[Aroy]

Originally Posted by blackfire_9

So, what I follow is to not overdo the washing & make it an obsession, but do it periodically or as & when required.

I regularly wash the AC condenser and the radiator in summer with a pipe, it works wonders with the AC especially for small cars.

I have seen a lot of problems crop up after "power washing" of the engine bay, hence desist from cleaning the engine compartment with water. Dusting and blowing air is fine. In case of oil stains I use a cloth. Provided there are no oil leaks, it is easy to keep the engine ay reasonably clean.

Given enough power, water jets damage the radiator fins (and AC and Turbo), play havoc with insulation and move the wiring enough to fray/break them.

[basky]

Originally Posted by Aroy

I have seen a lot of problems crop up after "power washing" of the engine bay.
Given enough power, water jets damage the radiator fins (and AC and Turbo), play havoc with insulation and move the wiring enough to fray/break them.

Point.

Any tool is safe when used correctly. If misused, the results can be damaging. Remember that high pressure water jets are used as a cutting tool. Similarly, it can damage wiring if misued. Take care to avoid directing water into the air intake. The operative words are safe and sensible use. Most pressure pumps provide a low pressure light spray and also directed high pressure.

Discretion is advised if you are trigger happy water cowboy.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by basky

Point.

Any tool is safe when used correctly. If misused, the results can be damaging. Remember that high pressure water jets are used as a cutting tool. Similarly, it can damage wiring if misued. Take care to avoid directing water into the air intake. The operative words are safe and sensible use. Most pressure pumps provide a low pressure light spray and also directed high pressure.

Discretion is advised if you are trigger happy water cowboy.

But who is going to monitor the trigger happy operator. "More is better" is their general perception of life!

[Peter]

Originally Posted by Aroy

But who is going to monitor the trigger happy operator. "More is better" is their general perception of life!

Friends,

If you can get your hands on one of these then you can maintain the Engine bay yourself,

The jet is soft enough and equally hard enough to take off the stubborn dirt only ... without any damages

[COLOR=black][FONT='MS Shell Dlg 2','sans-serif'][COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Auto-TECNIK-Portable-High-Pressure-Car-Washer-GFS-A2-/130564701279?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM& hash=item1e66433c5f#ht_1307wt_1139[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

[mycarhasablower]

i wash my cars engine bay atleast twice a month and sometimes upto 4 times a month.
i use a bosch pressure washer.

About the rust issue. cleaning the grime with water is only going to prevent the rusting unless you are using hard water(yes even some service centres use hard water) in which case cleaning is only going to speed up rusting. where i live in delhi we get nice salt free water but in the satellite town of faridabad where you only get hard water all over, ive noticed almost 95% cars develop externally visible rust within 4 years, you can imagine how bad the rust would be actually , if its visible outside.

as long as your car is in good shape and not too many roadside mechs have tried out their jugaads on it , then washing shouldnt be a problem. most critical electrical connections are protected with rubber boots, but either ways using a vacuum cleaner in the blow mode to dry the car is a good thing to do

one point to remember: the engine should be dead cold when you do this. since most engines are made of alluminium today they can suffer microfractures/minute cracks all over the engine and gearbox housings when water is sprayed on a hot engine(not easily visible unless inspected very closely). even cast iron blocks arent safe from damage. they usually distort and loose their shape ever so slightly , which might not be visible to the naked eye, but is enough to make the car feel 'not so right' and for this reason its best to drive as slowly as possible in the rains , so as to not splash cold water on the hot engine

infact getting your engine washed at the service centre often is really bad for it since none bother to let it cool , which for the average engine takes about an hour when ambient temperatures are around 25 degrees when the engine is cooling down from its operating temperature

and for the above reason i clean my cars at home with my pressure washer , so that i can make sure the engine is cold when i do it.

[basky]

Originally Posted by Aroy

But who is going to monitor the trigger happy operator. "More is better" is their general perception of life!

Common sense should prevail.

Originally Posted by Peter

If you can get your hands on one of these then you can maintain the Engine bay yourself,Portable-High-Pressure-Car-Washer

Yes Peter. But that is where we started with our Trigger Happy Water Cowboys Chicken and egg problem actually.

Originally Posted by mycarhasablower

i wash my cars engine bay atleast twice a month and sometimes upto 4 times a month.
About the rust issue. cleaning the grime with water is only going to prevent the rusting unless you are using hard water where i live in delhi we get nice salt free water but in faridabad where you only get hard water all over, ive noticed almost 95% cars develop externally visible rust within 4 years,

Yes saline content (brackish water) is an accelerator of rust, just like coastal regions. Hard water per se is not very corrosive but leaves deposits on the surface if you dont blow dry or wipe it off.

Originally Posted by mycarhasablower

• as long as your car is in good shape and not too many roadside mechs have tried out their jugaads on it , then washing shouldnt be a problem.

• one point to remember: the engine should be dead cold when you do this.

infact getting your engine washed at the service centre often is really bad for it since none bother to let it cool

Valid points. Sadly, authorized service centres too do not bother enough about the integrity of the factory fittings.

