Under hood cleaning

[Jwood70]

So, i'm feeling energetic. So, for my V's 200,000 mile birthday, I wanted to do a wash and wax. I can handle that no problem.


What I dont know about it the under hood I want to do. Is there anything under the hood (electronics wise) that I should look out for? I kinda figure that since it drives through rain, it can handle a cleaning.

Anyone have any experience with this?

[jeprox]

i always clean (degrease) the engine of my cars.
if you car have a distributor, spark plug wires are sort of exposed and not covered by those plastic trims... pay attention to them. maybe try n cover them up with some kind of plastic before you blast away.

i always warm up my engine and leave it running and then spray degreaser on the engine. wait for about 1 minute or so. hose it off with water. dont apply too much water pressure coz you dont want water going in to where it's not supposed to go. after hosing off the degreaser, i fire up the compressor and give the engine a quick blow-dry. :D
i do all these with the engine running.

[Jwood70]

Thanks, I was thinking that was how I did it on my old Frontier (r.i.p).

[Radar24]

I do not see any reason for running the engine while cleaning under the hood. It is more likely that you will get water in the alternator and other accessory bearings if you do that. The seals are not 100% waterproof and you can wash away some of the grease resulting in noisy bearings before their time. Say at 60k miles instead of 100k+ miles. The only time you can get into starting problems is you get hot parts of the engine wet, creating steam during or after cleaning. The steam can and often does find its way into the distributor causing engine misfire or worst yet they will not start at all. Removing the cap will then be necessary to dry the inside of the distributor allowing it to start.

A barely warm engine is OK but never hot IMO . You can risk cracking the cast iron exhaust manifold if you have one when the engine is too hot. Possibly aluminum too.

Other than that as long as you blow away the connectors and the engine after you are done I have never had problems. Possibly a few misfires but that is about it.

I do it every spring to wash away all of the salt spray and grime you pick up on the highways coated with salt and sand in the winter. Of course in NC that is not much of a problem or is it?

On especially dirty areas you can spray a cold engine with a small amount of kerosene. Or with an once or two in a small container, brush the dirty areas. Then let the kerosene dissolve all of the grime 15-30 minutes before you spray it with water. I do not know how anti green that is but I figure it cannot be much worse than a can of GUNK spayed on the engine. It certainly is much cheaper. The new ECO friendly cleaners probably have the least impact on the ecology but I do not think work as well.

As a final touch wiping the entire area with an old clean towel does a nice job of cleaning all painted areas. Then I normally spray all aluminum with WD-10 or any other light spray lubricant avoiding the rubber and wiring harnesses as much as possible. Silicone can probably be sprayed on everything to shine and reduce corrosion.

Whatever you spray read the warning labels to make sure it is safe.

-RG

[Jwood70]

well, In the NC mountains, any time they call for any kind of snow or winter condition, they spread salt, slag, and sand. They really go overkill on this.

[Radar24]

Great Smoky Mountains?

But Lenoir NC is near the coast and not the moutains.
You must travel a lot.

-RG

[Jwood70]

Um, No, that would be Lenoir County. I live in Caldwell county. Lenoir is the county seat of Caldwell county.

[12sec_tC]

hey man go to a coin op use the tire stuff spray down the engine let it sit then rinse it out with the pressure washer. thats how we did it at the mist

[Radar24]

I did not write about it since with all the pressure you have to b e extremely careful to stay away from bearings and the distributor. It can also take paint right off!

I use the coin wash too sometime. Mostly on the frame and heavy dirty greasy areas maybe we use soap. Without any pre-wash at all.

We mostly use high pressure ordinary water.
That is how Yankees do it up north! :)

One problem is they do not have air compressors at the quarter wash either so you can dry it when you are done.

It might be best to try using tap water pressure and have a compressor plus tools nearby.

Before you try doing it the hillbilly way. :D

-RG

[Jwood70]

Before you try doing it the hillbilly way. :D

-RG

we dont need any name calling here.

