I want to clean my engine bay and people tell me to spray it down. Im worried about spraying water into my engine bay to have it cleaned... how safe is it to spray your engine with water? I know people do this all the time like dealers and stuff so how bad can it possibly be? Any safe/proper way to do it?

Thanks,

Matt

 

Don't worry about it. If you have a pressure hose, just make sure you keep the nozzle a good distance away from the parts so it doesn't do any damage. if you ahve just a regular hose, spray away. Spray some solvent over the entire engine bay to eat at the grease and spray it all away. Be sure to cover up any aftermarket parts you have with a bag (mainly an intake, etc.)

 

Make sure to cover up any electronics that you won't want to get wet so they don't short or anything. If I were you, go to Autozone and look for some degreasing spray stuff. I used a foam type and it worked WONDERS. I can't remember the name of the stuff but check out your local Autozone and see what they got.

 

I detailed my engine bay using regular engine degreaser and a tooth brush...I took it very slowly and made sure I didn't over spray...I removed my intake and battery completely and took the whole process slow...

Let it sit for 10 minutes after you are done...then lightly spray away...here are the results

 

Looks great!.....but when you gettin' some new hood struts?

Or is it CF?

 

yeah its a cf hood...i still have my hood struts sitting in the garage...i will put it back on soon...once i swap hoods...i'm too scared to use struts on the CF

 

Will simple green cleaning solution work or is that trash? I know one time my dad and I used the engine degreaser they had at the car wash, but they don't have it anymore, or I'm sure u could use the tire cleaner

 

As a detailer, I am cleaning engines on a daily basis. We use an industrial level "orange crush" cleaner in a pressure tank, and it works really well. From my experience, a little bit of all purpose cleaner (simple green, etc) and a stiff brush will take care of grimey hoses and plastics if the degreaser doesn't get it all.

Also, if available, use an air hose to purge excess water from the ewngine bay. Finally, follow up with Mother's interior protectant to shine rubber and plastics. This is an oil free formula, so it leaves a deep shine without the greasy armor-all look.

At most "pay-n-spray" washes (esp. in Houston, I used to live there), the tire and engine cleaner are the same thing, as marked on the car wash dial. If in doubt, grab the Simple Green, as it is a good standby.

For the record, here's a pic of my engine after a good detail:

 

I just purchased my wife a maxima, went to autozone and bought the engine degreaser, followed instructions. Let engine cool down, sprayed on and let sit for 15 min. Then used water hose to clean. The let dry. Car was fine. Then I put on the engine shine. Car ran fine the next morning and evening and now won't start. It tries to turn over but acts like no spark. I checked all fuses. Does anyone have suggestions before I take it to the nissan dealer

 

pull a coilpack and see if you got water in the spark plug holes

 

I just did it yesterday! Everything is fine just make sure you let your engine cool down for like 30 mins if you spray down a hot engine it could crack the head.

 

Also, don't forget to cover the battery, air intake, and other sensitive components in the engine bay.