How to clean my engine bay
 

I have never cleaned the engine bay on the S in all the time I have had it :drunk:
It is no looking very dirty, especially with the recent long distance trips in $hitty weather.
I am just a tad worried I will screw the electronics if I take water to the engine bay. Thought about Gunk a paint brush and water?
What can I do to protect it once I have cleaned it, I heard WD40 was a good way of protecting it, but I would have thought that just acts like a $hit magnet? :rev:

Any body got an proven techniques (that don't take an age and need regular fettling!)

I am after a quick and effective technique that will encourage me to do it every six months or so!

Mikey, Get yourself a few plastic carrier bages. Put one on the fusebox, one over your alarm, and anything with electrical wires in it.

Get some Autoglym engine cleaner, spray it all over the enginebay (including the cam cover etc.) and work at it with a small paintbrush.

Spray the engine with clean water regularly. When you've finished, start the engine, and then take the car for a short run. When you re-open the bonnet, it'll look brilliant :rev:

Spraying water directly into the engine bay feels wrong, but with a PRM, there is loads of metal on show and it looks so much better clean !

It takes 10 mins for subsequent cleans.

Mikey - get yourself a set of CD2 engine cleaner. I used it on my beater car and it really does work and hasn't had any adverse effects on the electrics. Make sure you cover the alternator and any elctrical switches you can see. I used a steady flow of water to first rinse the engine bay, then I added the cleaner spray, agitated the dirt and gunk and then left for 10 mins - then a quick rinse.

Make sure you dry excess water with an old cloth or something and then finish with the gloss foam.

For my S, I do something very simple - after every wash, I use the old big blue drying cloth dampened with water and tiny bit of car wash shampoo to wipe everything down. I then go over all the plastic (black) parts with some zaino tyre gloss and then a quick dab of Z2 on the metal and shiny bits. - Takes me all of 10 mins! - Honest guv :rev:

:rev: With Shipley, autoglym engine cleaner and a paint brush. However, be careful of the red engine cover mine was starting to corrode and the pressure washer actually started making the paint flake off...

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...1bd993846f.png

The rest of the engine bay came up well though :drunk:
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...1bd993846f.png

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...1e35855dc3.jpg
never been washed with pressure washer, would'nt risk it. auto glym is best but with paint brush and hot water let the engine warm up first for a better grime off.


i sprayed auto glym plastic protector on once and wiped excess away a few days later this has kept the engine area clean.

I've heard that if you have salt around you shouldn't use hot water but should use cold water to get rid of the salt deposits. Apparently hot water causes the salt to react faster so if any gets left behind, and I expect that invariably you won't get rid of it all, the corrosion process could be accelerated.

never had a problem but i have a hot water tap as well as a cold water tap fitted in the garage which when i wash the car i only use the hot tap, and normaly leave it on for a long time and i would doubt i would have any salt left, even on my driveway. will ensure i leave it on for an even longer time in future when i clean the engine bay again. :rev:

Could also use some Strik from Zymol. Works well on engine oil & stuff.
Same process as above

Just a quick qipe after you wash the car will work wonders:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...7daab83668.jpg

Why not get it steam cleaned?Usually costs about