Self Service Wash Bays

[HannibalX]

I use my local self service wash bay at least once a week to blast off all the heavy grit and grime before I give my car a hand wash at home with soap and a bucket. I never use the brush.

I have often seen people hosing off their engine compartment though and I have always been hesitant to do so. I understand that engines are a "closed system" for the most part with the exclusion of the air intake but that is shielded by the air box (unless you got ripped off for a cone filter). Despite this can't help but think I am going to short something out with the electrics.

 

[Arkaign]

Ditto with the no engine cleaning with a bunch of water.

I'd much rather have a dirty motor and engine bay than cook something or cause problems by spraying water everywhere in there. There are engine degreasers and such for the job, you just have to work harder at it.

 

[LTC8K6]

Every car wash I ever saw had a sign that said "No Engine Cleaning".

 

[batmang]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Ditto with the no engine cleaning with a bunch of water.

I'd much rather have a dirty motor and engine bay than cook something or cause problems by spraying water everywhere in there. There are engine degreasers and such for the job, you just have to work harder at it.

It's safe to hose down the engine bay actually. But you don't want to do it without caution. Cover the battery, intake (if you have an aftermarket one), anything that is electronic that is exposed. I use plastic bags to cover those parts up. I don't hose down those areas either.

I spray down the engine with DILUTED Simple Green. I let it sit for a few minutes. During the sitting step I use a soft toothbrush for the hard to reach places. Then I hose down the bay with CAUTION. I do a left to right motion and never stay in the same spot for too long.

Actually, just follow this:
http://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_94879/tm.htm

It's pretty much how I do it.

 

[iamwiz82]

I use them in the in the winter since the water is heated. For the engine I normally just do a wipe down. I have washed engines before and 5 out of 10 times I'll get little gremlins until the water completely dries out, even when I am careful and wrap anything electrical in plastic bags.

 

[BassBomb]

Good link. That is pretty much how I do mine

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: batmang

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Ditto with the no engine cleaning with a bunch of water.

I'd much rather have a dirty motor and engine bay than cook something or cause problems by spraying water everywhere in there. There are engine degreasers and such for the job, you just have to work harder at it.

It's safe to hose down the engine bay actually. But you don't want to do it without caution. Cover the battery, intake (if you have an aftermarket one), anything that is electronic that is exposed. I use plastic bags to cover those parts up. I don't hose down those areas either.

I spray down the engine with DILUTED Simple Green. I let it sit for a few minutes. During the sitting step I use a soft toothbrush for the hard to reach places. Then I hose down the bay with CAUTION. I do a left to right motion and never stay in the same spot for too long.

Actually, just follow this:
http://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_94879/tm.htm

It's pretty much how I do it.

So how much time does it take you to cover up your parts? There is alot of electronic crap to cover.

I will hose down a carbed engine, but have never taken a chance on efi, I don't get along with them as it is.

 

[batmang]

Originally posted by: mooseracing

Originally posted by: batmang

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Ditto with the no engine cleaning with a bunch of water.

I'd much rather have a dirty motor and engine bay than cook something or cause problems by spraying water everywhere in there. There are engine degreasers and such for the job, you just have to work harder at it.

It's safe to hose down the engine bay actually. But you don't want to do it without caution. Cover the battery, intake (if you have an aftermarket one), anything that is electronic that is exposed. I use plastic bags to cover those parts up. I don't hose down those areas either.

I spray down the engine with DILUTED Simple Green. I let it sit for a few minutes. During the sitting step I use a soft toothbrush for the hard to reach places. Then I hose down the bay with CAUTION. I do a left to right motion and never stay in the same spot for too long.

Actually, just follow this:
http://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_94879/tm.htm

It's pretty much how I do it.

So how much time does it take you to cover up your parts? There is alot of electronic crap to cover.

I will hose down a carbed engine, but have never taken a chance on efi, I don't get along with them as it is.

I usually cover the battery, intake, and coil/spark plug's. Doesn't take long at all.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
I use my local self service wash bay at least once a week to blast off all the heavy grit and grime before I give my car a hand wash at home with soap and a bucket. I never use the brush.

