Is it safe to spray the entire engine at the carwash or are there areas not to spray? I want to clean under the hood but do not want to screw anything up.

My car is a 2002 Protege ES Sedan.

Any and all input would be great. Thanks

Zoltan

 

I have! There were no problems that I noticed.

 

Just stay away from the spark plugs.

 

I don't see anything wrong with doing that. I spray under my hood all the time. Just don't put real high pressure on the plugs, fuses, MAF, or other electrical components.

 

i spray mine once a week, everything. just don't spray the lining under the hood, it will come apart.

 

I spray mines at high pressure every week. My car works fine and my engine is clean enough to eat off of.

 

In our carwashes in Edmonton there is a dial selection that is "Engine Cleaner"...I was just concerned about spraying into a component that would cause me problems...but we drink motor oil down here for fun!

 

Really? That's gross! I am glad I didn't stay to long. I am scared I might become accustom to 'Bertan' life.

Still love it though.

 

I think that crap is a degreaser of some sort. Keep it away from the sparkplugs, fuses, ets. I ve heard rumors about it oxidizing over the battery connectors.

 

There is an importance precaution before you do this...

Before I wash my engine, I remove the spark plugs wires, stuff rags down the spark plug holes, then duct tape the spark plug holes and the ignition coil terminals shut. (The 2.0L engines don't have seperate coil packs, so you should remove the ignition coil assemblies.) The design of the F-series engines' valve cover tends to make water drain back into the plug holes, and there is no provision to stop water leaks. If you get water down the plug holes, it will first short out the plugs and make the engine misfire, turning on the "Check Engine" light. Then the water will boil off and get up under the spark plug boots and $@*% up the plug wires.

Even if you're careful not to direct high-pressure water directly at the plug holes, you may still get overspray on the valve cover. Better safe than sorry!

 

the degreaser works great on my car. i've haven't every had a problem with anything corroding or plugs going bad b/c of the water. But if i were to ruin plugs, just a good reason to buy new ones

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I haven't washed my engine(yet) but people have told me that I should cover the alternator with a plastic bag as well.

 

I always wanted to clean under the hood specifically engine though. but everywhere in my car is green, u guys know what i'm talkin about right?
how do you cover your spark plugs(Owner of P5) because ZMZMP5 told me to cover the engine with some garbage bag, but my question is how do I clean the engine if I cover up the engine?
experts give me some ideas~

 

Ok, I guess I'm an "expert" in this field, as I work in the PDI department at a major Cevy dealership. Spraying the engine is perfectly safe, as long as it's not running. If the engine is running, the alternator will short out from the water. There's no need to take the coils off, or anything like that. I don't know what you guys are talking about. I wash my engine AT LEAST twice a week. (I wash my car every day.)

Liberally spray the engine with a good degreaser, and let it sit for 10-15 mins. Then, go over it with a high pressure washer and make sure to get all the suds off. The pressure won't hurt anything, and don't be afraid to get everything wet. Just watch out for the hoodliner. Try to keep it as dry as possible. Removing the coil packs and covering the alternator are just not nessicary. The plug wires have rubber seals built in to combat this exact issue, and you'd have a damn hard time getting water to the plugs.

After all is clean, you may or may not wish to dry some parts to keep them from spotting (my chrome Injen CAI for example) but other than that, you're good to go. 10 mins of normal driving will create enough heat to completely boil off all remaining water.

I don't see what the big deal is... "Cover this, remove that..." C'mon... Everything under that hood is sealed against moisture for a reason. Not nessicarily for washing the engine, but from humid areas, rainstorms, puddles, etc.

I've washed my engine at least once or twice a week for about 6 months now, and I've had no problems whatsoever. What's the big deal? Your engine was washed before you bought the car!