washing engine bay

[Gankaz]

i got an s15, pretty much standard... is it safe to just spray high preasure water/soap/grease remover, etc. straight onto the engine bay?? will i get water in my cilinders n on my spark plugs n stuff?? its got like a lil cover on it...u seen the pics of standard s15 bay right?....could some 1 tell me if its safe?

thanks

[tnord]

yes it's safe, if you have an open element air filter cover it. don't apply constant heavy pressure to the plugs or distributor, wave the wand over these areas quickly and you'll be fine.

[sykikchimp]

Well, since you have a cover over your sparkplugs/coil packs then I wouldn't worry to much about spraying water on the engine.  My roomie used to work at a dodge dealership detailing cars and the procedure for washing engines was this:

Spray down COLD engine with STRONG degreaser
let sit for 2-3 min.
Spray off with High Pressur sprayer.  (just be mindful of electrical plugs)
let dry
spray on silicone sealent (tire wet type stuff)

Done.

[drifterx]

i do it all the time.,... only watch out for a few things..... dont use high pressure on your distibutor, fuse box, relay box, and whatever electrical you may see..... also your intake especially if u have an aftermarket filter

[sleepermode]

i dont know if this has something to do with spraying water but the first time i got my car the digital speedometer worked fine. until my dad sprayed degreeser and water in the engine bay it stopped working on cold days. but on hot days it turns on. but i think that it was like that before i got the car.

[240meowth]

damn you autrilians! i want an s15!  from wha i've heard, you can spray "simple green" and hose it off.  don't know if u guys got simple green there =b

[Zexel]

keep your car running!  no matter what you spray on there and where you're spraying.  believe me, it sounds like common sense, I know, but I've seen people wash out their engine bay with their car off.  it was ridiculous.

[tnord]

please explain why this is so rediculous......i've worked in detail for 5 years and nobody does this with the car running

[DrDubbleB]

Yeah, it's actually a bad idea to spray it while it's running.  Think about it, you are going from a high temperature to a low temperature instantly, that's an easy way to crack a block.  And if you are spraying degreaser on there, that's an easy way to start a fire...bad idea.  Do it with the engine cold, then spray off with water, and then turn on the engine to speed up the drying process.

[whateverjames]

very true. my neighbor cracked his block on his lawnmower. he'd spray it off every week right after he got done cutting the grass. d'oh.

[Gankaz]

heheh cool, thx alot guys!! &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

[SSJ2Gohan]

I wash mine about once a month. &nbsp; With the engine off and with it cooled down.

I get a strong degreaser and spray liberally on all engine parts covering battery terminals and my aftermarket filter since its exposed. &nbsp;Then I let it sit for about 10 mins and then spray it off. &nbsp;I run the engine about 15 minutes to dry it up and cloth dry any severely damp sections. &nbsp;Finally I spray a detailing spray on everything to give it that new "shine"

My engine has 87000 miles on it and it looks like a brand new engine. &nbsp;I think cleaning the engine is a good idea anyways. &nbsp;I mean all that dirt and grime cannot be good for the parts.

[prInce]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (sykikchimp @ April 15 2002,11:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">spray on silicone sealent (tire wet type stuff)</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
sparying silicone sealant is a very bad idea. &nbsp;It eats the belts and hoses. &nbsp;This is not my opinion, I saw this on "Auto week" or something like that on tv last month.

other than that, washin is just fine <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[tnord]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (DrDubbleB @ April 16 2002,5:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Yeah, it's actually a bad idea to spray it while it's running. Think about it, you are going from a high temperature to a low temperature instantly, that's an easy way to crack a block. And if you are spraying degreaser on there, that's an easy way to start a fire...bad idea. Do it with the engine cold, then spray off with water, and then turn on the engine to speed up the drying process.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
while i suppose cracking the block is possible....it's not like you're taking an engine after a few laps on the track and submerging it in 30 degree water......i find it hard to believe spraying the external exremities will alter temperature that quickly.......

but what do i care......we use steaming hot water anyway

[bbp]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"> sparying silicone sealant is a very bad idea. &nbsp;It eats the belts and hoses</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

That stuff also attrcts dust, looks good for the moment, but will collect more dirt than normal.

The cold water on a hot engine is not a good idea, I would be more worried about the aluminium head, exhaust manifold/header flange warping. &nbsp;

I just spray it with some Simple Green (great stuff) let it sit, hose it down with my garden hose, drink beer, wash the rest of the car &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':cool:'> &nbsp; a perfect sunday afternoon <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':love:'>

[sykikchimp]

Ok.. &nbsp;Sorry.. &nbsp;Brain fart. &nbsp;They make tire(rubber) dressing that is not silicone that works REALLY well. &nbsp;and does not eat your hoses. &nbsp;Belts are different. &nbsp;You should use only belt dressing on them. &nbsp;(shoulda been more specific) &nbsp;OR you could just buy a product made for engine dressing.

I've used silicone stuff on my engine before and had no problems. &nbsp;I don't see how it could hurt your hoses though. &nbsp;They are made of the same kind of rubber thats in your tires. (sorta) &nbsp;It's a little messy when it's still drying. &nbsp;I spray the whole bay down, then go back over it with a shop rag and smooth it all out.

And you would think that stuff attracts dust, but a month later and my engine is still spotless...