So you want to learn how to clean your car’s engine? It’s easier than you would think and doesn’t take very much to do, but the results can be very rewarding whether you just want it clean for the sake of being clean, or you’re trying to get ready to sell your car.
First off, to properly clean your car’s engine you’ll need a few essentials:
- A Garden Hose with a Sprayer attachment.
- A High Quality Cleaner or de-greaser such as Oil Eater.
- An Engine Dressing such as Black Magic Engine Shine.
- Approximately 10 to 20 Minutes of free time.
The first thing you’ll want to do is start your car and let the engine run for 30 seconds to a minute. Not too long, we just want to give everything a chance to warm up which will make removing any dirt or grease buildup much easier. Once the engine is warm, apply your cleaner or degreaser liberally to the engine, taking care to avoid any electrical wires as much as possible. Pay special attention to any especially dirty parts of your engine.
Give the de-greaser a minute or two to penetrate all of the dirt and grime, and use the hose with the sprayer attachment to rinse everything off. Once again, you’ll want to try and avoid any exposed electrical wires, as well as your air intake and distributor. Don’t worry if they get a little wet, just try not to soak them. If your engine is still dirty after you’re done rinsing, go ahead & apply more de-greaser & repeat the previous step until you are satisfied with how clean your engine looks. Don’t be afraid to do this 2 or 3 more times if needed.
Once your engine is clean, let the water dry for a few minutes. You don’t necessarily need it to be completely dry, but water can interfere with the finish quality of some engine dressings, so you’ll probably want to consult the instructions of the dressing you have for best results. Once it’s dry, apply your engine dressing as the directions direct paying special attention to anything that is easily visible such as the upper radiator hose, any vacuum lines, your valve covers, and anything else you would like to see with a glistening, polished look.
Once everything is clean & sparkling like new, you’ll want to leave the hood open for 5 or so minutes before calling it a day, as many engine dressings produce fumes that can cause fires if the engine is started too soon, or the hood is closed too soon. Just have a little patience & wait. Once 5 minutes has passed, close everything back up and put away your supplies. You’re done!
