- Location
- Nashville, TN
Driving along today and lost the upper coolant line. Apparently I didn't get the clamp tight after pulling the valve cover. My engine and underside of the hood are covered in antifreeze. Recommendations for cleaning it??
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Cleaning Engine Bay
- Thread starter Cottontail
- Start date
Matt Jones
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- You've got a friend in Upstate, NY
Simple Green, a hose and lots of rags! I probably wouldnt use a pressure washer unless you cover up some of the electrical parts.
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
No water on the TPS.
Simple green works great.
Simple green works great.
- Location
- Nashville, TN
Just spray with
EDIT: TIM, you and I repsonded at the same time...I'll watch out for the TPS.
EDIT: TIM, you and I repsonded at the same time...I'll watch out for the TPS.
fyrfytr1717
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Turlock, CA
Do you really even need to use a cleaner for antifreeze? It's water soluble so I usually just rinse it off real well. Never noticed any residue afterwards.
- Location
- Nashville, TN
I've got oil and all manners of crap in there, so I might just as well clean it at the same time.
fyrfytr1717
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Turlock, CA
Oh, well in that case, Simple Green works well. 
- Location
- Southern Maryland
If you are going to clean it good then soapy water is your best bet
MAY POP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lake in the Hills Il.
I just use the hose with a spray nozzle on it. After each washing I spray the engine compartment and engine down. Eventually it gets cleaner and easier to see a problem.
Ron
Only been doing this to my vechicles for 40 years +
Ron
Only been doing this to my vechicles for 40 years +
- Location
- Roanoke VA
A combination of Purple Power, GUNK engine bright and a pressure washer.
x2 on Simple Green, cool motor, with hose pressure only. After I am done I spray silicone tire dressing on everything. Mine still looks almost new with 208K on the odometer. I would be a little hesitant to use a pressure washer anywhere near the electronics...plus it is overkill if you regularly clean your engine bay.
For your initial cleaning, you may want to use the engine degreaser, as the Simple Green will not cut the heavy grease deposits real well. But once you start cleaning regularly, Simple Green is more than sufficient.
For your initial cleaning, you may want to use the engine degreaser, as the Simple Green will not cut the heavy grease deposits real well. But once you start cleaning regularly, Simple Green is more than sufficient.
- Location
- Harrisburg, NC
Gunk engine brite works good, just don't use the gel stuff. Little trick, pick up the Advance Auto Parts HD Engine Degreaser instead. It's Gunk Engine Brite in an Advance can. Not to mention the Advance can is larger, and cheaper! That stuff is made here just outside of Charlotte. I worked for them last summer doing an internship...learned all kinds of neat little tricks they do!
iwannadie
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Az
What is wrong with the Gel? I've used the gel stuff before, not to clean the engine bay but to clean loose parts and it seemed really good. I like the foaming stuff best.
The gel isn't as soluable as a foam or spray, it needs more of a "you wipe/scrub stuff" touch to get things clean. I'm personally a fan of Greased Lightning, if you can't find that, next is Purple Power. But Simple Green works well also. Just so you don't have any problems, cover up the tps/fusebox/anything else that could cause some serious damage if it were to get wet, with a plastic grocery bag or something of the sort. I'm usually just careful where I spray, but if its your first cleaning and there's alot of junk under the hood chances are you're going to use alot of water and alot of cleaner, just better safe than sorry.
Mike
Mike
- Location
- Harrisburg, NC
This. I tried the gel once, using the spray on - wait a few minutes - rinse off method that you use with the regular stuff and it left a residue that's still on there today.
iwannadie
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Az
Ah, makes sense and good to know. The stuff I was cleaning was off the vehicle and I was spraying and using a brush then rinsing pretty heavily.
Cherokee Dad
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Apex, NC
When I purchased my 2000 it had some fault codes that pointed to the 'coil over rack' being bad. The mechanic said that they go bad and internally short across the coils and have to be replaced at a cost north of $100 - the guy that had it before us NEVER cleaned his engine, I could scrap 'muck' off under the coil over bar - after much Simple Green used on the UNDERSIDE of the bar with gentle scrubbing the spark did not track across the coils anymore (it was tracking thru the muck) so i suggest that you clean under there well!
