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I want to clean and detail my engine, its not really dirty enough for degreaser. I was wondering if any of you have tried anything like Dawn and water spray mix. I also wanted to use something that is clearcoat safe ? Thanks for your comments.
Yes, I used a mix of Dawn and water but very sparingly and DID NOT rinse off by spraying water. I used rags, many rags, to manually wipe and dry the areas.
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I have used a little Simple Green on a rag to get rid of any greasy mess, followed up with compressed air to remove loose dust and then a moist Absorber to wipe down the components. Worked well to keep the engine bay looking great.
I dusted with my air compressor then covered the engine, alternator and fusebox with plastic bags, pulled the battery leads and used a power washer (yellow tip). After that I used soapy disposable towels to wash everything and microfiber to dry it all. Then I took the hoodliner off and power washed that (super gently, white tip) before letting it dry and hitting it with spray can fabric dye. Finally I hit all the paint with quick detailer and all the black plastic and hoses with meguires black plastic restorer.
I didn't really touch the aluminum, just soaked a wire brush in degreaser and scrubbed a bit but didn't pull out the rotary brush, figure it looks good enough now.
Basically the 'chrisfix' super clean but I wasn't afraid to use my power washer and I didn't go as nuts on the aluminium.
I'm VERY reluctant to start spraying water or any liquid under the hood because of all the electronics. Gone are the days when you could open the hood, spray Gunk all over the engine, let it soak, then get your garden hose and wash it all off.
Just simply use the products designed for the exact task you are tackling. There are a ton of all-purpose cleaners and degreasers made by automotive detailing products companies that are extremely effective, and you don't have to douse the whole engine bay to use them. Simply pick up a bag of cheap microfiber towels, grab your favorite all-purpose cleaner from Meguiar's or Griot's or Adam's Polishes, or whoever, and start wiping. No need to overthink it.
I have used P21S Total Auto Wash for years. It’s available online only. Spray/mist the engine bay and wash off with a hose. I have done this to countless cars, old, new, low dollar cars and high end cars.
The product is safe and effective and will not stain or etch any surface including paint.
After you wash it off use a leaf blower to dry the engine.
I'm VERY reluctant to start spraying water or any liquid under the hood because of all the electronics. Gone are the days when you could open the hood, spray Gunk all over the engine, let it soak, then get your garden hose and wash it all off.
You just have to cover the alternator, engine and fusebox + disconnect both battery leads. Even those things would be fine if you had the battery disconnected and then let them dry but better to cover them then wait (like when a cellphone gets immersed, you turn it off and let it dry). I had some thick plastic bags and all that stuff was bone dry. So dry that I wound up connecting the battery right back up (even though you would ideally wait) and driving it back into the garage to avoid an incoming storm. I was just civilized and systematic with the power washer not spraying wire junctions or into hose connectors or at dipstick tubes. It helps to get a lot of the the further down/hard to access grime you would need a brush to reach and in general speeds up the whole process by removing a ton of surface dirt (my engine bay was absolutely filled with dirt and saw dust).
I detailed the nasty engine of my 02 a few weeks ago...
Full strength Super Clean all over. Agitate with a few different scrub brushes. Rinse off with a nozzle on the hose. Dry about 90% with the leaf blower. Fantastically cleaned engine bay with no ill effects... I think I re-treated a few areas that still had stubborn grease/dirt on them...
I guess I am not concerned about water getting into any electrical connectors since they are all weatherpack water tight(supposedly) connectors.
ETA:
It doesnt look great due to corrosion on all the aluminum from years of neglect, but its super clean of dirt and grime so all that corrosion shows through. I put some dressing on a lot of the black plastics and what not after this pic and re-installed the FRC's...
Anyone try one of those low pressure steam cleaners? supposed to work well, I have one sitting in the garage, haven't used it yet. cleans with water but very little.
Engine detailing without degreaser.
