Do you guys bother cleaning dust and dirt from........

I’m on the other side of the fence. I don’t understand why people buy a truck, treat it like jewelry, and rarely use it for its intended purpose. I’m not directing this at you personally.

 

I do not clean mine. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea but I'm not that motivated. Everything else gets pressure washed after getting in mud including the underside of the engine/drive line. I hate working under a truck and dropping dirt in my eyes.

 

I use mine for its intended purpose, im just not a pig (not directed at you personally either). I use my truck to haul kayaks, bikes, mini bikes, lumbar, fishing stuff, ice house, yard work stuff, logs, trash, and all sorts of other things. Remember, a pickup trucks purpose is not 100% offroad running in the mud, I spend half the year in the snow with mine. Its like a cleaner slicker white mud.

 

Count me in on team dirty/dusty engine. I live in the dry Southwest, so the engines in my trucks just get dusty. On modern engines it's just not worth the risk (to me) of getting water in a connector or someplace where it doesn't belong. Plus, it doesn't really accomplish much on a vehicle which (speaking for my truck) monthly or so goes and plays in the dirt; there are other elements of maintence which I worry more about then how clean the plastic covers over my engine and under my hood are.

On the other hand, one of my VW's has a polished engine case and chromed valve covers. That one I'll likely try to keep shiny, at least for a little while.

 

Then we have the other half of this forum putting snorkels on their trucks so they can cross 4 foot deep rivers....

I clean my engine, but usually just a damp cloth to wipe it down, but I dont have the same dust issues you would have.

 

I hear you, my vehicles take after me and don't like to swim so no deep water crossings or snorkels for me!

A damp cloth isn't a bad idea. If I lived someplace where the roads were salted or gritted then I'd likely worry about it more.

 

We use that horrible salt brine here. Most cars that get past 5-10 years are so rusty you need the torch just to repair anything, not to mention the holes in the body work caused by the rust. But im just glad we dont use sand anymore... No one could see out of their windshields after a few years due to the pitting from the sand getting kicked up.

 

I usually just wipe it down every few months or so with a wet cloth and call it a day

 

I totally agree about snow. Tons of fun and minimal cleaning.

 

This is the biggest reason I have for cleaning. Spray with diluted degreaser followed by light pressure wash inside the engine bay for most washes, and heavy pressure wash on the underside. I hate trying to work on stuff dirty, so many more problems from not being able to find fasteners to dropping stuff into areas that should've stayed clean.

 

One who keeps it clean is way more likely to notice and repair on coming problems before, they cause bigger problems and become costly. Not to mention if one takes pride/value in keeping a vehicle clean they are way more likely to have done regular maintenance. Love the (For Sale) (thumb over license plate) vehicle pictures where the vehicle is sitting in their soaking wet driveway with their first bath since new... and yes, you can tell the difference !

 

Every time I wash my truck pretty much. Toss some degreaser on it, hit it with the wide angle pressure washer and she’s good as new

 

I wash when it gets bad dirty. Just a light pressure spray at the car wash, I don't go into detailing it.

One thing to keep in mind, leave the vehicle running while washing it. Expels the water better, plus components in an engine are designed to handle getting wet WHILE RUNNING. Keeps the internal/external pressures where they are supposed to be. If you wash when not running, you risk the cooling items actually sucking water into them, bad for your electronics as well as engine. Learned during years working at an auto wrecker in my 20's.

 

I'll bet most use their (40k+) Tacoma as a pickup truck though, don't treat them as a sport side by side...

 

If so, do it from a cold start not a hot engine.

 

I guess I'm the exception then since I rarely wash my trucks (they all live outside, my Taco in a dirt patch behind my garage; it's had one professional detail since I've owned it) however everything I own is properly maintained and repaired as needed. I'm that guy who has no problem spending a Saturday doing maintence, making a repair or a modification but has no patience for the whole wash and wax routine.

That said I make it a habit not to drive in mud, just dusty and rocky dirt roads and trails in the desert and mountains. My Silverado tow rig is 17 years old and regularly drives down dirt roads to get to trailheads, yet it's undercarriage is nearly spotless. I know this because I'm under the hood of my vehicles once a week and under them once a month. Like I said, not your typical 'never wash guy' just a guy with a lot of cars and not a lot of time (or interest) in 'waxing-on, waxing-off' LOL!

 

When I remove a part for service, it will be cleaned up.

Cleaning the engine bay on a regular basis......ummmm....No. I have other tasks to consume my day.

 

I’ll wipe parts down while I’m working in there. Give the bigger plastic covers a spray down every so often.

 

I try to clean the engine bay of all our vehicles at least 1-2 times per year. Part of this is because I'm a bit of a nut and like to keep our cars clean, well maintained...etc. But one big benefit of keeping the engine (and really the whole vehicle) clean is that it makes working on it and diagnosing problems. I like to keep my vehicles clean enough where I don't get filthy working on them. And yes, I also clean suspension, inner wheel barrels, undercarriage if it's accessible...etc. Inspecting and finding leaks or other failures is also MUCH easier if you keep things clean. This doesn't mean I baby my truck but it does mean I take care of it and treat it with respect - after all, it cost me a pretty penny and I rely on it to get me home safe.

I've found that a VERY quick and easy engine bay wash even just once a year is enough to keep your bay looking great. If you bought the car new or near new and do this annually you'll have an amazing looking engine bay that is a pleasure to work in even after a decade or two.

And don't give me that "it's a truck" bullshit. It's a tool, you should take good care of it. A fire truck is also "just a truck" but you see how well those guys take care of their rigs.