I know we have used this method before and had no problems with the vehicle. I was just asking about any other methods other people have used with success.

[Radar24]

we dont need any name calling here.

I know we have used this method before and had no problems with the vehicle. I was just asking about any other methods other people have used with success.

Hey lighten up man!

No name calling intended. I could be wrong but hillbillies is term used for dwellers of more remote and mountainous areas than those of the beautiful Carolinas. Heck my first girlfriend was from North Carolina. What a sweetheart! And the accent; to this day I still love it on women.

I actually though about not using it but figured with a :D it would fly as intended. The car wash method is kind of crude or more advanced depending how skilled you are. The high pressure can take paint right off and force dirt and water into bearings if you are not extremely careful. Like drop starting a chain saw. Not a big deal for a pro but not the best method for beginner. :confused:

For those from Appalachia or the Ozark mountains, my apologies.
No offensive content intended, just a play on words, Northern versus Southerner's culture and habits.

For that matter I was born about 1500 miles from New England so I’m not even a Yankee!

Peace!
-RG

[Jwood70]

Its ok, no harm no foul.

I agree with your about the bay washes. I have worked at a car wash and we would use them for the pre-soak on some of our wash packages. I have used them for long enough that I am confident in my ability.

oh and fyi, calling us hillbillys is a sign of ignorance. While the area I/we live in isn't a urban area, we are a little more advanced. There are areas of the county where the term hillbilly would apply. But I am just a southerner. I may talk slow, but I am not slow.

[Radar24]

I have worked at a car wash and we would use them for the pre-soak on some of our wash packages. I have used them for long enough that I am confident in my ability.

Precisely. You are comfortable but those less skilled have no business doing so. That was one point I was trying to make.

In any event do you have any feedback about what the failure rate of all those alternators and A/C compressors in the vehicles carefully pressure car-washed?

I used to wonder how come I would only get 30-60k miles out bearings before they felt rough during belt changes. Sometimes they even seized. I stopped using the car-wash or stayed far away from the belt end using only water if I did and guess what? You got it; much more than 60k miles life. Even at over 80k miles and they felt smooth. To the point that though not recommended, on hard to get bearings low on lubricant I have cleaned and re-lubed them. Getting much more life out of them.

True, this was on different vehicles which tended to have bigger and heavier duty bearings recently. Although the bearing seal technology was probably about the same in both cases.

So in reality it was not a valid evaluation. Just a trend indication of longer life due to one or more reasons.

Now here is the important part again, are you comfortable telling someone with unknown skill level to use a quarter car-wash?

Based on what I know I am not.

I’m not even touching the HB word again with a pole the length of a Sycamore tree. :D

Peace,

-RG

I'm not sure but isn't using the word attribute 'ignorant' name calling? :)
Kind of like the kettle calling the pot black.
OH NO! Who am I slandering now? :)

[12sec_tC]

I did not write about it since with all the pressure you have to b e extremely careful to stay away from bearings and the distributor. It can also take paint right off!

I use the coin wash too sometime. Mostly on the frame and heavy dirty greasy areas maybe we use soap. Without any pre-wash at all.

We mostly use high pressure ordinary water.
That is how Yankees do it up north! :)

One problem is they do not have air compressors at the quarter wash either so you can dry it when you are done.

It might be best to try using tap water pressure and have a compressor plus tools nearby.

Before you try doing it the hillbilly way. :D

-RG


what are you talking about??? a distributor hasnt been on car since 1990 at the latest, also what bearings??? do you clean your engine with the valve cover off or something? and I hate to tell you 150psi which is what all coin ops are set at by law will not take paint off. Your engine is designed to be driven in torrential downpours the only way a coin op could hurt your engine by cleaning it there is if you had a distributor cap and you got it wet you would have to let it sit for about an hour to dry out then it would start right up. Im sry but were not hillbillys so insults are kinda pushing it

[electric V]

Why not just clean out the engine the old fashioned way. Take every part out clean it one at a time and place it back in. It is the best way and you can get a show car finish but it also takes the longest.

