Hi, all,
Thought I'd post this here as opposed to the general forum.

I was having a chat with the MINI dealership here and they informed me that they no longer "wash" under the hood of the MINIs. This used to be part of their detailing package, as well as a separate service just for the engine.

Being in AZ, my engine gets full of grit and grime, much more so than back in so.cal. I talked to the auto supply place by me and he said to skip it and that the pressure sprays at the dealerships do more harm than good, jamming water into places it shouldn't be.

Do any of you clean your engines, and if so, what is the best way to go about it?

I'm thinking of giving it a sort of sponge bath to avoid excessive water use!

Thanks,
Paula

 

I noticed mine is starting to get a little dirty under the bonnet... I'd rather clean it a little bit once a year than wait and have a bunch of grime to get off.

 

I use Adam's APC, a few brushes and a very gentle pressure wash. I also spray a bit of 303 protectant after it dries.

 

I never use high water pressure. A gentle cleaner like diluted simple green and a boars hair brush will have it looking like new.

 

thus every 6-12 months maybe, a good detailing clean including hoses, covers, etc. If just dust, a detailing spray. If somewhat oily, 409. If a leak or something big w/ oil, then motor cleaner or brake cleaner (latter more likely if unpainted metal and carefully tested for compatibility), but only in connection w/ fixing the leak in parallel. Gooey stuff, something like Goo Gone or 3M adhesive cleaner if stronger is needed. On painted surfaces, maybe a detailing spray including a light wax while I'm at it since it has to get wiped off anyway. Said another way, I just use different mixes of pretty generic detailing stuff I already have.

Only place I might use a power sprayer now is around wheel wells or on lower engine and tranny casing type stuff if it were heavily greased up, like a used car I buy or something or a friend who has neglected for some years. Preceded in that case by a spray down w/ foamy engine/motor cleaner usually.

The big no-no I quickly learned on my Mini is unlike ANY car I can ever recall, these things have the cheapest, thinnest underhood paints I have come across compared to probably 20 cars I have cleaned up in various ways underhood. Well sprayed, but way too little and not properly protected. Essentially no protection at all, not even a dull clearcoat thin overspray or anything. Have already seen the issue near the strut towers, near the hinges on the hood, and near the latch points toward front of hood. Quickly can rub through to a dull grey primer underneath. Thus, I find the Chile red paint comes off onto a rag with chemicals as light as 409 or rubbing alcohol. Therefore, no strong solvents anywhere near the painted surfaces underhood. And, I test anytime I get near the paint underhood with any new solvent or chemical of any kind, even simple household stuff. Noted some of the same BTW in some parts of rear hatch opening too where clearcoat overspray didn't reach. Door jambs are much better, and no similar issues with paint on exterior surfaces.

 

Octaneguy may have something to say about this issue eventually if he hasn't somewhere else already. I just use a damp microfiber and boarshair brushes and long q tips after every bath, avoids buildup that way. For greasy stuff, a solution of Dawn detergent really cuts the grease and rinses off very easily and so far hasn't bothered any painted surfaces. I've never sprayed with a hose under the bonnet.

 

In class so I can't write too much right now but it's important to know engine bays these days are typically very well sealed and protected from water damage. High pressure is the death of electronic connections and rubber gaskets, but a low pressure hose poses little threat so long as you pay attention and don't overdo it. Regardless, I always block off the intake and use as little water as possible.

P21s all purpose is my favorite cleaner, matched with Swissvax brushes

 

steam

 

Wow! Thank you for ALL the great advice. The one time the dealer cleaned the engine, they finished with some kind of Armorall-type polish which as REALLY attracted the dust. I think, since this is my first time cleaning the engine myself, I will go cautiously and use diluted Simple Green (I use it on the wheels), a soft brush (toothbrushes maybe), and soft clothes to wipe away drips. No hose for me--I just had about $2700 worth of maintenance, repairs, and upgrades done lately, so I don't want to take the chance on any self-inflicted repairs. lol

You guys rock, as usual.

 

Here I am, lol.

