How can I clean my car engine without damaging anything?

Question

I have a 2004 chevy impala. I havent cleaned the engine since I got it and there is a lot of dirt and dust. What can I do to clean underneath the hood without flooding anything im not supposed to?

Answer 1

Get a can of engine cleaner from the auto parts store.Engine Brite is the one I have used for 20 years. In the morning,before the engine gets warm,spray the can on your engine and components under the hood.Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Start your engine and spray the engine bay with low pressure from a hose until it is COMPLETELY rinsed and then close the hood and drive it for several minutes to help dry the bay and and residue left over will drip off during your short drive. NEVER EVER do this with a HOT engine.EVER Dont spend alot of time around electrical connections or wires.But dont worry,you wont mess anything up. Good luck

Answer 2

Your car doesn't have a distributor, so you have nothing to worry about. Advance Auto Parts carries a foaming engine cleaner that works wonders and is the best thing I've seen out there. Its called Gunk Engine Brite Foaming Engine Cleaner. Just buy a can of that, go to the local car wash, open the hood, spray the engine down with water and spray the cleaner all over the engine. Let it sit for a few minutes then use the pressure washer to hose it off.

For best results, let it dry off and then use armor all protectant on the plastic covers. Do this and the engine will look as good as new!

With a car this new, your ignition plug wires should be in great shape. This is nothing you need to have professionally done...car washes filter the water before releasing it. You can do this yourself and save a lot of money!

Answer 3

Get a can of those foaming spray cleaners for engines (strong liquid detergent in petroleum base). I don't remember the brand I used but all the auto parts store sell them with an obvious name like "Engine Cleaner". Open the hood on a warm day and tape a plastic bag over the carburetor, the air filter, and anything else that the can's instructions say to cover [in case I forgot something since I haven't done this since last summer].

Squirt the cleaner on the dirty parts, starting high on the engine so it can run down onto the dirty low parts and then onto the parts near the bottom. Let it sit there and soak in for about five-ten minutes. Then use the hose as a spray and rinse off the cleaner so that the engine looks clean. Put on rubber gloves and brush anything that isn't clean enough (especially low on engine where greasy dirt is sticking). rinse it again and look it over. At that time I would suggest taking off the bags and running the engine till it is warm (just in case some hose spray got in).

Then shut if off and look it over with a critical eye. Repeat the process again concentrating just on anything that isn't perfect. You could also touch up any worn-off paint after it is as clean as you can get it.

Answer 4

The reason I don't recommend doing this if you have never tried it, is because it leaves a great deal of environmentally unfriendly mess on the ground. There is a lot of grease and grime and cleaning solvent left behind. It is much easier to have the engine professionally steam cleaned or detailed.

If you insist on doing it yourself, get a good can of engine cleaner and follow the directions. If you have ignition wires that are in poor condition, the car may not start afterward until the wires dry off. Ignition wires in good condition will should not be affected.


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Answer 5

How To Clean My Engine

Answer 6

Go to an auto parts store, get a can of foaming engine cleaner. Spray that on all the dirty parts of the engine - read the directions, you're suppose to do it when the engine is hot. Then rinse.

Don't worry - you're not going to flood anything.

Answer 7

newer model car have coil packs for ignition fire and fuel injection ported air intakes almost impossible two drowned out with good old pressure washing at car wash .just spray down with a little tire cleaner or engine degreaser let set few minutes then rinse off.

Answer 8

i have a 1999 buick and this is what i do . i take it to a do it your self car wash i then wash the car after that i lift my hood and wash the engine,by the time you wash your car the engine would have cooled a little.good luck

Answer 9

If you are afraid of getting the electronics wet take it to a detail shop, they will have the knowledge when it comes to cleaning modern car engine bays.

Answer 10

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