hey guys what is tha best way 2 clean our engines? mine is very dirty and dusty, i was told not to use tha spray at tha car wash and not 2 buy tha engine brite stuff cause it dosent work i want it 2 look like it just got off tha dealer lot all detailed my boy told me 2 spray it with tire shine and let it sit and then wipe it off? what do u guys think?????

 

use engine bright, but rinse off w/ fresh water i.e. rain water or distilled water, not tap water. steam cleaning works too.

 

i just spray on a degreaser, let it sit for about a minute, then rinse it off. after it dries, i spray tire dressing on it.

 

i have also been wondering the same thing.. a few months back i got my engine bay cleaned up real good when i got my car washed, not to sure what they used but they made the engine bay shine! it looked good but felt greasy when i touched anything under the hood.. after some neglect and a recent trip i had forgot i had got it all sprused up and when i popped the hook to clean my k&n i was like WTF hanpened under here.. it was all dusty and dirty its like that SHINE was a dust magnet and just sucked anything dirty to its parts..

any help would be great.. or should i just get it cleaned up again but this time with NO shine, and then just maintain it myself?

 

they probably used a solvent based dressing. that usually lasts longer than water based dressing but it stays kinda greasy for a while, so youre right in thinking of it as a "dust magnet". as for maintaining it, i usually just do it when i change my oil.

 

Steam cleaning works the best. Some car washes do this.

 

Used oil is what some dealerships use. If you use a small amount on a rag you can make that puppy look like new.

 

thats what i do. it works great.

is cleaning it with water really that safe? i've heard its really bad for all the electrical equipment underneath your hood. basically not a good idea.

 

I wouldn't suggest engine bright, it can eat up seals and rubber pieces if used too much

 

the only thing the water will hurt is if it gets into your plugs or plug wires. everything else will be alright, unless you have a hole in a vacuum line or something.

 

i work at a dealership and all we do is spary degreaser and presure wash it off,stay clear of the alternator and pulgs wires like everyone else said.and you can put tire dressing on the plastic parts too but put it on a rag and rub it on

 

yeah engine bright is not a good idea. I sprayed some of that on and washed it off and 2 days later.... my release fork boot is leaking, and all my main seals in my transmission.. ah.. oh the wonderful world..

 

steamm cleaan

 

Yeah I vote steam clean too...

...I got the Scunci Steamer, and it cleans everything else around my house. Even some really nasty ish! Have yet to try it on my engine though. I did use it on my rims w/ a brush attachment it comes with and it scrubbed them puppies clean!

 

all i have to say is check my car domain site or check my pic in my car profile... that's clean!