A clean engine not only extends vehicle life but also preserves its market value. Hence, you must know about the engine bay cleaning process. The car’s engine bay protects the engine; therefore you must clean dirt and grime under the hood. Even though the vehicle’s engine bay isn’t exposed to the debris, it can enter from the opening around the hood. Read on to find out the steps to clean the engine bay.
Engine Bay Cleaning Procedure
Engine bay cleaning might sound daunting, but the procedure is quite simple to follow. Here is how to clean the engine bay with W40 and water.
Steps 1: Remove Existing Debris
First of all, for cleaning car engine bay, you must remove any debris that may be present. Leaves, branches, dust, etc. should be removed. Letting these elements build up over time can cause problems. To do this, wear a pair of protective gloves so you don’t hurt yourself.
Steps 2: Start the Engine
This may seem strange to you, but starting the engine before cleaning the compartment can help. In fact, it is easier to clean oil off the engine bay when it is heated. That is why leave the engine running for about three minutes to easily remove any grease and dirt.
STEPS 3: Cover the Sensitive Engine Parts
The engine bay contains electrical components that can be damaged by cleaning with water. In fact, some fuses could blow and create false contacts. However, there is a way around this: remove the battery from the engine and clean it separately. To do this, you will need to disconnect the two battery terminals.
Next, you will need to cover all exposed cables and components. To do this, wrap the components such as the spark plugs and the distributor cap in plastic. Do the same with the loose cables; the components are thus protected against water.
STEPS 4: Degrease the Engine
Now you can start engine bay cleaning! To do this, take the WD-40 and a brush. Spray the product over the entire compartment and scrub with a brush to remove dirt, grease residue and other stains. If your compartment is very dirty, spray with a degreaser again and scrub until you get the desired result. If necessary, you can finish cleaning the engine compartment with a little water.
Step 5: Dry the Engine Completely
You can remove excess water and completely dry the engine bay with the help of a clean towel or any thick piece of cloth. You can also use a leaf blower or compressed air. The compressed air blasts air into the nooks and crannies and drys excess water along with other dirt particles.
Step 6: Reinstallation
Once you are done with cleaning it’s time to reconnect the battery and reinstall the cable on the negative terminal. Also, if you have disconnected any other part then make sure you will reconnect them.
Steps 7: Protect the Engine
After cleaning the engine compartment, it’s better to give your engine parts extra protection. To do this, spray a little WD-40 multipurpose product on the engine. The product not only makes your engine shiny but also displaces any moisture that may have reached the electronic components.
Once you are done with all the aforementioned steps, run the car and allow the engine to reach the standard operating temperature. This will help the moisture to dry up completely.
Moreover, if you are planning to swap a car’s engine, here is what you need to consider.
With this, we conclude our guide about car engine bay cleaning. The clean engine bay not only helps protect a car’s engine but also increases its efficiency. In case, your car starts showing signs of engine overheating and causes trouble on a regular basis, then you may consider buying a used car in the UAE at market competitive rates.
If you like this guide, stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog for more.
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