View Full Version : Engine compartment cleaning
Does anyone know of a good degreaser to clean out the engine compartment?
I would just like to give it a general clean to remove all the sand and salt that has built up over the winter.
Thanks
T_Totler
05-08-2006, 08:38 PM
Year/make of the car?
Depending on the severity of the grease and dirt,
Spray Nine Orange lightning degreaser $6.99 at Canadian Tire
Castrol Super Clean also at Canadian Tire I think about $10
Now if you have never done this before, be very careful around the electrical componants, maybe even protect them with heavy duty tin foil. Also spray the painted areas around the engine compartment and do not let the cleaner sit on the paint or it can damage it severly
04 sunfire. I have never done it on this car. This is the first car I have owned that is computer controlled. Usually in the past I would remove the air filter, and plug it with a clean rag. Id then remove the battery, and cover the motor around the spark plugs, and around the distributor with foil. Semmes like allot of work, and with all the sensors now in this car perhaps ill take the dealer on that summer clean up that they have going, $28 to clean just the engine compartment. It seems a bit pricy but the engine compartment is very dirty.
T_Totler
05-08-2006, 09:41 PM
You might be better off to have it done by a pro FBI....
Cars today aren't like those of olden days where you can just spray and go nuts. There are a lot of high tech components in there.
I'd leave it to a pro just to be safe.
MSE OP
05-08-2006, 09:43 PM
I have rinsed off the grime with a high pressure hose, no problems
didn't protect anything just didn't focus on the electrical wires very long, its all sealed so...
Steve
05-08-2006, 11:06 PM
providing your car is stock, the only thing you would have to do is cover the alternator with a plastic bag, and you can also disconnect the battery.
wet the engine down with a regular hose, not pressure washer. get simple green degreaser, spary it all over the engine, let it sit for 10-15 min. spary it off with the hose. if you can, dry the engine compartment with a leaf blower.
Dr.Dan
05-09-2006, 12:22 AM
CTC have Orange engine cleaner that works well too. Use it as per instuctions on the can.
Avoid direct stream of water on the distributor and other electronics.
For them to get wet is OK, you just don't want to force water into them with direct stream of water.
There's really not much to worry about on that car other than the same stuff as older cars... so don't worry too much about it.
Perhaps.. I think though ill pay a pro to do it. The last thing I need is to find out water has gotten into a sensor or something causing problems. I think ill spend some time and find a detail shop near my home and get it done by them.
thanks...
Well I got it done at the local detail shop. It looks good. They also used some sort of a spray that gives the motor and surrounding area's a nice shiny effect.
Looks amazing.
Cheers All and thanks for the help
sickcars
05-18-2006, 09:30 AM
Well I got it done at the local detail shop. It looks good. They also used some sort of a spray that gives the motor and surrounding area's a nice shiny effect.
Looks amazing.
Cheers All and thanks for the help
If you dont mind me asking, where did you go and how much did you pay for this to be done?? Also any pics you can post of it?
Thanks
glitch
05-18-2006, 10:23 AM
I too would like to know this.
Well I got it done at the local detail shop. It looks good. They also used some sort of a spray that gives the motor and surrounding area's a nice shiny effect.
Looks amazing.
Cheers All and thanks for the help
Good, one thing to be carefull of is that the shop does not use a silicone based dressing, although it does look great over time it will damage your belts and hoses. A water based emulsion dressing is best for the engine compartment and on the rubber around the doors.
Well I was going to do it at the dealer, but they were very busy. I was referred to the Krown dealer on Lakeshore, where I had the job done. I also found a place on St Clair called Extreme Detailing. It cost me $25 just to do the engine compartment. I was also going to get them to wish the car, but I rather wash it myself on a nice sunny day. Also that spray they placed is only on the top part of the motor, and on the motor cover. They also have placed a detail spray on the firewall, and on the inner side of the fenders. That should help keep the dirt and sand from sticking on the inside again. They did a nice job.
sickcars
05-18-2006, 03:09 PM
Well I was going to do it at the dealer, but they were very busy. I was referred to the Krown dealer on Lakeshore, where I had the job done. I also found a place on St Clair called Extreme Detailing. It cost me $25 just to do the engine compartment. I was also going to get them to wish the car, but I rather wash it myself on a nice sunny day. Also that spray they placed is only on the top part of the motor, and on the motor cover. They also have placed a detail spray on the firewall, and on the inner side of the fenders. That should help keep the dirt and sand from sticking on the inside again. They did a nice job.
