Washing Engine Compartment
 

Can anyone give me instructions on how to do a quick cleanup under the hood of my Protie without damaging anything? (I've heard it's really easy to damage the spark plugs with water.) I'm getting the car ready to sell.

Re: Washing Engine Compartment
 

yes

a lot of detailing companies also steam clean engines. Call and ask around a bit.

Eh, every time I wash my car I just take the hose and spray off the engine bay. I've done this for the past 3 years and it hasn't hurt anything yet.

step 1: spray degreaser on entire engine bay
step 2: blast it off with pressure washer (do not hold on washer nozzle down on any components for more than 1/4 second)
step: 3: dry

When doing this it is important to cover up things like the alternator, spark plugs, and other electronics. I also wouldn't degrease/wash the engine if you had plans later that day in case anything else did get wet and needed to take time to dry. Also, after you do wash the engine, start the car and let it run to dry up some of the water.

What's the difference between having things to do later on in the day, thus having to start the engine, and starting the engine after washing it? It just seems like kind of a contradictory statement to me...

I think he means in case it DOESN'T start...

No you don't. I work at a dealership. So does pr5owner. I wash my engine off like once a week and nothing has been hurt for a whole year now.

Exactly my point.

When I degreased and power washed my Camry, I covered the alternator, distributor cap and other various electronics. After I was done washing, the car would not start. Apparently some water got where it wasn't supposed to. I'm just saying you never know where the water might get to.

I've never had a problem with my Protege.

My friend was doing an engine swap on his 85 T-Bird and he drove his front end into a lake and let his engine run under water for like 5 minutes. That thing was a tank, nothing could stop it.


Another neat trick was seeing how long it could run without oil... A WHOLE WEEK. I swear that's impossible.

lol thats great for the engine...anywho when i was a mechanic we used to wash engines out all the time with pressure washers and then blow it try with an air line and NEVER had a problem doing it, though we were working on mercedes, bmws, and porches mostly (a little better built than camrys)

how is that possible. One stroke in one cylinder of the engine and it would injest a butt load of water and seize the engine. Was the engine compartment water tight???