How do you do it?
Mine get so damn dirty.
I just spent the last 2 hours with a bottle of water in a windex bottle and a rag and cleaned most of it.

Now how can i keep it clean?
And is there an easier way?
thanks.

 

I use a hose without a nozzle and just rinse it off. Seems to work pretty good. Then put some armor all or something on it to make it look cleaner. Kinda the ghetto way, but it seems to work ok.

 

Why would u do that, thats ghetto alright, id rather have it dirty then hose it down, the best way would be steam clean but a hose?
whatever works 4u man, i personally woulndt do it.

 

I use a hose/spray myself. (The one's at those DIY carwash places). Never had a problem.

 

I keep my clean by simply washing it when I wash my car and after I am done drying the car I dry the engine bay parts that are most visible. I will NOT use ANY gloss material on in the engine bay as I think it looks cheeeeesy. You may have your on opinion no matter how wrong it may be.
l8tr -- SS

 

Ummm....steam will get in more places than water will. I thought you would all assume that I'd dry it off too, but I guess not. Basically I do the same thing as ssiperko, except I actually take care of my rubber parts under the hood. (that's what the armor all is for, mr. right)

 

personally i have not steam cleaned my engine, or hosed it down. that was my opinion to not hose it down due to all that water goin all over ur engine and get in your electrical parts, and hyea steam will do the same but there is a whole lot less water flyin around with steam clean then there is with a hose. and i never said anything about anything down because yeah i did assume u did. now it my personal advice to not hose down an engine becasue ive seen way too many cars get screwed up becasue of this, and u cant tell me i wrong about that. and yes steam cleaning can do the same thing mainly u dont want to get moisture into the comp, which i know isnt in the engine bay, but i still dont want to risk anything, thats why i said i wouldnt do it. and dont get all offensive and call me MR.right becasue i said i woulndt do it, do whatever works 4u thats just my advice.

 

Sorry about that...I was talking to ssiperko when I said that since my opinion was wrong.



I think that the high pressure sprayer is definitely a bad idea on the engine, but rinsing it with a hose without a nozzle shouldn't hurt it. Water gets in the engine bay every time it rains.

 

I don't know if it is an urban legend but I've heard that if you spray silicone-containing products in your engine bay, it may get thru the air intake system into your engine and could make your oxygen sensors fail. So avoid any silicone-based products in your engine bay.

 

This is probably the hard way, but I usually get some old rags and wet them down with plain old water and just clean every part I can get to one by one. I will usually use some Castrol Super Clean on the rag to clean the grease off everthing and a shop-vac to suck all the loose dirt and stuff where it accumalates on the flat spots down in the engine bay. A little armor all on the rubber hoses usually looks nice too. I usually do this every 6 months or so and its not that aggravating.

 

Most steam cleaning places will make you sign a paper releasing them of liability. Supossedly the temp of the steam sometimes crack some hoses... Mine is really dirty, and I think that I am gonna ask the nissan dealer where I go, if they have place they use.

 

i found this engine detailer stuff at autozone, just spray it on and rinse it off, supposed to work good. i'll let you know after i try tomorrow.

 

I have always sprayed engine degreaser on, then just hosed it off.

The funny thing is that once I paid $60 for a car wash to steam clean my engine- top and bottom. The next day, my tranny blew completely. No exaggeration. Whether or not it was related is still unknown to this day, but I was out $4000. I'm not taking the chance with steam ever again.

 

I just use a wet rag to clean any dirt or gunk. I use some amor all on a terry cloth spong to wipe down stuff that can use it. I don't do it for show, (not like I pull up to a light and show people my engine) I just do it to keep it clean and nice. It rains here is DC a lot, and the snow time is just mad with Chem. It pretty much stays looking like this all the time...

javascript:ShowImage('http://maxima.cardomain.com/member_pages/show_image.pl?image=190000-190999%2F190388_6_full.jpg', 432, 324)

 

your sig pic aint working....

