Can you actually do this? :D

Soldato
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Maximum Triceratops;30499112 said:
Went to clean my car just now and spotted this taxi driver going over his engine bay with the foam brush :confused:
What wrong with doing that ? :confused:

I have washed and pressure washed the engine bay + engine on all my cars and motorbikes...
On old cars with distributor caps you would always get condensation inside the distributor cap so you would need to take it off and dry out the inside before starting the engine..
 

mrk

mrk

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What an amazing difference^

My dad used to pressure wash his Accord's engine bay without issue. He'd bag and tape around electrical areas of course and selectively blast the areas that needed attention. In the 10 odd years he had it, the only major problem with it was a seized brake caliper...
 
Soldato
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mrk;30500851 said:
What an amazing difference^
I admit that difference in them photo's is nothing like you would normally get..(unless the car is not very old)

I only normally pressure wash my engine once a year or less....( as it is always scary that something will go wrong)
Always best to disconnect the battery and no reconnect it till everything is completely dry..
 
Soldato
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chaparral;30500829 said:
Not my car or pictures but I also like to keep the engine bay very clean on my cars..

The engine bay restoration is great in those pictures, but I thought we were in a thread talking about a guy jetwashing under the bonnet, not this:

"I used WD-40 and a paintbrush and 4 microfiber towels.
Works amazing on 22 year old buildup of dirt and rustproofing. No joke.
Car had been sitting for 10+ years.
I basically spent 4 afternoons/evenings total on it. (about 20 hours total)


Note: Some parts were replaced during the restoration.
- new battery
- new radiator + cap
- new plug wires
- some new nuts and bolts
- powdercoated valve cover
- new engine mount
- new exhaust manifold heat shield
- Painted black clutch cable bracket"

If you can find me a jetwash that does all that then please let me know ASAP! :p
 
Soldato
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Warm engine up, allow exhaust to cool.

Spray with Jizer (or whatever)

But avoid spraying alternators or starter motors directly.

Any really bad areas, work in with a brush.

Allow to soak in, then jetwash. (Use the "Fan" spray rather than the fine HP jet) Again, only lightly spray Alternators and Starter motors (You do not want to wash out any internal oil/grease)

Avoid directly spraying any electrical connectors (Ordinary wiring is basically OK, but avoid directly spraying large bundles where water might get in and take a long time to get out again)

Leave to dry from engines heat with bonnet open. (If you have recessed areas like the spark plug access remove plug leads and check that no water has got inside, If it has, do whatever is appropriate to remove it and leave the leads out until engine heat had dried everything out)

Put any disconnected leads back and Start engine and check that everything is OK.

Over the next week or so check engine bay to see where the oil was coming from so that you can work out what needs to be done to fix the leaks. :p

I have done it this way for decades, never had a problem.
 
Soldato
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I just rub over everything with a damp cloth occasionally from the shampooey water when washing the car to keep it presentable. Unless it's a show car, I don't see the benefit in having an absolutely spotless engine. As long as I can see if there are any leaks or any damage and it looks tidy, I'm happy.
 
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When I did work experience at a Volvo dealership the mechanic I was working with got in a V40 Diesel where the fuel return pipe on the injectors had split so was leaking diesel over the top of the engine.

After replacing the pipe he took it round to the pressure washer and with the engine cover off extensively jet washed the top of the engine right onto the injectors!

I was pretty mind blown I thought surely it was pushing water into the electrical connectors to the injectors at the very least.

I did question it and he seemed to think it was perfectly normal and had done it many times for this fairly common fuel leak fault on these engines!
 
Caporegime
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This is kind of to be expected using anything like that at a public car wash, by the time people have done their wheels, put the brush on the floor etc.

Anyone that bothered wouldn't be using one to wash their car.
It's pretty much the only legal way you can wash your car here.

You don't see huge scratches on every clean car. You're probably overemphasising the issue a little. :p
 
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It's pretty much the only legal way you can wash your car here.

You don't see huge scratches on every clean car. You're probably overemphasising the issue a little. :p

To be fair as it's the only way to do it you'll probably find people take a bit more care with the stuff whereas in the UK the attitude is much more **** it it's not my issue but yes there was probably a little dramatic emphasis as well.
 
Caporegime
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Why cant you just wash it at home like normal people do?

Local (city) bylaws. You can wash your (non dirty) car with water, but can't use any soap or other products if the water may enter a storm drain (basically you can't wash your car properly on your drive or in the street).

I've got by it by washing the car on the grass in my back garden before but that's not an option for most. :p Most people go to the commercial carwashes instead.

It's because all water from the roads discharge straight into the river, and as such the water can't be contaminated.
 
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