An insect sprayer works well. They only put out about 35 to 40psi and you can fill it with ONR or just plain water. I like to use flagged nylon brushes for the majority of the big surfaces.

An Absorber Towel is a must for picking up standing water. On the R50/R53's that in the strut tower wells. Just stick an Absorber towel there to pick up the standing water.

But even before that, there are considerations for washing an engine.

1.) You don't need high pressure
2.) You don't need steam (unless you are trying to remove grease)
3.) Don't wash a hot engine
4.) You CAN use a household hose with a nozzle.
5.) Before washing the engine bay, know where the alternator is, the ECU, and the Intake. You don't want to get water in any of these areas, so put a towel over the alternator. The ECU is sealed so just don't spray that. So is the OEM intake, though aftermarket intakes are exposed.
6.) Once the engine is wet, use some APC and a flagged nylon brush to clean up the surfaces.
7.) Spray your favorite plastic/rubber dressing. I like Meguiar's HyperDressing for the simple fact it has an extremely high flash point, important when putting on products in high heat places. I just spray it on all the plastic areas, and close the bonnet and I'm done. Or if I don't want a high gloss, wipe it all down with a MF towel for a matte/semi gloss finish.

Richard

 

Richard

Now that you have a 2nd Gen MINI, would it be possible to post a photo of what areas in the engine we should avoid getting (too) wet?

Thanks
Ric

 

Do this exercise: Go to an auto parts store, find the car care section, pick up an armorall product and put it back. Repeat as needed to firmly implant the response. You've seen what it does in the engine bay, imaging what your interior and plastic trim would look like after just one application and a short drive. I speak from experience from several years back on an early model El Camino. It was a lesson learned from the nasty slick dashboard feel to all the black stuff turning redish brown after a trip around the block. You've all seen the armorall ad on TV where the guy drives away and a whole crew of guys run out to scrub up all the slop that was left behind. Nuff said.

 

I had an old 318is, it was old but in very good condition, inside and out. One day I thot I'd spruce up the dash with Armorall. The next day, after the sun had been on it, I had a big crack right down the middle of the plastic. Never again.

Not that Im a sucker for punishment, but Im actually considering Armorall Leather Gel for our leather sofa. Many of the online reviews gave it good marks. Does anybody have any experience with it?

 

Ibid.

 

Huh?

 

Woops, my mistake, it should have read idem. Sorry 'bout that.

 

leather care

connolly - that's what the classic car folks like and they typically have one heck of an investment in their leather

http://www.autogeek.net/colecakit.html

look around and you'll find the products alone without the rags and toothbrushes....

http://mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProdu...67&SortOrder=1



cleaning engine compartment with steam = no chemicals on the rubber or plastic and minimum water intrusion. You can buy a small steam cleaner for under $100. I've been cleaning my 79's engine comparment with steam since the beginning.

 

Might any of you detailing gurus have a suggesion or two about removing the dirty brown "puke" from a leaking passenger side motor mount?

 

replace the blown mount . . .

clean up with steam!

 

Thanks Capt! motor mount has been done, just need to get puke cleaned off. I did not even consider the steam option.

Dexter

 

The "puke" is called cosmoline. BMW sprays it all over there cars on the boat ride to the states to protect it from all the moisture. However it doesn't get removed from all the nooks and crannies of the cars and tends to seep out when it gets warm. The Prima product called Cosmonot was made specifically for the removal of cosmoline and it works great! Also, I've heard paint thinner works too but never tried it.

 

By the way, puke is totaly a better name for that stuff than cosmoline!

 

I was talking with a car buddy of mine and he gave me a few tips I wanted to check with you guys before I went ahead and did it.

On a cool engine, spray down the hole engine (minus some critical parts) with Purple Power (cleaner/degreaser) and let it sit for about 10-15 min then spray off with a hose on shower setting.

Making sure it completely dries out before starting car again.

Thoughts?

 

I do much the same. I spray Simple Green all over, let it sit for a few minutes, use a brush to loosen grime, then hose off.

I do recommend covering the alternator. Everything else should be fine, just don't spray down the box with the ECU.

 

Dumb question, where's the alternator?

Photo would be nice