Can Engine be sprayed at car wash?
January-9th-2003, 05:30 PM
#16
MazdaTeam
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Catch me if you can
Posts: 501
Originally posted by Maxx Mazda
Ok, I guess I'm an "expert" in this field,.....I've washed my engine at least once or twice a week for about 6 months now, and I've had no problems whatsoever. What's the big deal?
Your engine was washed before you bought the car!
Ok, I guess I'm an "expert" in this field,.....I've washed my engine at least once or twice a week for about 6 months now, and I've had no problems whatsoever. What's the big deal?
Your engine was washed before you bought the car!
wow thanks for the nice info maxx mazda. It's good thing to know don't need to cover the engine~
but i will still cover up the battery for high pressure wash
anyway that was really nice info to know!!! thanks again
btw, what do u mean by hoodliner???
January-9th-2003, 05:41 PM
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 1,122
Originally posted by Maxx Mazda
....The plug wires have rubber seals built in to combat this exact issue, and you'd have a damn hard time getting water to the plugs. <snip>
I don't see what the big deal is... "Cover this, remove that..." C'mon... Everything under that hood is sealed against moisture for a reason. Not nessicarily for washing the engine, but from humid areas, rainstorms, puddles, etc.
I've washed my engine at least once or twice a week for about 6 months now, and I've had no problems whatsoever.
....The plug wires have rubber seals built in to combat this exact issue, and you'd have a damn hard time getting water to the plugs. <snip>
I don't see what the big deal is... "Cover this, remove that..." C'mon... Everything under that hood is sealed against moisture for a reason. Not nessicarily for washing the engine, but from humid areas, rainstorms, puddles, etc.
I've washed my engine at least once or twice a week for about 6 months now, and I've had no problems whatsoever.
The rubber seals on the plug holes on our cars really don't do a whole lot; rather than having a lip on the valve cover that positively seals the plug boot (like almost every other car I've owned), the "rubber seal" is just a flat sheet of rubber that sits on top of the valve cover. It's a pretty poor design. After the plug wires are a couple of years old and the "seals" have shrunk a bit from sitting on top of a hot engine, the corners peel up and they offer virtually no sealing ability at all.
I didn't offer my precautions because some guy on the Internet told me to do this; I wrote them because I HAVE experienced this problem. So has Foxymazda. So has Hunter Smith, formerly of Protegetech.com fame. In fact, Mazda has issued TSB's for other cars (the Miata and MX-6) warning about this problem.
When it happens to you, don't say that you haven't been warned.
January-9th-2003, 05:50 PM
#18
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: San Diego, CA.
Posts: 128
At the self service bays try using the no spot (Deionized Water) and the pressure from this will be low enough to be safe, plus it won't spot your engine.
Also try using a detail spray kit available at any auto parts store called CD2. This kit has degreaser and engine shine spray cans. The degreaser is supposed to be safe for gaskets and won't tear down your paint, and the shine spray won't smoke when the engine get's hot.
________
Vaporizer volcano
Also try using a detail spray kit available at any auto parts store called CD2. This kit has degreaser and engine shine spray cans. The degreaser is supposed to be safe for gaskets and won't tear down your paint, and the shine spray won't smoke when the engine get's hot.
________
Vaporizer volcano
Last edited by slikpro; August-29th-2011 at 07:37 PM.
January-9th-2003, 06:53 PM
#19
MazdaTeam
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Catch me if you can
Posts: 501
Hmmm.....
Just tell me this, do i need to cover the whole engine bay or just where spark plugs are?
BTW I bought the Mazda engine degreaser from dealer.
It supposed to be really nice product according to ZMZMP5.
Just tell me this, do i need to cover the whole engine bay or just where spark plugs are?
BTW I bought the Mazda engine degreaser from dealer.
It supposed to be really nice product according to ZMZMP5.
January-9th-2003, 08:47 PM
#20
I am TEH W1N!!!
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,076
Chris,
Has your car got the 2.0L? If so, the boots should be sealing well. I check mine every time I wash the engine bay, and after a year of doing so, they show no signs of wear whatsoever. To each their own, but I love being able to pop my hood and show off the "bling." Keeping clean is great maintenence as well...