Very nice & clean and $25 is not to expensive i would of thought it would be more expensive.
I'll keep Krown in mind If I ever go do rust proofing there I'll get them to clean my engine as well.
Thanks
Well I was going to do it at the dealer, but they were very busy. I was referred to the Krown dealer on Lakeshore, where I had the job done. I also found a place on St Clair called Extreme Detailing. It cost me $25 just to do the engine compartment. I was also going to get them to wish the car, but I rather wash it myself on a nice sunny day. Also that spray they placed is only on the top part of the motor, and on the motor cover. They also have placed a detail spray on the firewall, and on the inner side of the fenders. That should help keep the dirt and sand from sticking on the inside again. They did a nice job.
$25 is average for just a engine shampoo, looks good.
The dressing is always applied from the top(it's the easiest way). It won't stop the dirt etc. from sticking but it will rinse away easier with just water to keep it cleaner. As I said though a water based emulsion dressing is best as it wont eat away at your rad hoses and belt. A silicone based dressing will.
glitch
05-28-2006, 02:54 PM
Sorry to bring this topic up again.
So what does Krown use? Silicone or water based emulsion dressing?
Sorry to bring this topic up again.
So what does Krown use? Silicone or water based emulsion dressing?
To get that info I would need to know the brand name of the dressing or read the msds sheet.
water based
http://www.krown.com/pdf/lvr-eng.pdf
glitch
05-28-2006, 05:14 PM
water based
http://www.krown.com/pdf/lvr-eng.pdf
Thanks Taz. Much appreciated.
About four weeks ago I cleaned our Toyota Camry Engine with tide in a pump sprayer, let it soak and reapplied it then power washed the engine. 2nd time same as the first again , It was real dirty after 200,000 Km + and some small seal leaks after all the total is over 300,000 mainly trouble free Km.
Well I power washed a bit too long and the result was; On first try starting the Toyota it fired up no problem, smooth as ever until I put the car into Drive; it died right there. I tried over and over to start it but now it fired and ran ruff as it was missing a spark so I shut it down and checked the plug wires. Two of the sparkplugs were drowning in their own pool of water do to the fact that the sparkplugs on this car are installed 6" down in a vertical tube in the top of the head . Two of the tubes were half full of water it’s a wonder it even started the first time.
To remove the water I hooked up my shop vacuum to a small piece of aquarium air line and sucked out the water but that was still not enough to dry it all out so I then used my air compressor and really blew out the moisture.
Tried to start the car again and it fired right up smooth as can be once again; so I let it run for five minutes to heat up and dry everything off then I backed out of the driveway and put it into drive and got one house away and it died again on the road. I then opened up the distributor cap which sits sideway on this engine and some water ran out; everything was a little more than moist in there so I used compressed air to dry it out and all was well again hopefully for the next 300,000 Kms.
This is the very first time I have ever had problems with a Toyota after power washing a engine but then again My last Toyotas all had a heavy rubber boot sealing the distributor but that is now gone on Toyota vehicle as to their cost cutting.
It says something about Toyotas that it would even start at all.
Next time I will have to use a little more caution then I have ever before.
All this trouble because My plug was not firing while working.
Hope someone learns from this exercise.
glitch
05-29-2006, 12:46 PM
^
Now I know for sure that I would rather have it done professionally after reading all that.
MSE OP
05-29-2006, 01:43 PM
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/447000-447999/447399_3_full.jpg
simple pressure washer, no problems starting it
Well like I say. Its a comfort thing. I do not trust the idea of using a pressure washer to clean under the hood. Rather pay to get it done. Also I found out that krown now charges more money to clean under the hood. Looks like they upped the price since I have done it..
glitch
05-29-2006, 02:43 PM
Well like I say. Its a comfort thing. I do not trust the idea of using a pressure washer to clean under the hood. Rather pay to get it done. Also I found out that krown now charges more money to clean under the hood. Looks like they upped the price since I have done it..
They said they it was never $25. Would you be able send me a scan/picture of your receipt so that I can have it price matched or something?
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