Clean the Engine Bay of Your Car

Cleaning and detailing your car’s engine bay is tedious but gratifying; if you decide to clean and detail it, we have prepared a series of instructions for you.

This article will walk you through cleaning your car’s engine and engine bay. The process of cleaning the engine bay is divided into five main procedures.

What you will need:

1. Microfiber towels
2. Brushes with plastic bristles in different sizes
3. Paintbrush of different sizes.
4. Cleaning wipes
5. Spray wax
6. Trim restore
7. Soapy water
8. A pair of gloves
9. A pair of safety glasses
10. Dust mask
11. Electric metal brush
12. Vacuum cleaner
13. Leaf blower
14. Air compressor with small diameter nozzle
15. Garden hose
16. Water supply
17. Plastic garbage bag
18. Carpet cleaner solution
19. Flat-head screwdriver
20. Paint markers in black, white, or light colors.

Procedure

First would be the preparation; this process will ensure that water-sensitive components such as sensors, distributors, coils, and sparkplugs are safe. The second is the dry cleaning process; dirt and dust are removed by the brush or air tool.

The third process is wet cleaning; in this process, the engine bay is spray cleaned with water, while the engine is only sprayed with soap. The fourth process is the Drying of components; in this process, the engine and the engine bay are dried. The last step is to detail the engine and the bay; in this step, the engine and the bay are buffed shine.

Cleaning the hood is accomplished by doing the following:

1. Preparation 
   • Let the engine cool down.
   • Remove the battery to avoid shorting out any connection while saturated with water and soap.
   • Avoid soaking the alternator, distributor, and spark plug’s end wires.
   • Do not use pressurized water to clean the engine bay; this may result in water penetrating various engine sensors and shortening them out or causing corrosion on the terminals.
   • Ensure that the engine dipstick is tucked in properly to prevent oil contamination of water.
   • Retighten fluid reservoirs, such as brakes, clutches, power steering, and transmissions (if automatic).
2. Dry Cleaning
   • Put on your dust mask and safety glasses.
   • Remove the dust from the engine and engine bay using the appropriate paintbrush with a vacuum cleaner.
   • Brush off any dust on reachable parts of the engine and engine bay.
   • Connect the small nozzle to the air compressor and use it to brush areas inaccessible by the brush or vacuum nozzle. If an air compressor is not available, use a leaf blower instead.
   • Clean the aluminum part of the engine with a metal brush or an electric metal brush. Be extra careful when using the brush near sensors and rubber hoses.
   • Do not forget to clean the inside of the hood of dust particles.
3. Wet cleaning – In this process, the engine bay is spray-cleaned with water, while the engine is only sprayed with soap. Wet cleaning can be divided into three parts: cleaning the hood, the engine bay, and the engine.
   • Cover the engine with a plastic garbage bag to avoid soaking it with water once the hood has been cleaned.
   • Start cleaning the back of the hood by hosting the painted side of the hood.
   • If the hood liner still looks good and solid, spray it with water to clean it up. But if the hood liner is sagging or looks damaged, do not spray water on it, for it may get more damaged.
   • Spray the entire back of the hood, including the hood liner (if the hood liner is good), with soapy water.
   • Use a microfiber towel to dry and remove the remaining blemishes from the hood and hood liner.
   • If the hood liner still looks dirty after the above procedure, spray carpet cleaner on the hood liner.
   • Rinse the entire back of the hood with water from the garden hose.
   • Spray the left side of the engine bay with water to wash out the dirt.
   • Loosen the dirt from the left side of the engine bay with a cleaning wipe.
   • Rinse the left side again with water.
   • Soak each side of the engine bay with soapy water.
   • Use a paintbrush to loosen the dirt from this side of the engine bay.
   • Rinse again with water from the hose.
   • Remove the plastic bag from the engine.
   • Clean off the oil from parts of the engine using a cleaning wipe.
   • Spray the area with soapy water and use a brush to clean off the dirt and oil.
   • Use a long plastic bristle brush to reach hard-to-reach areas of the engine.
   • Spray the wiring harnesses with soapy water and use a plastic bristle brush to loosen the dirt.
   • Use a microfiber towel to remove the soap and dirt from the engine.
   • Cover the long plastic bristle brush with a microfiber towel and insert it into the hard-to-reach areas to remove the wet dirt, oil, and soap.
4. Drying of components – The engine and bay are dried in this process.
   • Remove the water from the engine and the bay using a microfiber towel.
   • Dry off any remaining water from the engine bay using a microfiber towel or a wet and dry vacuum cleaner.
   • Clean off missed spots by using soapy water and a microfiber towel.
5. Detailing -In this step, the engine and bay are buffed and shined for presentation.
   • Remove the hood liner by prying off the retaining clips using a flat screwdriver.
   • Use a dye to restore the color of the hood liner. Wait for the dye to dry.
   • Spray the entire painted part of the back of the hood with spray wax; this will give the hood a decent shine.
   • Buff the wax using a microfiber towel.
   • Spray the wax on all painted areas of the engine bay and buff it with a microfiber towel.
   • Use a trim restore and a brush on all the engine and engine bay’s plastic and rubber parts, including the hoses and high-tension wires. Avoid contaminating the serpentine belts with the trim restore.
   • Let the trim restored sit on the surfaces for five minutes, then shine off the surfaces using a microfiber towel.
   • Look for rusted metal parts, loosen the rust using a wire brush, and then paint the part with a black marker.
   • Look for raised and faded lettering on reservoirs, then use a white or light paint marker to highlight the raised letters.
   • Re-install the hood liner.
   • Re-install the battery.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope you find the Clean the Engine Bay of Your Car guide helpful.  Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your vehicle.