Has your car got the 2.0L? If so, the boots should be sealing well. I check mine every time I wash the engine bay, and after a year of doing so, they show no signs of wear whatsoever. To each their own, but I love being able to pop my hood and show off the "bling." Keeping clean is great maintenence as well...
January-10th-2003, 07:05 AM
#21
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 173
I guess the engine needs to be fairly cold to start with! I am convinced now that I am going to do the car wash underhood clean. I recently seen the setting at the self serve car wash and wondered. I will cover the plugs battery,fuses, and altenator, the rest will shine. Hope this is right! I'm convinced 
January-10th-2003, 09:48 AM
#22
Hu Flung Pu
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: San Salvador, El Salvador
Posts: 341
Originally posted by Maxx Mazda
After all is clean, you may or may not wish to dry some parts to keep them from spotting (my chrome Injen CAI for example) but other than that, you're good to go. 10 mins of normal driving will create enough heat to completely boil off all remaining water.
After all is clean, you may or may not wish to dry some parts to keep them from spotting (my chrome Injen CAI for example) but other than that, you're good to go. 10 mins of normal driving will create enough heat to completely boil off all remaining water.
If you want to keep your engine from getting water spots, you can always use a small shopvac and set it to blow... then just blow off most of the water from your engine instead of letting it dry on there. That should probably help a little to prevent rust as well.
January-10th-2003, 02:27 PM
#23
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 40
Will do...
I think that the gerneral consensus here is to go for it...with a little bit of "don't say I didn't warn you"...The next time I go to the car wash I will inspect the boots and if they seem tight I am going to go for it...no holds barred...ya baby yaaa.....
January-10th-2003, 09:34 PM
#24
I Can Be Teh W1N!!!!
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,870
i spray degreaser all over my engine bay, then i spray the everywhere but i never hold the end of the nozzel close to any components, its always at least a meter away (just nuff to rinse off the crap) the i let it dry and spray this shine stuff on it (kinda like armor all) this is what the dealer does before they send it out. "Super Dress" is written on the bottle, and they spray it on tires, the interior, engine bay to make it look shiny and new
January-14th-2003, 05:08 AM
#25
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 129
Good Information guys. Never had cause to clean an engine before but I love my P5 and want to take the best care of it I possibly can.
Can you all share the brands of engine degreaser and shine treatments you use?
And when your saying you just spray into the engine bay, I am assuming your just spraying liberally in the engine bay on the engint with a hose careful not to get any water into the top of engine in the spark plug area (I'll be sure to seal it off). Any other areas to avoid too much water aside from the MAS in the middle of my Injen and the battery?
Can you all share the brands of engine degreaser and shine treatments you use?
And when your saying you just spray into the engine bay, I am assuming your just spraying liberally in the engine bay on the engint with a hose careful not to get any water into the top of engine in the spark plug area (I'll be sure to seal it off). Any other areas to avoid too much water aside from the MAS in the middle of my Injen and the battery?
January-14th-2003, 09:13 AM
#26
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 69
Go to www.autopia.org, it's a forum about detailing your car and you will find lots of articles and info.
January-14th-2003, 09:29 AM
#27
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MO
Posts: 100
they have an engine cleaner tool at home depot i think 13 bucks, its a air hose attachemtns long sprayer you hook it up with a small hose in carb cleaner or whatever and you can degrease your motor, it works KICK ***. i mean looks brand freaking new and no effort and since there is no water or like a big stream you can clean only what you wanna clean, cheap tool, works great, GO GET ONE!
January-14th-2003, 12:43 PM
#28
I am TEH W1N!!!
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,076
Like I said before jrodhotrod, don't worry about getting anything wet. It's all meant to be wet, and getting it wet won't hurt anything. Your Injen is sealed well enough to keep water out of the MAF, and the battery won't matter. Just don't let the water conduct between the 2 poles or you'll short out. Go ahead and soak the spark plugs, they'll be fine. I wash my entire engine without covering anything once every other day almost... (More like every third.) And for a year nothing has been affected.
January-14th-2003, 09:01 PM
#29
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sugar Land, Texas
Posts: 190
*phew* oh man, I've always been scared to wash under my hood b/c I was afraid of screwing something up. Not anymore!! Muahahaha!!! Off to the car wash I go, weeeee....
....oh, no wait, I'm stuck at work
....oh, no wait, I'm stuck at work
