Washing Engine Compartment

[WolfgangVW]

Hey so thought i'd make a quick post. I'm wanting to do a real good clean / wash of my engine compartment. Nothing crazy, maybe spray some degreaser and pressure wash everything super thoroughly. Any precautions to take? I don't want to get water in anything i shouldn't or cause problems. I've washed engines hundreds of times over the years. Can i just basically pressure wash the $h!t out of everything?? Engine running or off??

Some of you may have seen my fluid leak thread. Seems to have stopped, maybe it was condensation or water or something. At any rate thinking of cleaning up all the excess grime and oil both to do it and will make troubleshooting easier.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Nero Morg]

I've steamed off my engine bay a handful of times, both my dad's cars, my friends car.... The biggest thing you want to be careful of is wiring and rubbers. Don't blast them directly, use a low pressure tip like the yellow one. Keep the tip 10ish inches away, and you'll be fine around the wiring and rubbers. You can get closer on metal.

 

[CtG]

I always like using the handles with the adjustable pressure so I can dial it back near rubbers, soft plastics, insulation, and wiring.
If you have access to a Hotsy or similar that will make a world of difference- you can even use a 40* nozzle and still get good results. Cold water works, but hot water cuts through grime like butter.

 

[BobnOH]

Avoid spraying water on the ECU, TCU. Allow several hours before you start it up. Otherwise, have at it.

 

[300D]

Everything you ever wanted to know about cleaning our TDI's, and then some: https://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=125240

 

[WolfgangVW]

Ok thanks for the replies!

 

[slyk]

I washed mine to get it ready for military shipping overseas (they require the engine compartment to be extremely clean, and zero leaks are permitted which is impossible for an older TDI unless you wash the engine right before driving it there).

I did NOT use a pressure washer -- I used a pump/liquid degreaser and then used a low pressure stream of water to rinse it. It got extremely clean this way -- I did not need high pressure, maybe just a little bit of wiping with a paper towel on stubborn areas.

As a caution, my crankshaft position sensor failed just a few days after I cleaned the engine bay. I don't know for sure that the cleaning caused the failure, but it seems likely. The failure mode was intermittent, but it would leave me stranded when it did fail.

 

[Bengoshi2000]

Cover your alternator with foil or something... I'd be extremely leery of water+degreaser getting into the alternator.

I've degreased twice using the same method slyk used above... an open hose, low pressure rinse. I put my thumb over the end to get some pressure for stubborn areas.

 

[300D]

And to reiterate HermTDI's original comment from way back when, doing the engine washing at a car-wash is best practice.

https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/KSMO_CarWashing.pdf

 

[CtG]

I count myself spoiled- work has a Hotsy with the variable-pressure wand. For tight engine work, or work near connections, lowest pressure (about what holding your thumb on a hose would make) but hot water. That heat makes all the difference.
But yes, having your oily rinse water go into a storm drain or other non-approved drainage is not a good idea.

 

[WolfgangVW]

I washed mine to get it ready for military shipping overseas (they require the engine compartment to be extremely clean, and zero leaks are permitted which is impossible for an older TDI unless you wash the engine right before driving it there).

I did NOT use a pressure washer -- I used a pump/liquid degreaser and then used a low pressure stream of water to rinse it. It got extremely clean this way -- I did not need high pressure, maybe just a little bit of wiping with a paper towel on stubborn areas.

As a caution, my crankshaft position sensor failed just a few days after I cleaned the engine bay. I don't know for sure that the cleaning caused the failure, but it seems likely. The failure mode was intermittent, but it would leave me stranded when it did fail.

OK thanks for this. Where is the sensor located?

 

[WolfgangVW]

I count myself spoiled- work has a Hotsy with the variable-pressure wand. For tight engine work, or work near connections, lowest pressure (about what holding your thumb on a hose would make) but hot water. That heat makes all the difference.
But yes, having your oily rinse water go into a storm drain or other non-approved drainage is not a good idea.

Yes I was most likely going to do at the car wash down the street. It's not crazy oily / dirty but agreed any amount not cool for environment

 

[StevenT]

Hey so thought i'd make a quick post. I'm wanting to do a real good clean / wash of my engine compartment. Nothing crazy, maybe spray some degreaser and pressure wash everything super thoroughly. Any precautions to take? I don't want to get water in anything i shouldn't or cause problems. I've washed engines hundreds of times over the years. Can i just basically pressure wash the $h!t out of everything?? Engine running or off??
Some of you may have seen my fluid leak thread. Seems to have stopped, maybe it was condensation or water or something. At any rate thinking of cleaning up all the excess grime and oil both to do it and will make troubleshooting easier.
Thanks in advance!!

Thanks for posting. I washed my engine compartment yesterday. I was mindful of electrical connections and alternator. It started right up and drove fine.

 

[Louie710]

Im new to this forum but not new to professional detailing. Spray it down with super clean and pressure wash it. Stay about 1 and a half to 2 feet away from the engine tho you dont want to get too close with the pressure washer. When your done rinsing it off grab a leaf blower and dry the heck out of it. Keep about the same distance with the blower as you would with the washer. Onces its dry run your engine for about 5 minutes to make sure everything still work and it helps dry the engine. I would post a picture of my engine but dont know how to yet ?

 

[WolfgangVW]

Excellent! Thanks for the posts!