Engine Cleaning Advice
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 180
Likes: 5
From: Williamstown, wv
Engine Cleaning Advice
Might be a silly question but does anyone know how dealerships and/or individuals who "show" their cars get the engine compartment and engine to look as clean as they do? My car had 85,000 miles on it when I bought it but under the hood was beautiful, I have since tried to clean it with lots of elbow grease and towels but can never get it back to looking show worthy. 
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,752
Likes: 190
From: Indiana PA
For the love of Pete, do anything you want to expect pressure washing or hosing the engine down. The Opti-Spark will thank you.
I personally do not try to keep my engine bay "showroom new" looking. It is clean but not eat off it clean. I race my car too much for that stuff. I show it quite a bit too.
I personally do not try to keep my engine bay "showroom new" looking. It is clean but not eat off it clean. I race my car too much for that stuff. I show it quite a bit too.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 27,118
Likes: 135
From: Montgomery, Alabama
2017 C6 of Year Finalist
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 180
Likes: 5
From: Williamstown, wv
For the love of Pete, do anything you want to expect pressure washing or hosing the engine down. The Opti-Spark will thank you.
I personally do not try to keep my engine bay "showroom new" looking. It is clean but not eat off it clean. I race my car too much for that stuff. I show it quite a bit too.
I personally do not try to keep my engine bay "showroom new" looking. It is clean but not eat off it clean. I race my car too much for that stuff. I show it quite a bit too.
As for keeping it in showroom condition, I dont worry about it to much usually but I want to enter it in an up coming car show and want it to look good.
I miss the good old days when you could just cover the distributer and carb, spray the engine with a good cleaner and go crazy with the hose--lol
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,605
Likes: 202
From: Trinity FL
As others have stated, keep water away from the front of the engine. I usually take a tarp and drape it over the engine from the throttle body, over the intake tract, to the air cleaner. Hose down the engine bay and scrub whatever needs to be scrubbed (Without spraying the ECM or Battery directly). Then I remove the tarp and clean everything that is dry with a rag and simple green, or what I really like now, Tide laundry detergent watered down in a spray bottle, cleans freakin awesome and smells great lol. Then just take some tire shine or armorall and hit all the plastic pieces, it will look great, but if you plan to drive it you might want to skip this last step as it will attract more dust.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,351
Likes: 222
From: Delta B.C. Canada
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C4 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
2015 C4 of Year Finalist
Once you have it reasonably clean, get a can of this:
It works great and lasts.
It works great and lasts.