Cleaning engine bay

Opened up my hood today to lube the rubber seals and because of this thread recognized that I haven’t cleaned the engine bay since I took ownership new in 2017. Looked super okay. Shut the hood and decided not to think about it for another six years.

 

I guess it is how you define clean. If dust , grime and a leaf are acceptable then your good.
Hey it is what peoples expectations are. I do a little better but I have 2 friends who are … may I say obsessive on keeping things clean.

 

I would be fine with that but mine is like nasty!

 

Alright sounds like bag the battery, alternator, and fuse panel area and spray it with simple green and lightly hose it off. I appreciate the advice gentleman !

 

I was taught that water and electric don't mix that is why I have never washed the engine compartment.

Out of curiosity, has anyone or known someone who washed their engine and had damage from doing it?

 

I’ve been washing out my Tacoma engine bay now since I bought the truck in the spring and in the fall and never had a problem and I can’t say I’m careful with the water. I use a hose. I guess I’m old-school because I’ve washed all my cars that way including a dodge durango that I’ve had since 1998 that has 250,000 miles on it. Never had a problem. Maybe I’ve been lucky. I’ll try to be more careful the next time that I don’t spray anything that looks electric/fragile with plug-ins. I am also the guy that lays on my back crawls under the truck and sprays everything down with the hose at least twice a year I get a little wet from splash, but I like it clean. If you park it with the nose downhill and start at the front and work your way back then you won’t get as wet as you think you would.

 

I spray with a cleaner I have then spray with the hose then hit it with a leaf blower blowing water away from cracks and such then crank it up and let it heat up. No issues. It’s good. Hit it with a silicone spray if you want the hoses shiny, that can attract dust though.

 

Except being able to see new leaks as they occur and not get hidden by dirt for months or longer.

edit: clean engines run cooler. Radiate heat better.

 

Good point. I never thought of that.

Anyone ever steam-clean an engine?

 

Pretty much every automotive forum I've been on over the last 25 years has stories of folks complaining "all they did was wash the engine bay and now the vehicle won't start."

 

LOL, not sure who told you that, but it is utter B.S.

 

I spray it cold with simple green and use a hose with an adjustable nozzle. Not taking it to Pebble Beach.

 

So how would you not be able to see a leak sooner on a clean engine vs a dirty one?

 

Toyota has very good weather packaging and its hard to cause issues, but it does happen.

When doing a service wash I just blast the covers and surfaces, basically a cosmetic clean to validate the crazy expense of a service.

On a true wash, I spray foaming degreaser, and often I'll remove the drive belt to prevent issues. I wash it hot or cold, it doesnt matter, then compressed air on connections.

 

I was referring to the cooler running engine.

 

I washed the engine bay in my 91 civic. The tach stopped working for about a month, that’s about it. Washed the engine bay in my 07 ranger and the starter went about a week later. Maybe just a coincidence? Who knows.

I see zero benefit to washing an engine bay, honestly. My tacos engine bay is staying filthy for another 15+ years

 

I’ve heard this bs before. Unless you’ve got thick layers of gunk/oil on your block, I don’t see it happening. Even then…

 

I just wanted to add something. The last time I took our Corolla get the oil changed, the tech let me know that rodents had been in the engine compartment.

He showed me the tracks that they made throughout the engine. Luckily there was no damage. So I guess there is some benefit to having a dirty engine.

 

What happens when I drive through cold water and it gets splashed on my hot engine?

I usually just mix up a combination of Dawn and some warm water from the tap and spray on the surfaces and then clean it off with a water filled sprayer bottle

 

Far less water gets up there than you think.