I have often seen people hosing off their engine compartment though and I have always been hesitant to do so. I understand that engines are a "closed system" for the most part with the exclusion of the air intake but that is shielded by the air box (unless you got ripped off for a cone filter). Despite this can't help but think I am going to short something out with the electrics.

I would like to subscribe to your ripped off by a cone filter newletter. Does it feature an article on the Apexi one?

 

[franksta]

I've used the local self-service sprays a couple of times with good results. The ones I've used all had an electronic box that would control if the spray wand dispensed soap or water or several other things. One of the settings is a degreaser which I used on the motor once and thought it worked well. At the time I thought nothing of it but in retrospect I was spraying down a hot motor with cool water. I'm not sure how much that may affect the metals but I haven't done that since.

I've even used the rabid brush (it foams something fierce). If you have a nice finish on your car or want to keep it that way it's probably better to avoid it. I repainted my truck with a farm implements finish so I'm a bit more rough on it than my wife's Volvo. I usually hand-wash her car at home.

 

[Elstupido]

Decided to try to clean the power steering fluid that had leaked prior to the repair by previous owner on my new, old 98 7 series BMW. I used Gunk spray on, and used a garden hose on very low pressure to wash away the gunk and grime. Looked good.

Let it dry for two days and went to work. Oh man did that engine run like shit, felt like it was running on 5 cylinders, engine light coming on. After i got to work and let it idle for a while, I guess the electronics and sensors finally dried out, and was running fine after that.

I will not do that again

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: franksta
I've used the local self-service sprays a couple of times with good results. The ones I've used all had an electronic box that would control if the spray wand dispensed soap or water or several other things. One of the settings is a degreaser which I used on the motor once and thought it worked well. At the time I thought nothing of it but in retrospect I was spraying down a hot motor with cool water. I'm not sure how much that may affect the metals but I haven't done that since.

I've even used the rabid brush (it foams something fierce). If you have a nice finish on your car or want to keep it that way it's probably better to avoid it. I repainted my truck with a farm implements finish so I'm a bit more rough on it than my wife's Volvo. I usually hand-wash her car at home.

That's all I read first


I don't think you have to worry about the cold water. Offroaders put snorkels on their trucks just so they can drive through cold water that's as high as the engine

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Every car wash I ever saw had a sign that said "No Engine Cleaning".

All the wash bays around me have a special setting and instructions for engine cleaning.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Every car wash I ever saw had a sign that said "No Engine Cleaning".

All the wash bays around me have a special setting and instructions for engine cleaning.

They may have it on the machine, but many don't want it used.

First is hazmat issues. The degreasers work well for undercarriage and the like.

My engines have stayed spotless with simple green, some cheap degreaser and just running medium to low pressure water to rinse. I warm up the engine first before I begin.

I avoid the electronics, wipe everything down after and then run the engine for 5 mins or so.

The people that I have seen have problems use extremely powerful chemicals (some of the spray can stuff will dissolve rubber/plastic if you soak them in it...avoid these) and then a high pressure hose or worse a pressure washer to spray the entire engine. This will force water into the electronics.

The underhood area can handle limited amounts of water splashed up from the road/puddles. It usually cannot handle a deluge.

 

[cirrrocco]

cool. Thanks for all the info folks, will try degreaser this weekend and clean up engine area.No water thgh. Have just been afraid all these days, but now with all this info, will give it a shot

 

[Kelvrick]

I use them since they're covered and I don't have to worry about water spots on my car.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: cirrrocco
cool. Thanks for all the info folks, will try degreaser this weekend and clean up engine area.No water thgh. Have just been afraid all these days, but now with all this info, will give it a shot

if you use a degreaser you really want to follow it up with a water rinse. If the part took the degreaser ok, water should be fine. High pressure (city pressure, not pressure washer) is usually ok for the midline of the engine down sprayed from underneath.

 

[TonyG]

I worked at a large Ford dealership for a couple of years, most of which as a "detailer," and on almost every car we washed we sprayed down the engine compartment with degreaser and rinsed it with a pressure sprayer. Out of the thousands of cars we did this too we never had any problems, and most were newer trucks and suvs.
Now, I could work miracles on car interiors, going as far as too remove the seats, carpet, and interior plastics minus the dash, but normally avoided doing anything more than washing and drying the outside of car.