[Dieseldunk]

Hi
My 2cents on this.
Normally the underhood cleaning is needed if you live in an area wherein dust or mud is heavy. Coastal areas require normal wiping with a damp cloth once in a fortnight. I do this on a infrequent basis(to be honest). Normally I do the clean up before and after a long trip which helps check for any lose connections too. Be careful not to meddle too much with wires or use too much force since this will leave you more confused than before. Since all vehicles come with ICP engines be sure to be careful.

Cheers
Prasad

[basky]

When it comes to the final shootout, it's like this:

There are 2 kinds of people with cars - the ones who keep their engines clean and those who dont .
If I buy a used car, I would opt for the first category. What about you?

[chetanhanda]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Most of us keep our cars clean and shiny and spend good amount of rupees on keeping the paint fresh and glossy. Very few of us take pain to clean the dirtiest place of a car and that is under the hood.

Now my query is why it is after all necessary to clean under the hood of a car? I have washed my WagonR and Honda City's engine bay couple of times but feared of rust. I also got to read sgitk's this thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ting-away.html

and that made me to think twice before I wash this portion of the car. While I know the engine bay is pressure washed during service I would like to know if it is really necessary to keep this portion clean. I fear of rust and damage to electrical components because of water.

Please share your views on this.

PS - Mods please merge with existing or similar thread if it exists. I tried searching but nothing similar found.
.

I think it's a waste of time, doesn't make a difference at all.
I've never bothered about it ever..

Originally Posted by dot

Whenever I see a car with dirty engine bay, it tells me something about the owner.

Ya same here, when I see some people polishing their engine bays ..etc It really tells me a lot about the type of person.

[Visaster]

I have always had the engine bay water washed when I used to give the car for service at the Hyundai A.S.S., but since last 6 months are so they refused to clean the engine bay.
It looks terrible, imagine a area not cleaned for more than a year.
Service centers outside can very well do it, but the Hyundai fellows have scared me. Saying after 15yrs hyundai has found out parts get damaged so they should stop.
I want the engine bay cleaned up at any cost but the A.S.S. refuses to do it, what option do I have now?

[supremeBaleno]

^^^ While at the Hyundai service centre couple weeks ago with a friend, saw a big board where they mentioned about not water-washing engine bays due to it causing issues.
So your only option is to get it done outside (at your risk - I would not suggest this) or get the engine bay area dusted off periodically and maybe wipe with a moist cloth or something.

[McLaren Rulez]

In principle, if you cover the alternator, ECU and distributor with a plastic bag, hosing the engine down at low pressure should be okay. My biggest worry is that I'll accidentally forget to cover some important electrical bit and end up in trouble.

The best system to do it at home seems to be to do it with a rag and some detergent and wipe it down with a wet rag afterwards. Takes time but it's guaranteed to be safe.

[FrodoOfTheShire]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

In principle, if you cover the alternator, ECU and distributor with a plastic bag, hosing the engine down at low pressure should be okay. My biggest worry is that I'll accidentally forget to cover some important electrical bit and end up in trouble.

The best system to do it at home seems to be to do it with a rag and some detergent and wipe it down with a wet rag afterwards. Takes time but it's guaranteed to be safe.

Bumping up this old thread. I recently got my 2018 EcoSport washed at the local car wash. Before my car, a Tavera (yellow plate) was getting washed and they opened the hood, soaped up the entire engine bay and pressure washed it without a care in the world. I was highly apprehensive about this, hence asked the guy not to wash my engine bay. As far as I am aware, Ford service centre too doesn't wash the engine bay. I am thinking of getting a thick paint brush and dust off the engine bay at regular intervals to keep it clean. With the myriad electronics and sensors used in today's cars, I don't know what might malfunction if the engine bay is pressure washed!

[NaXal]

Originally Posted by FrodoOfTheShire

As far as I am aware, Ford service centre too doesn't wash the engine bay. I am thinking of getting a thick paint brush and dust off the engine bay at regular intervals to keep it clean. With the myriad electronics and sensors used in today's cars, I don't know what might malfunction if the engine bay is pressure washed!

I have tried 3 different dealerships & their service centre for the washing job in Kolkata & all of them washed my engine bay or engine bay of other cars like EcoSport.

I peaked inside & their pressure washer seems to be those Bosch or such, which comes with adjustable water pressure.

I am not sure if those washing guys are aware of it & does alter the pressure settings for engine bay but they definately wash inside the hood.

One thing I do agree with you. I too never allow washing under the hood or allow them to lift the car when I go for those local pressure wash.

Thanks.

[Aroy]

Well in my case the Maruti Service Station always pressure washes the engine bay




Coming to think about it, modern petrol car engine bays are pretty water resistant and water splashes are accounted for in the design. With Diesel cars it may be dangerous as any water intake will ruin the engine

Regarding Alternator, Battery and the Fuse Boxes, they are quite water resistant, else you will not be able to navigate through shallow floods.