I've heard and seen other people clean their engine by spraying it with water. My initial thought was, what if water gets in the ecu, alternator, etc. Also, spraying cold water on the headers and when its hot, wouldn't that cause it to get some hairline crack?

the ppl who spray their engine, it looks like its new, but i've wondering about the internal damage this practice might cause.

 

Just do it when your car has sit for a couple of hours...

 

I would NEVER advise to spray you engine with water, you want to short your fuses???

Some people should chime in shortly that have done this to their Z's, I have done this to my previous car (95 VR4) and I actually killed the starter. Because the battery was wet, it wouldnt start. I had to call my friend have him take me to Kragen where I had a warranty for the battery, I told them what happened, the battery checked out fine. They told me go dry around the cables, wipe your fuse box down, and you should be fine. Sure enough......

Go to the dealer, and have them Steam clean your engine bay for 40-50 bucks. Its cost efficient, and it will be 10x better then anything you could ever do. My 10 year old motor in my 3000GT looked brand new the first time I did it. I continued to do it every 4-6 months. Ask the dealer how much it is, but dont spray water on your engine.

 

Steam clean? never heard of such a service. good to know.

 

if your gonna let your car sit for a long time then its fine and the water can dry...

Just like dropping your phone in the pool. Just wait for it to dry out before you turn it back on and your fine...

 

Isn't steam just hot water?

 

Damn...I do it all the time.

 

Last time I checked... but it's not hitting the weather seals with the same force/density to penetrate and get moisture into the sensitive areas.

 

so if we don't have these steam machines or want the dealer to do it, can't we just spray the engine with less force? Say...... a cheap dollar store super soaker???

 

I personally just use the low pressure on a pressure washer... so far no problems. But I'm no expert.

 

how much it would cost to steam clean your engine?

 

Never take it to the dealership when you can find bargain prices outside. Detailing shop can "shampoo" your engine bay. There are some great deals out there.

 

Well, the ecu is in the passenger compartment, there is no distributor cap to worry about and the battery and fuses are under a covering. If you have a CAI, you want to cover it with a plastic bag, but other than that, its no problem. I do it all the time. Also, do it when the engine is cold, and then let it idle for a bit after cleaning to dry it off, or better yet, go for a nice drive.

 

If you regularly maintain the engine compartment, as in wiping it down everytime you wash the car, spraying actual water into the engine shouldn't be needed.

 

don't steam cleaners have a good amount of force spraying the steam out of the nozzle? How else would you have any force to blast the grime off the engine?

I wash my engine all the time...and I have a dizzy cap...and my battery is not under a cover...and I have an open element airfilter One time my car was hard to start cause my airfilter was soaked. Bad idea. Just becareful where you spray and cover anything with plastic that you think may be sensitive. Remember...people drive in the rain all the time.

sean

 

My first car was a 1968 Mustang w/a 302 V8. I used to hose it down all the time. I removed the air cleaner and carefully covered the carb with aluminum foil. I also covered the distributer cap, the battery and the solenoid. I think those were all the electrical parts. Then I shot all the grime off with a high-pressure nozzle on a garden hose.

Now they have a grime cleaner that you would spray on your engine prior to hosing it down.

Of course, the reason why old cars get so grimy in the engine bay to begin with is because of various water and oil leaks. I don't have a dirty engine bay with my Z, certainly not dirty enough to hose it down.

 

Simple Green is your friend.

 

The dealer is really cheap, like I said my mitsu was only $40 bucks, on that car the battery is not covered, nor most of the wires, but after my experiences I wont ever spray the inside of my engine compartment again. And I think the steam cleaner heats the water to almost a gas correct? When it comes out high pressure, its not like its a lot of water, a high pressure washer puts out alot of water, very hard, steam isnt exactly the same, and its very hot, so would melt the grime. I would think it is well worth the $40 bucks to have a professional do it, you will definitely see the difference before and after. Just my opinion, if you guys are spraying your engines with no probs, then do it! I say get a good steam clean, and you will probably be amazed at the difference from how you clean it, and how the steam cleans it.

 

Go to the library and get a book on car detailing. It will tell you what you need to do and which parts to cover up with what. That's how I learned how to do it.

 

quick spray orange degreaser...lite rinse...done...