How to Clean your Car Engine?

In this article, we help you take a look at everything you need to know to do a DIY engine clean. It’s easy to find all the quality products you need, simply take a look at our online automotive products shop by clicking HERE

Just like a good home runs more efficiently when everything is clean, nothing brings instant value and efficiency to a car quicker than a clean space under the hood. A lot of car owners compare cleaning your engine to the type of job that might be best left for the experts at the car wash, but the truth is cleaning your car engine can be a fuss-free job that can be completed in your own driveway in about 2 hours.

`What do I need to clean my engine?`

YOU WILL NEED:

SAFETY FIRST:

When working with chemicals or dusty compartments on your car, it’s always essential to protect yourself from harm. You can find all the below PPE that you’ll need, at your nearest BUCO store:

How do I clean my car engine?

We’re going to show you how to do a complete clean under your hood in 5 simple stages:

1. Preparation
2. Dry Cleaning
3. Wet Cleaning
4. Drying the engine
5. Detailing

Top DIY Engine Cleaning Tip #1:

Having a good storage space, countertop or tray nearby to store everything you need is ideal, and will cut down the time it takes to get the project done significantly.

1. Preparation

• • CAUTION:

    Always ensure the car is switched off and the key is not in the ignition

  • ISOLATE THE POWER SOURCE
    

    The first step is to safely remove the car battery. This is to ensure that it doesn’t get wet, and that there is no current running through any part of the car while it is getting wet and you are handling it. This prevents both a ‘short’ to the engine and possible electric shock to you.

  • OTHER ENGINE PARTS YOU SHOULDN`T GET WET

    • Alternator
    • Distributor
    • Oil dipstick (Ensure it is in properly, so no water gets into the oil reservoir)
    • Brake fluid reservoir
    • Power steering reservoir
    • Wire connector points (They become worn over time)

Top DIY Engine Cleaning Tip #2:

Create a designated space/storage in which to store any nuts, screws or bolts that you might need to loosen.

2. Dry Cleaning the engine:

• • CAUTION:
    

    It`s a good idea to put on your dust mask and safety glasses during this process, to prevent any dirt from being inhaled or getting in your eyes.

  • START WITH BRUSHES

    Brush off all the reachable areas. Most of the dirt that collects on an engine is on the surface. By starting with the brushes first, you ensure that the majority of the dirt is collected before cleaning with water. If you start with water, you might push the dirt into unreachable areas where it will collect and eventually contribute to the corrosion of your engine.

  • LET THE MACHINES DO THE DIRTY WORK

    After brushing all the dust into little piles, use a vacuum or a leaf blower to suck up all the dirt. It is best to do this in a well-ventilated area or preferably outside.

  • SCRUB THE METAL

    Using your power tool with the metal brush attachment, brush off any stains that are caused by buildup on the metal parts of the engine. Be very careful around any surrounding plastic parts during this process, to prevent damage.

Top DIY Engine Cleaning Tip #3:

Want to know if your engine is too hot to work on? It’s not a good idea to work with an engine that is too hot from recent driving, as this could potentially damage the engine and burn your hands. While a cool engine is safer to work on, a slightly warm engine does assist in getting grime off easier. To test if your engine is too hot to work on, wrap your hand in a cloth and put it on a metal component in the engine bay. If your hand can comfortably stay there without getting too hot, the engine is safe to work on.

3. Wet Cleaning the engine:

• • CAUTION:

    When using a pressure water sprayer, don’t turn the pressure up too high, as this could potentially damage any connectors or corroded parts on the engine.

  • TOP TO BOTTOM

    With wet cleaning, it`s safest to start from the top and work your way to the bottom areas of the engine compartment, to ensure as little water as possible gets into the engine.

  • COVER THE ENGINE

    Tear a garbage bag in half and wrap it over the top of the engine. This covers it, so it doesn`t get wet while you are cleaning the hood.

  • UNDER THE HOOD

    If your hood lining is new, it can remain in place as you spray down under the hood with pressurised water. If your hood lining is older, first remove it, so it doesn`t get waterlogged and start sagging. Next, spray down the hood with soapy water and wipe it down with the microfibre cloth. Rinse everything down with water when you are done.

  • CLEANING THE BAY

    Spray the outer rim of the engine bay with pressurised water. Ensure your hose nozzle is on a medium setting, to prevent damage to any connectors. Wipe down all the surfaces with cleaning wipes to soak up and collect most of the grease. Rinse the dirt down, and then spray with soapy spray. Wipe the surfaces down with your various sized brushes, getting into all the little areas, plug wells, etc. Finally, rinse down with water. Do the engine bay one side at a time like this. It should take about 5-10 minutes per side, depending on how dirty the engine bay is.

  • CLEANING THE ENGINE

    CAUTION: DO NOT use a hose to clean the engine. Using the cleaning wipes, wipe any grease off all the reachable areas. This will also help the engine cool more efficiently the next time you drive. Spray down the area with soapy water. Using your brushes, loosen the dirt on all the surfaces by brushing it together. Wipe everything down with a microfibre cloth.

Top DIY Engine Cleaning Tip #4:

For tighter spots during cleaning or drying, you can use a pipe cleaner. When you need to dry down harder to reach areas in tight corners, wrap your microfibre cloth around a pipe cleaner.

4. Drying off:

• • REALLY GET IN THERE

    Thoroughly wipe down all reachable surfaces of the engine and engine bay, ensuring that everything is dry. Where puddles might have formed in the plug and connector wells, soak it up with the microfibre cloth and ensure they are completely dry.

5. Detailing:

• • UNDER THE HOOD

    Remove the hood liner, if possible, and spray all the painted areas of the hood with spray wax. Once applied, buff in with a microfibre towel.

  • DOWN BY THE BAY

    Next, move onto the engine bay areas. Spray all the painted areas and buff down with a microfibre towel.

  • TRIM AND PROPER

    Apply a water-based trim restoring product with a brush, to the rubber surfaces in the engine bay. Let is soak in for about 10 minutes, then brush off all the surfaces that have been covered with the product.

  • CAUTION
    

    Don`t get any cleaning or trim restore product on the cambelt, as it will cause it to squeak or even worse, slip out.

  • BRUSH OFF THE BOLTS

    Look for any rusted bolts or nuts that have discolouration. These can be cleaned with a wire brush and then coloured in with a paint marker, to add that final fresh finish.

5-Step Car Battery Cleaning:

Cleaning your car battery is easy! You will need:

Protective gloves; Baking Soda; Water; Old toothbrush; Rag; Petroleum Jelly

1. Mix thoroughly, one tablespoon baking soda with a cup of water.
2. When removing from the bay, first check the battery for swells, leaks or cracks before attempting to clean.
3. Dip toothbrush into cleaning mix and scrub off the battery terminal.
4. Wipe everything down with a damp rag, then dry it off with a dry rag and ensure it is completely dry before replacing.
5. Rub a tiny amount of petroleum jelly onto the terminals, to help lubricate them and prevent further corrosion, then reattach the positive and negative cables to the correct nodes.

• • BRING BACK THE BATTERY

    Give the battery a gentle wipe with a cleaning wipe, but avoid getting it wet. Once it is completely dry, replace it in the battery bay and reconnect it, making sure that all connections are tight and secured properly.

Top DIY Engine Cleaning Tip #5:

Avoid using any oil-based cleaners or lubricants where you are able to. These products tend to collect dust and dirt very quickly once they dry.

BUCO makes your automotive tasks easier with expert advice and a wide range of cleaning and care products. Visit your nearest store today to see how we can keep the wheels of your projects running smoothly.