YEAH,DON'T...With all the electronics and wiring in these vehicles, your asking for trouble..If dirty, just wipe with a clean soft rag...
Washing Engine Bay
I am getting ready to wash and clean my engine bay for the first time, was just curious if any of you have any advice or do I need to be extra careful of anything. I have never had any issues to date cleaning an engine, but have also never cleaned one that had a splash guard on the bottom.
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Scotty isn't 80 years old ,, mid 60's..and he knows what he's talking about...Yeah, cars before computer controls, 70's on back had lots of room and air, a distributor, coil, alternator, starter, and battery...but today everything is crammed together like spaghetti where moisture can be trapped and work into sensors and connectors an cause corrosion later on.. Why chance it.. I'd rather wash and wax the outside and under carriage a few times a year...You sound like the 80-year-old Scotty from the Youtube videos.
Its okay, just don't use a pressure washer.
I like his Dry cleaning with a brush and vacuum cleaner and the detailing after, but not when he applies the hose even with the plastic bag covering the engine...To each his own.. Do not try this at home...😰😰😰I’m not saying drench your engine bay. As long as you are careful and do it quickly you’ll be fine. Chrisfix does it here
If you have the org. fiber board engine shield, I would remove it first, as its prone to absorb water..This had made for some interesting reading. I have always used a pressure washer (kept the head at least 2' away) on the hood and around the edges of the engine bay. Also sprayed lightly over the engine, but I did cover the alternator. After spraying on soap with a spray bottle and agitating with brushes I would rinse it off and then blow dry with an air cannon. Have never had an issue. But this is my first auto with a splash guard so not sure if things are more prone to water infiltration.
How come they dont start the engine afterwards???...This video shows how I usually do my engine bays. I was curious to know if I had to drop the engine splash guard which I think I would.
You guys are making me a little nervous although I have never had a problem doing one before.
You might be forgetting that cars back then were not computer controlled with all these sensors and sensitive electronics of today...It might not show up after a cleaning, but months later as some moisture might work its way into connectors over time...I think the main purpose of the engine shield is to protect from water splashing up into the engine compartment when driving in the rain and snow, and not just for aerodynamics....Just be cautious....I am really surprised with how many are really worried about causing electrical problems. I have washed the engine bay of most of my vehicles over the years (now 65) and only had 1 minor problem, but that was on a used car that was really dirty and I did get pretty aggressive with the power wand at the car wash. I guess if I am going to wash the bay I have to drop at least half of the splash shield on the bottom. Or try and have the car on a slope.
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