CAN I WASH MY CAR ENGINE?
Like other vehicles, a clean engine compartment makes your car look brand new and well maintained. Most car owners usually claim that a clean engine enables the car run efficiently and cool faster. However, without judging based on appearance, is washing your car engine a good idea? It is very important that the car engine is washed, since the bulk of your electrical components and sensitive engine parts can be found under the hood.
It’s factual that dirt,oil and grease that has accumulated over time on an engine can trap heat and will also take longer time to cool. However, it’s not true that this can make an engine overheat. If your car overheats, there is a problem with your cooling system or there are some other issues that are unrelated to the amount of grease and dirt your engine has accumulated.
Possessing a clean car engine is good, but there’s no evidence that a clean engine works better than a dirty engine. Thus, cleaning your car engine has specific advantages.
Are you contemplating on cleaning your car adequately? Here are few tips you need to consider before washing your car-
1. Before washing your car engine, you need to question if cleaning your car has any relevance to your car’s functionality. If you have plans on selling your car, a clean engine will serve as a red flag rather than showing good points..
Potential buyers may assume that you’ve washed the engine to hide signs of oil leaks. Cleaning your car engine will give it a pristine look your but your engine may not start,also water could get into areas that can cause your engine to corrode.
2. You shouldn’t wash your car engine yourself, unless you’re a professional. Modern cars have tons of electrical connectors that can get wet (even with steam cleaning) and cause complications for your car. Actually, these connectors are protected from beneath the hood to prevent water from touching them. However, this shield does not give protection from a steamer or hose.
If you’re not a professional, you could end up putting water where it shouldn’t be. Since you’re not a professional, you won’t know what and where to protect, where to spray, the right cleaning solutions to use and going about the process of detailing your engine.
3. If you chose to wash the engine yourself, endeavor to safeguard your engine components. For older cars, covering the carburetor is vital, ensure you remove the distributor head and keep it in a plastic wrap. To be on the safe side, endeavor to make sure every electrical component is well shielded from direct water or steam. These components can easily cut out if they come in contact with liquid.
4. Do not wash your car while it’s hot, such as after a long drive or when parked under the sun for too long. When your car is hot, the heat stimulates the drying process,it means that soap and water dries up faster on the body of your car, making it more difficult to wash and increasing the chances of spots appearing on your body work.
Since washing a hot car is a bad idea, then it shows that washing a hot engine is an even worse one. If your car engine is extremely hot, you stand the risk of stressing the metal and causing cracks,small metal components can bend out of shape when it comes into contact with cold water. Even when using warm steam, it’s a good idea to allow your car to cool down a little.
5. When cleaning your car engine, use a degreaser and vacuum tool with a tiny nozzle or a toothbrush for those areas that are hard to reach, this is highly preferable to using a high blast or power hose, because water (as we already know) can damage electrical parts. Even a small splash in the wrong place can cause serious complications for your car engine.
It will cost thousands of naira to get a car engine fixed. Instead, make sure that any part which is soaked in water is thoroughly dried – preferably with compressed air. It will be the best idea to leave the hood open for the engine to dry out before running it. If you’re not sure which parts to cover or which to leave open, you should consider having a professional do the washing for you.
6. The aesthetic appeal of a car with a pristine engine is very attractive. However, washing your car engine should only be done when absolutely mandatory, for example- when you’re looking for the source of a leak, or when you want to sell your car and you’re sure a clean engine will improve its overall value. If not properly undertaken, there’s a high probability that something can go wrong.
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7. If something goes wrong with your car engine after washing it, do not attempt to trace and fix it yourself, as you could end up making the situation worse. If you can get a mechanic to take a look, then do so. If there aren’t any close to where you are, find a way to get the car to the closest garage.
It is advisable that car owners spend time reading the manual that came with their vehicle to identify the type of maintenance required. After washing your car engine, it will look like new and everyone will love it.
If all this looks overwhelming, try to contact professionals when you want to clean your car because people who work on engines and other components have a broader knowledge and can even save you from the stress of trying to fix your car engine,
When it comes to car engines, function trumps over fashion.