system works best, i find.
Another useful tool is an old lavatory brush, especially for getting into the nooks and crannies.
While you're about it, blast the hose back through the radiator, to remove dead bugs, leaves etc. Also, use a hacksaw blade to starighten the fins.
I also find that covering the important electronic bits and the brake fluid reservoir with "rubber products" is a useful ploy.
(Something for the weekend, sir?)
Also, an old hankerchief inserted into a plug-spanner is an ideal way to dry out those areas around the plugs, which always seem to collect water...
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Gunk followed by jetwash as Dave says. Easy and works.
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VW/Audi have issued a technical bulletin warning of damage to Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensors and Oxygen sensors due to the use of sealants, liquid gaskets or lubricants containing silicon. Many detailing products contain silicon. If a vehicle engine is running when spraying products which contain silicon (tyre dressing, exterior and interior trim cleaner/protectants), silicon may be drawn into the intake system and can contaminate the MAF sensor and/or Oxygen sensors.
This advice applies equally to many of the latest cars being produced, regardless of manufacturer. Mass air flow sensors are expensive to replace (circa £200+ for a VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat) and engines fitted with them do not run properly when they are contaminated.
The bottom line here is to be careful about what you use to clean under the bonnet of your car.
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If you really want your engine to shine like never before, and have a bit of time on your hands then you should do this.
Take out the engine part you want to polish; this includes all metal covers etc.
Used a metal wire polishing tip you can get for your drill, and take the dirty metal off until you have a good finish.
Then you need to protect it from rusting, do this by spraying heat resistance clear lacer on your new polished surface.
To clean hoses detached them and clean with a strong cleaner, then spray with back to black.
It also gives you a opportunity when refitting to clean the rest of the engine bay you can not get to otherwise. Also you can take the chance to spray WD40 for more protection.
After this just maintain every few months by wiping over you new clean engine with a damp rag.
Do all this and your car will seem like a show car!!!!
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