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Cleaning the Car Engine in 8 Easy Steps DIY

Educational  ·  February 28, 2022

Cleaning the Car Engine in 8 Easy Steps DIY

Many people are hesitant about car engine cleaning for fear of damaging something. That's a pity because a clean car engine is a happy engine. Cleaning will not only maintain its appearance, but it will also keep the engine in good health and improve the resale value of your car.

Is a Car Engine Wash Safe for the Car?

Hosing a car engine with water will no doubt leave it clean and sparkling, but doing it wrong may cause your engine some troubles. In this post, you'll learn about car engine cleaning in 8 easy steps with minimal use of water. 

Modern car engines are already adequately protected from water, dirt and other harmful elements, and car engine cleaning is not as difficult as it used to be, especially with this guide.

8 Steps to Clean Your Car Engine

Below are the steps to follow in cleaning your car engine without any professional help.

1. Remove Dirt

First, you need to remove the debris trapped in your grille or vent opening. You will notice debris like grass, leaves or cotton balls. You may also use compressed air or just a hand brush.

2. Cover Sensitive Parts of the Engine

After cleaning the grille and vent opening, cover all the sensitive parts like sensors, distributor, wiring, and spark box opening with plastic bags. The engine is waterproof, but this measure is for extra protection.

3. Disconnect the Battery

Make sure that the bolt is in the negative terminal of the battery and the positive terminal is disconnected for cleaning the battery outside of the engine.

4. Apply Engine Degreaser

After covering all the sensitive car parts, it’s time to apply an engine degreaser, starting from the bottom. This will ensure that it doesn’t leak on you. Don’t over-spray the degreaser as it will remove the wax from your fender.

5. Give It Time to Soak

After spaying the degreaser, you need to wait for 3-4 minutes to loosen up everything. If you have applied degreaser on crannies and nooks then wait for 30 minutes and let it soak for a while.

6. Rinse

Now, you are all set to rinse your car engine. Avoid using a high-pressure hose because it might disconnect some wires. Instead, use a garden hose. 

If you still notice dirt after this step, you may need to reapply the degreaser and leave it on for 5 minutes more. While cleaning the engine, be careful not to spray water right into the engine. This may cause some serious damage, like arching or blowing the fuse. 

7. Remove the Plastic Covers

After you're done with cleaning your car engine, it’s time to remove the plastic covers from the sensitive car parts. Wipe these parts with a clean and slightly damp cloth or a microfibre towel.

8. Dry the Engine

Let it dry and spray with an engine aerosol dressing for that showroom shine.

Read this related post about cleaning the engine bay before you start getting those elbows greased.

Conclusion

There had been a lot of major changes in how modern car engines are manufactured, and these innovations have made cleaning the engine so much easier. 

A plastic shrouding now covers engines, and electronic connectors are fully protected by plastic housings. The only sensitive auto parts are the alternators and wiring. 

With these simple steps, you need not spend a cent to keep your car's engine squeaky clean.

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