 

Help a brother out


http://maxima.cardomain.com/member_p...388_6_full.jpg

 

I use a hose and my brain... i dont spray it all over, just on a few places on the engine, avoiding the intake. Mostly, I spray the fenders, plastic bits. Then I clean with a rag and degreaser, then rinse. I then finish up with that Amoral tire stuff that you dont have to rub, Tire Foam i believe. Spray that on anything plastic or rubber. Looks great, like it never left the dealers lot.

Done this once every couple months for 2 years.

 

High pressure wash every few weeks to clean up the engine. In 16+ years doing this I've never had a problem. I'm pretty selective in what I spray (avoid ignition/electrical stuff). In a heavy rain when you are driving at speed, I suspect the engine get as much water.

 

Have to agree with Jaws. We've been steam cleaning at the shop for almost 20 years, and have YET to have a problem with any cars. Some of the older stuff sometimes needed its caps blown out with air to get rid of the water, but that was about it. In this day and age, you can hit just about ALL of the electrical components (Not that we try!) and everything is sealed so tight. . .

 

I do the same. I have a Karcher electric pressure washer(K330M, 1400 psi). I use Castrol Cleaner sprayed all over the engine bay. Dont use any product that contain petroleum stuff, or you'll mess your driveway... Just make sure that you let the whole thing get dry before using your Max...

Good luck

 

Some degreaser and presure washer works. Then some tire dressing on the rubber makes it easy to wash it the next time.I have no problems. I don't recomend steam cleaning, it gets into the engine parts.

 

CD2 ENGINE DETAILER, i got it at autozone and i used it today, just spray the engine engine bay liberally let it set for 20 minutes, let thje car run for 5 and drive around for another 20. wipe off the little excess there will be. it cleaned it all and left a nice shine, for 2 bucks and i didn't use a whole bottle i will do it once a week.

 

Steve awsome cause i used the same stuff today

 

i'm happy with it, i'll do it with every car wash now.

 

The best way I have found is to use a high powered air gun. We have a commercial compressor at work with about 200 lbs and it works great. Don't get to close to the hoses b/c IT WILL pull them off.

 

I would clean off the engine bay with only a rag, but of course there are quicker ways.
I just get too picky.

-Frank

 

I just use the soapy water left over from washing the car and lightly scrub all the visible engine parts with a brush. Rinse it off with a light spray. Never had a problem. Oh...and cover your intake filter with a plastic bag!!

Tony

 

I usually just give it a good wipe down after every wash and it seems to stay clean but if I miss it a few times it gets gritty again and then I clean it with gunk engine brite. Just make sure to cover electronics and air filter if exposed and only clean while the engine is cool.

 

Just take it to a car wash and powe wash the damn thing, that is what ive been doing for years and then use black magic to go over that plastic parts so it shines

 

Just buy some engine degreaser and spray it around on the metal parts and spray 409 or Fantastik on everything else and then, about 5 minutes later, hose the sucker off. Do this in the sun so it will dry quickly and make sure to take off your exposed K&N filter before you drench your engine. Always worked for my previous cars with no problems. Haven't cleaned out the Max's bay yet

 

A citrus degreaser like orange clean is fairly safe and very effective. Wipe with damp rag. Voila. I avoid using armor all on my rubber parts cause it looks tacky with all that shine and the silicone in it has been known to cause rubber to crack. Try some meguiars vinyl and rubber protectant.

 

Not that it means anything but I follow a simple process and it seems to work for me.
Cover up all things that shouldn't get wet i.e. HKS twin power box, K&N Air filter etc....
Coat entire engine with Simple green, let soak...
Rinse...
Spray on engine dressing ...(Give anyone the site if interested..)
Remove plastic bags...
Close hood..
See results of my engine bay in Austin this past weekend..
http://www.maximanet.org/gallery/album43/abt
http://www.maximanet.org/gallery/album43/abu
BTW My motor always looks like this, this wasnt just for show..