Once a month I spend roughly 4 hours washing my V. I like it to have a show car apperence. I just hand wash it, dry it, clay bar wax it, and buff it by hand. I do this all by myself because I don't want anyone in my family to do a less than satisfactory job.

Radar 24 was just joking around leave the guy alone. Don't get in an argument with him either because you will always lose:D.

[Radar24]

what are you talking about??? a distributor hasnt been on car since 1990 at the latest, also what bearings??? do you clean your engine with the valve cover off or something? and I hate to tell you 150psi which is what all coin ops are set at by law will not take paint off. Your engine is designed to be driven in torrential downpours the only way a coin op could hurt your engine by cleaning it there is if you had a distributor cap and you got it wet you would have to let it sit for about an hour to dry out then it would start right up. Im sry but were not hillbillys so insults are kinda pushing it

12sec_tc,
Your post is not even worth a response. But…In general TC, some vehicles still have distributors as of 2003. I have one sitting in my driveway right now. Also a second ’97 with distributor. That is what I am talking about. In general!

Oh that hurts; you think I am cleaning my engine with my valve covers off. Let me compose myself. I’m going to be all black and blue. All sore in the AM.

FYI it only takes a few PSI to blow crud right past a bearing seal into a bearing. Even 40 PSI household tap water with the correct nozzle is more than adequate. If you read my long posts completely you will read that I too used to use the quarter car wash. So what is your point getting all flustered?

Manufacturers these days shield engines and bays in general as much as possible. To keep road splash out where it can reduce reliability. Except for a Hummer which is not even as water tight as the Hummve from which it was derived (gen 1). Or maybe a Range Rover made for use in Africa or other minimally paved areas where fording streams is common. Sorry but the CR-V is a toy compared to those vehicles. They are truly made to get wet!

About bearings, does your CR-V have an alternator, an A/C, one or two drive sprockets on the cam or cams, the harmonic balancer attached to the crank, water pump, starter, idlers and tensioners...? FYI every one of those locations has either a sealed bearing(s) or even more susceptible a non-sealed bushing or a sealed cam/crank main bearings. There is no need to take the valve cover of to get water inside those bearings. With the correct tip 150 is plenty.

In reality the most susceptible to damage are the alternator bearings on the drive end. There is another bearing on the brush end not as exposed yet not 100% sealed. Apparently you have not taken too many alternators apart.

This is not even worth my time.

Next time before you get defensively all huffy and puffy, try reading the posts carefully.

And about the HB word, I have already apologized. I never dreamed my attempt at humor after your comment “in the mist” :) would result in such a, well lets just call it response.

I'm certain you as a southern have words for Yankees. Which by the way I'm not by birth. Not even remotely by over a thousand miles.

Touchy, touchy! Not getting any lately? :D

Peace,

-RG

[jeprox]

i leave my engine running when i'm washing it so it dries up faster and also for quick rescue - should the engine start to sputter/die on me.
it's happened to me b4 on older cars and i was able to quickly stop spraying water in the certain area and rev the engine.

[Jwood70]

Why not just clean out the engine the old fashioned way. Take every part out clean it one at a time and place it back in. It is the best way and you can get a show car finish but it also takes the longest.

Once a month I spend roughly 4 hours washing my V. I like it to have a show car apperence. I just hand wash it, dry it, clay bar wax it, and buff it by hand. I do this all by myself because I don't want anyone in my family to do a less than satisfactory job.

Radar 24 was just joking around leave the guy alone. Don't get in an argument with him either because you will always lose:D.


Who cares about winning an argument in an online forum? Its like beating a girl. Win or lose, you just beat a girl. And I don't happen to agree with what is being said. You washing by hand is the best way to do it.

[12sec_tC]

12sec_tc,
Your post is not even worth a response. But…In general TC, some vehicles still have distributors as of 2003. I have one sitting in my driveway right now. Also a second ’97 with distributor. That is what I am talking about. In general!

