Preventative Maintenance for NovicesPreventative Maintenance for Novices


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Preventative Maintenance for Novices

Even if you’ve never picked up a wrench before, you can learn how to maintain your own vehicle and cut your car repair expenses by doing simple repairs. How do I know? Because, with the help of some books on car repair and some online research, I learned how to do my own maintenance and minor repairs on my vehicle. I started this blog to help others learn the same skills. Here’s where you can learn which tools you need to have and what supplies to keep on hand. Find out how to locate used parts and save money where ever possible. Knowing how to do DIY car maintenance and repairs can save you a lot of money every year.

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Tips To Follow Before Cleaning Your Engine

Cleaning your engine is a good way to prolong its life and make your car look a whole lot better when you lift up the hood. However, cleaning your engine isn't as simple as cleaning the outside of your car, and there are some considerations that you need to keep in mind. Simply directing a water hose underneath the hood of your car is not a good idea and can cause various problems. Therefore, you'll want to follow these tips before you start cleaning your engine.

Find a Good Local Car Wash

First of all, you should consider cleaning your engine at a do-it-yourself car wash. The grease and oil that will come off of your engine during the cleaning process can cause clog up your storm drain or contaminate the groundwater, but this won't be an issue at a do-it-yourself car wash, since the plumbing is done different and is prepared to handle this type of thing. This is important to both prevent back-ups and prevent environmental issues. Luckily, the power sprayer will make cleaning your engine easy, and many car washes have special settings on their equipment for this purpose, so taking your car to a car wash for this heavy job can be a good idea anyway.

Protect Sensitive Parts

There are electrical components underneath your hood that can be damaged if they are exposed to water. Your best bet is to cover up these exposed components with a piece of thick plastic sheeting. Also, remember to steer the spray away from these parts to help prevent the water from seeping in around the edges of the plastic.

Get Rid of Dirt First

If you suddenly spray underneath your hood, you can expect the dirt to clump up and create mud. This can make a big mess and can make the job of cleaning your engine a whole lot harder. To make the job easier and prevent this mud, it's best to use a bristled brush to gently but thoroughly sweep away as much of the dirt and other dry debris as possible. This will both help make the job a lot simpler and will reduce the amount of time that you have to direct the water toward your engine, which can reduce the chance of your electrical components getting wet.

Take these steps before you choose to clean your engine, and the job should be easy to do. Plus, you shouldn't have to worry about any of the problems that can arise. Contact Dean's Auto Repair Inc for more information.