How To Clean Engine

The engine is the heart of the car. It needs proper maintenance and regular cleaning for it to continue functioning similar to a new one. Before you wash your car, start by cleaning your engine and engine bay. This will allow you to wash and rinse off any form of degreaser that may reach painted parts. Also, cleaning the engine regularly will prevent rust from developing on it. Some of the biggest dangers that make the car engine rust are salt and road grime. Hence, rinsing the engine bay will help to prolong the life of your car’s engine. Follow the steps that we are going to discuss below for effective engine cleaning. This will avoid any engine spurts or cough for smooth and fun driving.

• Get rid of any dirt stuck in the engine bay

As you prepare to start cleaning your engine, remove any grass, twigs, leaves, or even any other form f debris from the engine bay. The debris can be a problem and even lead to fires if left in the engine or in the electrical system for a long period.

• Disconnect the battery

Applying water directly into your engine bay could lead to a number of dangers. Thus, you should loosen the bolt on the negative terminal on the battery and sliding the ground cable off of the terminal.

• Cover exposed wiring or electronics

Even though the engine is waterproof, wrapping plastic around some electrical parts can provide you a great level of safety. What you need to cover are the loose wires, spark plug inlet and the distributor cap, that is if your vehicle has one.

• Allow the engine to run for 5 minutes

The grease that is applied to the engine can be simple to remove when it is heated. Start the car and enable it to run for around five minutes. This will enable the engine to get to normal operating temperature and loosen any stuck-on grime.

• Degrease the engine

Acquire an engine degreaser of your choice so that you can utilize it to degrease the engine. Begin by spraying the degreaser from the bottom to the top. This will ensure that you cover the entire engine.

• Avoid getting any degreaser on painted parts

The engine greaser can remove clear coat from paint, so it is crucial to be very careful not to overspray while covering the engine. In case you find any degreaser on the fenders or other painted parts, rinse it off very first to prevent damaging the paint.

• Enable the degreaser to soak in for 3 to 5 minutes

The engine degreaser functions by removing the grime that is stuck on the engine. For engines that are not very dirty, 3 minutes are enough to loosen up the stuck grease. But when you have an extremely dirty engine, 5 minutes is okay before you rinse.

• Apply a stiff bristled brush to scrub stuck on grime

While the degreaser is still soaking on the engine, apply a stiff bristled or steel toothed brush to scrub away at any huge deposits of grease, burned oil or grime. It should be break loose very easily with the degreaser already applied.

• Rinse the engine with a normal hose

Avoid utilizing a high pressure hose to rinse the engine, as this may disconnect the wires or penetrate the plastic you used to cover electronics. A normal garden hose with the nozzle set to stream will rinse the engine very well and get rid of most of the grime.

• Wash the car

After rinsing the engine off, you should start washing your vehicle instantly. This will allow you to clean any engine degreaser off of painted parts before it has the chance to do any significant harm.

• Apply a wire brush on battery terminals

Since battery terminals usually corrode, this can cause electrical problems to your car. Remove the cables on the battery and apply a wire brush to scrub terminals until they are clean.

• Utilize baking soda and water to battery acid

If a leaking battery acid has caused corrosion to the battery, neutralize it by utilizing a mixture of water and baking soda. Place a portion of baking soda into a bucket of water and mix it very well. Then dip the brush in the mixture and apply it to scrub the battery terminals and any other sections that the acid may have leaked.

• Apply a stiff bristled brush and a sponge on plastic parts

Some areas of your engine may be very challenging to clean like the engine covers and reservoir parts. Begin by utilizing a stiff toothed, plastic bristled brush along with car wash soap or a degreaser. After getting rid of the hard to remove grime, apply a sponge with car wash soap to get the last of the grime off before rinsing the parts with water.

• Apply a brake cleaner to spot clean grime deposits

A brake cleaner breaks up grime and evaporates very fast. Place a straw into the nozzle of the brake cleaner and direct it at hard to clean areas where the grime is specifically clean thick. Utilize a hard toothed brush to scrub the grime away, then spray it again with brake cleaner to rinse it.

Conclusion

Ensure you clean your engine and engine bay regularly by following the steps that we’ve discussed above. This will prolong the life of your engine and you will as well enjoy driving your car.