Oh that hurts; you think I am cleaning my engine with my valve covers off. Let me compose myself. I’m going to be all black and blue. All sore in the AM.

FYI it only takes a few PSI to blow crud right past a bearing seal into a bearing. Even 40 PSI household tap water with the correct nozzle is more than adequate. If you read my long posts completely you will read that I too used to use the quarter car wash. So what is your point getting all flustered?

Manufacturers these days shield engines and bays in general as much as possible. To keep road splash out where it can reduce reliability. Except for a Hummer which is not even as water tight as the Hummve from which it was derived (gen 1). Or maybe a Range Rover made for use in Africa or other minimally paved areas where fording streams is common. Sorry but the CR-V is a toy compared to those vehicles. They are truly made to get wet!

About bearings, does your CR-V have an alternator, an A/C, one or two drive sprockets on the cam or cams, the harmonic balancer attached to the crank, water pump, starter, idlers and tensioners...? FYI every one of those locations has either a sealed bearing(s) or even more susceptible a non-sealed bushing or a sealed cam/crank main bearings. There is no need to take the valve cover of to get water inside those bearings. With the correct tip 150 is plenty.

In reality the most susceptible to damage are the alternator bearings on the drive end. There is another bearing on the brush end not as exposed yet not 100% sealed. Apparently you have not taken too many alternators apart.

This is not even worth my time.

Next time before you get defensively all huffy and puffy, try reading the posts carefully.

And about the HB word, I have already apologized. I never dreamed my attempt at humor after your comment “in the mist” :) would result in such a, well lets just call it response.

I'm certain you as a southern have words for Yankees. Which by the way I'm not by birth. Not even remotely by over a thousand miles.

Touchy, touchy! Not getting any lately? :D

Peace,

-RG


dude really? there are newer cars with distributor cap systems but you have to work to get them the least bit wet. if you can ruin an A/C clutch bearing or your alternator bearing with some water jetted out of a hose you have bigger problems. And if you can get water inside your valve cover than you need to rethink how you maintain your car. Half of what you said was just ridiculous falsehoods

[Radar24]

dude really? there are newer cars with distributor cap systems but you have to work to get them the least bit wet. if you can ruin an A/C clutch bearing or your alternator bearing with some water jetted out of a hose you have bigger problems. And if you can get water inside your valve cover than you need to rethink how you maintain your car. Half of what you said was just ridiculous falsehoods

OK. You as well as everyone else are entitled to their opinion.
I give up. You sir are even more stubborn than I am. :D Not an easy feat. Even after being presented facts as they occurred and not “falsehoods” just because you do not agree. Or if certain ideas are not your custom or practices you find my writing to be “ridiculous falsehoods”. I am not wasting any more time on you.

Let me continue writing "the Half of what” I can that is not “just ridiculous falsehoods" about really important stuff to others. Yeah I know that was nonsense I just wrote. I was trying to recycle your own words.

There are those out there that if they do not agree, at least respect my right to post what I post. Others still appreciate my info and point of view be it different or not and be it out of the ordinary or not.

If I can attempt to help others that they thankful or not is unimportant; I believe that is what this forum is about. Sharing of information and occasionally having a few laughs. Just as there are some really knowledgeable members whose words I heed and experiences I admire.

Continue washing your bearingless engine bays at the car-wash.
I will pretend you do not exist. Please return the courtesy and pretend I don’t exist just the same!

Gooday TC

Or more accurately Good AM TC

-RG

[StunGunna]

Whew! You guys had me going there... I was waitin for admin to step in ... I thought I heard a refs whistle! :)

Anyway, Electric said it nicely, handwashing is the way to go. I thought I was the only loony bin that spent that much time washing and detailing his Vee. I do the engine wash by hand too, probably 4 times a year (every season break) and I also dry it when I am done... just to be on the safe side.

I also agree with radar in a way. Regular tap pressure has been more than adequate for me when I do mine.... dont know about any other folks.

