How to properly clean and service your car engine without hurting it?

A clean engine bay can make your maintenance work hassle-free. If it’s been a long you have cleaned your engine. It’s better to take some time out for your beloved car. Regular cleaning avoids rust from depositing on your engine. Rust is one of the major components that cause major breakdowns. 

Road grime and salts are the biggest culprits in developing rust, so rinsing the engine bay will prolong the life of your vehicle’s engine. We advise doing the process before you wash your vehicle as the harsh chemical may accidentally spill on your car.

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  Remove debris

This is the basic step to start any cleaning procedure. Before beginning a complete clean remove the debris like leaves, spider web, twigs grass, etc from your engine bay. This debris dries off and becomes a major hazard and reason to cause fires. Sometimes smaller animals make nests in the engine bay generally on colder days, Make sure you remove them as well.

• Disconnect Battery and electricals

Different electric compounds and batteries need to be covered properly to avoid any other major damage to the electronic system. Make sure you disconnect the batteries as well, as water spray directly on the connected battery can cause electrical components to arc, blowing fuses or causing other damage. 

Tuck the ground cable to the side to avoid direct contact with the terminal. Cover the exposed wiring and electronics as well. Even though the engine is fairly waterproof, extra safety can come a long way for durability. Cover the spark plug inlets and loose wires with plastic covers to give them additional safety. 

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• Run the engine for 5 mins

Grease on the engines gets easier to remove when the engine is heated. Running the car for 5 minutes will bring the engine to normal running temperature and loosen the grease a little. Make sure to not run the car’s engine for too long as it may burn your hand as soon as you touch it. After this spray some engine degreaser. 

Spray in a way to get full coverage of the engine. Make sure you don’t get the degreaser on the car’s paint as this can remove the paint’s clear coating. If you do get any degreaser on the fenders or other painted areas, rinse it off quickly to avoid damaging the paint.

• Let the degreaser soak

Degreaser works best when it is soaked for at least 5 mins. It eats up all the oil particles losing up the stuck grease. If the engine is relatively clean, soaking for 2-3 minutes will do the job. After that use a stiff steel bristle brush to gently rub on the engine surface. This will remove all the deposits. 

While doing this process make sure you use eye protection as the degreasing can cause a burning sensation in your eyes if spilt. Also, make sure to wear gloves for eliminating prolonged contact from the degreaser. After it looks clean, rinse with a regular hose as a high-pressure hose can cause damage to wires and electronics. If the engine still looks dirty do the same procedure all over again until you get better results.

• Clean other components

Use a wired brush to clean the battery terminal and other components. Use baking soda and water solution on the battery terminal to neutralise any battery leaks. Do not use a steel brush on plastic parts. Rather use a sponge or a stiff bristle brush. After cleaning thoroughly use brake cleaner to spot clean any grime deposits. Make sure to not apply brake fluid on a hot surface as they are extremely flammable.

After completing these steps you are good to go.The engine bay will be cleaned and look brand new. Connect back all the disconnected wires and battery and wash the car from the exterior once to wash away any chemical deposits on the car’s paint.

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