BrianS
18-09-2001, 03:01 PM
I eventually got round to cleaning the engine on the car two weekends ago and surprisingly, it was tougher than I thought it was going to be. There's not much to it but its just a pain for perfectionists like me. It took about an hour, but I think that with a bit of practice, I can do it a lot quicker.
Here's how it went. The engine & compartment wasn't really greasy as such, but caked with dirt. Its my girlfriend's car - a 94 Astra and this is the first time the engine was cleaned. First I watered down the entire compartment and outside panels, grill & bumper, also the underside of the bonnet. I used a bottle of Autoglym Engine degreaser with a paintbrush which is about £10 in all. (Tip - put some masking tape around the metal of the brush - accidents happen & metal scratches).
First I sprayed from the bottom up, liberally covering everything with the spray inside the compartment, and also the underside of the bonnet. I left the spray on the engine, etc to dwell for a while so in the meantime, I cleaned the bonnet which was caked with mud, etc. That was a bit tough because of the angle, but I used the paint-brush and an old cloth and gave it a good few wipes & swipes and eventually I got it as clean as I wanted. Not spotless, but I'm not really worried about any bits of dirt under here.
Next I went to work on the engine surfaces. The dwelling time of the cleaner softened up the dirt pretty well and a good agitation with the brush took 80% of the surface dirt. So I rinsed it all off and repeated the engine bit. The suds were too dirty and I couldn't tell what was getting cleaned properly so it was worth the second application. More brushing and wiping and rinsing and I finished the hard part. Just to get it all looking nice and clean, I washed the jamb that the bonnet sits down into and then put a bit of wax on the painted surfaces around the top and the underside of the bonnet. All that was left was to turn on the engine and let it dry off.
In the end it looked fairly good. But it is a 7 year old engine so some of the surfaces were a bit worn-looking. I didn't expect it to shine but I was impressed with it. One thing though - I had run out of dressing for the black plastics so they still looked old and grey. I didn't think to take a before & after picture, but there was a huge difference.
I didn't use a pressure washer on it but next time I probably will try it - but its important to avoid the electrics/ electronics, especially on newer or bigger luxury cars. Otherwise, with a little care, they can withstand a bit of water and cleaning.
If I was about to sell my car, I would ad this to my task list. Potential buyers always look under the bonnet and this will help it sell a lot quicker on the second-hand market and most likely get you more money. Be warned, its a dirty job. Wear your working clothes!!
Another tip; Autoglym instrust that the degreaser be applied on a cold engine, but if you warm it up enough to comfortably put your hand on it, this will take the dirt off with less effort.
Any q's let me know.
Take Care Out There. :cool:
Brian
Here's how it went. The engine & compartment wasn't really greasy as such, but caked with dirt. Its my girlfriend's car - a 94 Astra and this is the first time the engine was cleaned. First I watered down the entire compartment and outside panels, grill & bumper, also the underside of the bonnet. I used a bottle of Autoglym Engine degreaser with a paintbrush which is about £10 in all. (Tip - put some masking tape around the metal of the brush - accidents happen & metal scratches).
First I sprayed from the bottom up, liberally covering everything with the spray inside the compartment, and also the underside of the bonnet. I left the spray on the engine, etc to dwell for a while so in the meantime, I cleaned the bonnet which was caked with mud, etc. That was a bit tough because of the angle, but I used the paint-brush and an old cloth and gave it a good few wipes & swipes and eventually I got it as clean as I wanted. Not spotless, but I'm not really worried about any bits of dirt under here.
Next I went to work on the engine surfaces. The dwelling time of the cleaner softened up the dirt pretty well and a good agitation with the brush took 80% of the surface dirt. So I rinsed it all off and repeated the engine bit. The suds were too dirty and I couldn't tell what was getting cleaned properly so it was worth the second application. More brushing and wiping and rinsing and I finished the hard part. Just to get it all looking nice and clean, I washed the jamb that the bonnet sits down into and then put a bit of wax on the painted surfaces around the top and the underside of the bonnet. All that was left was to turn on the engine and let it dry off.
In the end it looked fairly good. But it is a 7 year old engine so some of the surfaces were a bit worn-looking. I didn't expect it to shine but I was impressed with it. One thing though - I had run out of dressing for the black plastics so they still looked old and grey. I didn't think to take a before & after picture, but there was a huge difference.
I didn't use a pressure washer on it but next time I probably will try it - but its important to avoid the electrics/ electronics, especially on newer or bigger luxury cars. Otherwise, with a little care, they can withstand a bit of water and cleaning.
If I was about to sell my car, I would ad this to my task list. Potential buyers always look under the bonnet and this will help it sell a lot quicker on the second-hand market and most likely get you more money. Be warned, its a dirty job. Wear your working clothes!!
Another tip; Autoglym instrust that the degreaser be applied on a cold engine, but if you warm it up enough to comfortably put your hand on it, this will take the dirt off with less effort.
Any q's let me know.
Take Care Out There. :cool:
Brian