That's my 2 cents and my ride is filthy from off roading this weekend, so I will shut up now and go to sleep and go wash my flippin snowfox sometime today. I gotta rep to protect dammit! :D

I guess we all need to lighten up a bit eh?

Happy hols everyone and safe motoring! Peace.

[Radar24]

Whew! You guys had me going there... I was waitin for admin to step in ... I thought I heard a refs whistle!

I'm surprised they didn't too!

Anyway, Electric said it nicely, handwashing is the way to go. I thought I was the only loony bin that spent that much time washing and detailing his Vee. I do the engine wash by hand too, probably 4 times a year (every season break) and I also dry it when I am done... just to be on the safe side.

I must be more careful with my choice of words, I agree with you as far as doing it by hand has merrit. Except for the fact I only do it once in the spring normally. Communication is an art a lot of us are not good at. Now see, that could be interpreted in more than one way. I was actually referring to myself lacking skill!

I also agree with radar in a way. Regular tap pressure has been more than adequate for me when I do mine.... dont know about any other folks.

Anyone with a little presoaking of heavy deposits should be able to do it with less than full tap pressure. Particularly done yearly the deposits should not be that tough to wash off. With a little elbow grease if needed.

I prefer a parts washing brush and a few ounces of K-1 for vihicles neglected. Safe as long as you avoid wiring harnesses that are taped. And of course the non-existing bearings TC insist upon don't exist! :o The ones I must have imagined all cars have!

That's my 2 cents and my ride is filthy from off roading this weekend, so I will shut up now and go to sleep and go wash my flippin snowfox sometime today. I gotta rep to protect dammit!

I guess we all need to lighten up a bit eh?

Cool as a cucumber here. I just have a problem with passing on urban legends, old wife tales and “it always has worked for me, that is the way I have always done it” therefore it must be right...disseminated on the internet. Where others might take the written word as gospel. When rational thinking or scientific principles indicate otherwise. True, there will always be more than one school of thought on any given subject but when there is concrete evidence...DUH!

Happy hols everyone and safe motoring! Peace.


Peace and Happy Holidays to all including 12sec_TC too!

It unfortunately is not PC to say Merry Christmas any more.(yet I just did)
If you are not of that persuasion, Happy Hanukkah, whatever Hindus celebrate and Eid. I think I covered all major bases. I'm sure a few have been left out.

The basic idea is to wish someone else nothing but the best.
Something we should do more of rather than impose our beliefs. If religions were not so insistent that their way is the only way we would all be a lot better off. There would be a lot fewer wars.

For the most part is it not all about celebrating and worshiping the same supreme being?

Ta-Ta

-RG

[silvercrv]

I think what is pretty important is what you use to clean since some degreasers if not diluted can be very harsh. I use this cleaner called Doctor Mecanico. It is avaliable here in PR everywhere but I also found it Advanced Auto parts store when i previously lived in New England. The cleaner is a decent grease buster not not harsh at all and can even be used on painted surfaces no problem.

[MarkyMark]

OK, I know I tend to over-simplify things, but I would like to share my method of engine bay cleaning for the benefit of those who also over-simplify things:

1) If you bought the car brand new, the engine bay was spotless when you got it. 20 minutes twice a month is all it takes to keep it that way. I wipe down the engine bays in my cars twice a month. I've had my Fit for over 2 years now, and the engine bay is still spotless. I use Stoner Trim Shine on select hoses and plastic parts.

2) If you didn't get the car brand new, or didn't have the urge to clean the engine bay until it was really dirty, take it somewhere and have it professionally cleaned (the detail shops steam clean, I believe). Once your engine bay is clean, 20 mins every other weekend can keep it that way.

I do not have any experience using any other the methods discussed in previous post, so I am unable to offer an educated opinion. I do, however, know that the two methods I decribed above are effective.

[Radar24]

Great idea and method if you want to eat off it, but who has twenty minutes every month to spare?

Isn't life short enough as it is?

