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.