i want to detail my engine bay badly, but am kinda nervous because of the 2nd gens crappy wiring to begin with...i don't want to start issues by adding water.

i have power washed engine bays before, but never a engine bay with an AFM, and coils.

have any of you power washed your engine bay's without any problem's?

 

I was debating doing this myself... The way I figured it, throw a plastic bag over the alt., AFM, and the coils and you should be fine. Just make sure the bag doesn't melt onto your car eh?

 

I'm planning on doing it when I pull my motor, but I don't think I'd have the cojones to do it with the motor and harness still in there.

 

Your best bet is to steam clean the bay.

I would definetly not power wash. If you want to use water just do it with a garden hose, no pressure. Scrub everything down with super clean or something similar and rinse off. Just think how retarded it would be too run a pressure washer through the bay.

 

yeah it really comes down to *****, if you are willing to risk f"ing it up go for it. Chances are, it will be fine but there is a good chance you could mess something up

 

+1 on the steam cleaning...

If your engine bay is anything like mine (with spilled fluids everywhere from old leaks), you may also want to start repainting it with something industrious. My paint is falling off everywhere!

 

pressure washing an engine bay isnt retarded at all, almost all detail shops will do this....your retarded if you just pressure wash anything and everything without paying attention.

i think im gonna give it a go tomorrow after work. gonna pickup some degreaser and mix it with water, spray it in an area for a test spot, and then pressure wash it off.

gonna do it in sections so i can monitor each section more closely.

i will be wrapping the coil's in a plastic bag, and i will do it with the engine running so if the water does start to affect the car, i will have an idea of where the water caused a problem.

thats how we used to do it at the bodyshop/detail shop i used to work at....a $5 bottle of degreaser makes the engine bay look showroom new...its amazing.

thanks guys.

 

Go to a coin car wash and use the spot free rinse.

I spray everything off with simple green first, then rinse on the spot free setting. Works every time, I don't even cover anything. If you are worried, cover the alternator and coils.

 

Leave the motor running so when it quits you know where you messed up.

 

I've used a pressure washer. Just take your time and make sure you're not pointing it at a wiring harness or anything else you don't want to risk shredding. Go in bursts and pick your targets.

 

Done it, leave the car running so you know if you are in a bad area. You will be fine.

 

awesome, my friends all say no.. but hey, water and oil do mix in our engines. :P not too much though...

 

i have washed many engines while working at the dealership. we use an engine degreaser without water first, the sprayer we use is a siphon type air gun of sorts. it uses more air than water.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....store&tool=all
unfortunately not everyone has an air compressor. first we spray the degreaser, then we use pure water through the siphon gun which sprays the water at high pressure, then we use it with no water the blow dry the engine bay. i think the key is to dry the engine, although i have rushed a few engine cleanings and left it wet. just don't soak major electrical components, but don't be afraid to get them damp.

 

i've heard that honda will steam clean any honda for free.
think mazda will?

 

dont user pressure washing because it forces water into the connectors.


just degrease the **** out of the bay and rince with a gentle wash.

done

 

no. its probably a local honda dealership that does that.

dealerships have no connection to the car companies. dealerships are privately owned businesses who can do as they please.

 

Pressure washing is kind of like claybarring your car...you don't do it often but sometimes it's the only way to get the results you're after.

The biggest problem with pressure washing is that it will expose any weakness in your electrical harness.
Older cars oft times have very crispy wiring and pressure washing can literally peel the wrap off a harness.
In one way this can actually be a good thing, but be prepared to deal with the aftermath.

I usually pressure wash every spring to remove all the winter crud from my daily driver.
Haven't had any issues yet.

 

degreased and power washed the engine bay at home tonight...it worked fine, no issues of any kind....i wasn't even that careful, i sprayed the alt and coils with no problems.

i did notice that i will need to do it again because the crappy degreaser i purchased (greased lightning) is garbage, and diluted from the factory...no wonder its $1.90 for 40oz. i couldnt get that grimy/gummy protectant that the dealership sprayed on to "prevent from rust"...it comes off easily with brake cleaner on a rag, but i think better degreaser and the power washer will do the trick.

next time i will buy real degreaser (castrol degreaser) its $6.00 for 24oz.

i am kind of glad that the dealership sprayed that protective crap in the engine bay though(not on the engine) because it kept all my brackets gold, or silver, and all the nuts and bolts are all still gold like from the factory...its awesome!

 

Re-wrap your harnesses where you can, try to avoid powerwashing them

If your really worried I'd say do it on a expected hot day with the engine exposed to the sun, disconnect the batt and have at it, then let it dry for a few hours, then go for a spirited drive and

 

I guess I got lucky.

Soaped it down real good then pressure washed the whole thing--except the AFM.

Low pressure on the washer---no problems.

I will admit though, the wire harness and all the hoses (silicone) are in very good condition on mine

 

I never pressure wash my engine bay. Think about all the stock connectors with worn out rubber seals, and the connectors like the TPS with no seals at all.

The first time you clean the engine bay, you may have no choice but to pressure wash. Then again, I've never come across a car that couldn't be cleaned just with some Super Clean and a stiff bristle brush. Cut the Super Clean 50/50 with water and go to town with the brush. You may need to let it soak. Then rinse thoroughly with a shower of water and not a spray. Dry out connectors and electrical stuff with compressed air.

After that, every time you wash the car just use a spray bottle full of dish soap and water, with a cloth to scrub nasty areas. Spray, wait, scrub where needed, then rinse. This works for me (I do it to all my cars), and my engine bay is fairly detailed.

 

No

 

I used "Dawn Dishsoap" **Cuts Through Tough Baked on Grease** hahaha
with a scrub brush, paint brush and rags, probably took me about 3-4 hours but the end product is worth it
I cleaned mine when i did my engine swap, but with the motor in it'd be alot safer than pressure washing


before


After

 

wow you really cleaned that thing up.

 

That is a really clean engine bay and the rewire was done very well.