To each their own. I go slightly more realistic as I mentioned and settle for once in the spring with an occasional touch up if needed. The only problem is the aluminum will not stay in the zero miles condition. It will get a dull oxide coating. But so what! I'm not trying to impress myself any more. The days of doing it it your way ended long long ago for an old fart like me! :D

-RG

[King Eric]

My first post in this arena, I know a bit about detailing. I have my own detailing forum along with six of the most respected pro detailers in the world :cool:

For me its part of a monthly 'long detail' I do on all of my cars. Nothing more satisfying that working under the hood in an already clean environment especially when filling up the washer fluid or checking the oil.

I use a simple APC formula and a citrus degreaser on a hot engine bay, then agitate with various brushes and allow to soak down and drag all the cack through. The important part is making sure you cover all electrical areas very thoroughly however-as some engines really do not take kindly to water in the plugs etc.

I then rinse off with a low pressure rinse to avoid spraying water into the electrical joints and dispel any remaining water with a can of either WD40 or similar product on electrical joints. Leaving the hood slightly ajar the heat from the bay will self dry. I like to leave the engine running at this point to further dry out parts. I've found that once semi-wet a thorough application of a good dressing such as meguiars hyper dressing (mixed at 6:1 dilution) all over with a fine mist spray gives the best results. Engine off and shut the hood. Allow to dry for a couple of hours, and re examine. Wipe away any greasy residue and job done. A mintier than mint engine bay environment that will keep your mechanic very happy!

Some pics here for examples in a studio environment (this last wash of the bay took no more than 25 mins to complete, and it was filthy from the winter dust and crud collection)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/3663156112_142807f66c_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2323/3663153080_c74588f372_b.jpg

[Incubus]

I've done this three times on two different cars. It works even better than you can imagine. I'm going to do it to my new (inherited) CR-V with before and after pics...hopefully this weekend.

Obviously there are areas to avoid like connectors, alternator, air intake, etc. No need for high pressure.

1. Spray FOAMY GUNK ENGINE BRITE all over the engine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse the engine completely.
3. Spray entire engine with FOAMY ARMOR ALL (IMPORTANT! it has to be the FOAMY kind, or you can catch your engine compartment on fire).
4. Start the car and close the hood for 20 (with engine running).
5. Open the hood and

[Radar24]

Poof! :D

-Rg

[Incubus]

Here's a shot of my old car. The engine wasn't that dirty to begin with, but it still showed some improvement.

http://thumb7.webshots.net/t/51/51/1/4/75/399510475TXGDnl_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1399510475074504807TXGDnl)

[gary696]

Here's a shot of my old car. The engine wasn't that dirty to begin with, but it still showed some improvement.

http://thumb7.webshots.net/t/51/51/1/4/75/399510475TXGDnl_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1399510475074504807TXGDnl)

You can remember the dirt detail from 4 years ago?

[Incubus]

You can remember the dirt detail from 4 years ago?

I can remember that I NEVER let the engine get dirty on that car. Also that I didn't need to scrub anything.

[cprevost]

Just as a side note. I did the car wash thing with my V and got water down in the spark plugs. Tripped a check engine light and ran like crap til I got it home. I had to remove the wires from the top of the plugs and let it dry...

I'll be more careful next time. I live in an apartment so the car wash is all I have. Probably will bring some plastic baggies to cover more stuff next time.

[Radar24]

Dielectric grease smeared around the plugs will prevent the boot from sticking besides keeping water out of the boot. That way you should not have to worry about the cylinder misfiring due to water in the boots. With good wires only the distributor will then be your other area that you need to keep dry. Obviously if water gets inside it may not even start. I find that starting it right after you spray it clean helps in addition to not spraying too warm of an engine. Heat + water = steam that is practically impossible to keep out no matter how many baggies you use.

I generally do the engine last to let it cool down as much as possible. On cast iron exhausts it helps to prevent cracks too if it is not spayed when wicked hot.

-Rg