I have now Zaino'd my car a bunch of times and cleaned the trim and interior with 303, it's looking really good. I don't have any idea about the engine bay though. Is 303 alright for most things? What do others use? I haven't really looked in there yet to check out what's really dirty...I only thought of it just now.

Ideas?

 

Zymol makes a product called Strick (I think?) that is for engine bay cleaning. But I'm sure 303 is just fine.

I usually just use a wet microfiber on everything followed by a dry microfiber...

 

DON'T is my first suggestion. But if you still want to, here are some tips:

DO NOT use a hose AT ALL a damp rag will have all of the water you need.

DO NOT over saturate ANYTHING you never know what will break

DO NOT get any water near the ECU. That is a BIG no-no.


The best product to use while cleaning the engine bay is any degreaser, my favorite being Simple Green. Spray some degreaser on a rag and wipe everything down (be careful) let it sit for a few minutes, and wipe it all off with a damp rag. Continue to do this until your happy. For places under the engine away from any important internals (shock towers, etc) you can spay the degreaser right onto the place for better grease cutting action. But do be careful.

There is a lot that can go wrong with cleaning an engine bay. I know, had to replace spark plugs after I cleaned my engine bay using a very low pressure hose. Now, I just scrub down my shock towers and wipe off my engine cover, I won't touch anything else, it’s not worth it to me.

 

I noticed that the area behind the wheel trim does not make a perfect seal when the bonnet is closed. I could see that some wheel splash had gotten in there because the black indentations where the headlights land had muddy stains on them.

I got some self-stick weather stripping from Home Depot and applied a strip of it along the top of the wheel well where there is a raised ridge to make a better seal. Seems to have worked so far. I can snap a pic or two if anyone's interested.

 

>>I noticed that the area behind the wheel trim does not make a perfect seal when the bonnet is closed. I could see that some wheel splash had gotten in there because the black indentations where the headlights land had muddy stains on them.
>>
>>I got some self-stick weather stripping from Home Depot and applied a strip of it along the top of the wheel well where there is a raised ridge to make a better seal. Seems to have worked so far. I can snap a pic or two if anyone's interested.

Yes, please do.

 

Ok , I just took some quick pics:









While taking pics, I saw another little addition that I had forgotten about. If you look in the front of the wheelwell beside the reflector you'll find a rectangular hole. It actually allows air and water through into the engine compartment through the top of the hole:

I inserted a piece of foam into the top of the hole to block the wheel splash from getting in:


I felt what could be a hex bolt head in that hole - I'm wildly guessing it's there to adjust the foglights? Anybody know for sure?

_________________
IB/Blk Cooper, Fogs, Xenons, Spoiler, Chrome Inserts, Blk/Blk/Anthracite Int, Sport Seats, Auto Wipers, Premium & Cold Weather pkgs.

 

The hex head bolt is to take off the bumper cover.

 

After each wash, when I'm wiping all the door jambs/sills/etc., I take the damp towel to everything I can easily get at under the hood. This is enough to keep things tidy indefinitely in our moderate San Diegan climate. A more aggressive method may be needed in areas with real weather.

For that more thorough cleaning or when it's been neglected under there for a while, Simple Green, a microfiber towel or soft sponge, and a gentle trickle from the hose work great. Definitely don't use a high pressure blast from the hose; it can work water past seals on electrical stuff. Also, always clean a cold engine. Cold water on a hot engine or under-hood components can cause damage.

Best of luck to you,

James

 

>>The hex head bolt is to take off the bumper cover.

Ah, good to know. Thanks.