# 3 cars with clean engine bay!



## [FIN]Dani (May 20, 2011)

Pressure washer with foam lance and strong solvent, used some soft long haired brush, rinse with pressure washer and after this again with foam lance and strong Bilt Hamber Auto-foam and brushed again, after this just rinse engine bay with pressure washer, let it "dry" for 5min. and spray on some Aerospace Protectant 303, go in and drink cup of tea/coffee and thats it 
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My BMW E46 330i M-Sport II 2002:*






















































































































*Audi A3 S-Line 2011:*























































*Honda CRV 2009:*


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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

Always curious with pressure washers in the engine bay. Did you cover any electrics or just use low pressure? End result looks great.


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## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

all looking good:thumb:


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## e_king (Oct 11, 2012)

Great jobs.


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Can't beat a clean engine bay :thumb:


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## Bartl (Apr 3, 2013)

All looking good.


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## Mr T (Dec 1, 2013)

Please make a guide. I'm so confused when it comes to the engine bay. What did you cover? Wish someone would make a guide for a normal car. Every guide on you tube is detailing some classic engine. 

Looks awsome though.


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## [FIN]Dani (May 20, 2011)

Washed in my life maybe +1000 engine bays, some cars need some covers for coils (like Renault!), but like these cars (BMW, Audi and Honda) has waterproof coil protection from factory, I think all new cars these days has.

Dont use open hose, pressure washer with low pressure is good.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

Nice work there fella,cleaning engines/bays isn't as hard or frightening as some people make out as long as common sense is used.


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

:detailer:


suspal said:


> Nice work there fella,cleaning engines/bays isn't as hard or frightening as some people make out as long as common sense is used.


That's my problem, cleaning engine bays is totally reliant on common sense. Just did mine by hand, CG orange degreaser, Gtechniq W2, brushes and AF Revive, looks great to me but nothing like these. I have a 04 A4 and would not know what to cover up save for the battery maybe.

Well done fella.


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## DaDangerMan (Jan 3, 2014)

lovely job mate, the bmw engine bays have a lovely lay out


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## ChrisEG6 (Dec 26, 2012)

Bassicly just cover any exposed wires/electrics, fuse box, battery terminals, alternators all these things low pressure and you will be fine 

Make sure your ht leads are sealed in the gap just
To be sure prior to hitting it with the pressure
Washer wouldnt want water down there 

Great job mate really adds value to a car in my eyes to see a clean bay top work !


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

AndyA4TDI said:


> :detailer:
> 
> That's my problem, cleaning engine bays is totally reliant on common sense. Just did mine by hand, CG orange degreaser, Gtechniq W2, brushes and AF Revive, looks great to me but nothing like these. I have a 04 A4 and would not know what to cover up save for the battery maybe.
> 
> Well done fella.


Tdi Engines are pretty much bomb proof,most modern engines electricals are well insulated for moisture ingress.
Having said the above a coating of wd40 on relays etc wouldn't go amiss aswell as using aluminium foil,cling film and plastic bags,like I said before common sense is required and with that in mind jobs a good one


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## Welshquattro1 (Dec 6, 2013)

Well done! Looks very good. Keep looking at my Audi but haven't got the nerve to do it. So when you say most engines are waterproof would you cover anything on a 04 Audi?


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## [FIN]Dani (May 20, 2011)

No, but dont use open hose or high power pressure washer, or if you can't adjust water flow so take couple steps backwards 

Use some strong APC with brush, do not try to wash dirt of with pw, just pw to rinse of APC/dirt.


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## Benn (Aug 22, 2007)

[FIN]Dani said:


> Washed in my life maybe +1000 engine bays, some cars need some covers for coils (like Renault!), but like these cars (BMW, Audi and Honda) has waterproof coil protection from factory, I think all new cars these days has.
> 
> Dont use open hose, pressure washer with low pressure is good.


You want to be careful of the fuse box and relays more. Water kills relays very easily.. And new style relays are not cheap. (some Audi ones are over £90)


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Hope the OP does not mind but as I have discussed detailing my own engine within the thread I thought I would post a picture. Ten year old A4 done the old fashioned way by hand.


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## Welshquattro1 (Dec 6, 2013)

Looks great Andy! Did you cover anything when cleaning it? I think after see all these clean engines I'll give mine a go. And thanks [FIN]Dani for the advice. :thumb:


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Welshquattro1 said:


> Looks great Andy! Did you cover anything when cleaning it? I think after see all these clean engines I'll give mine a go. And thanks [FIN]Dani for the advice. :thumb:


Thanks fella, just sprayed some degreaser on one section at a time, worked in with brush, wiped down with warm water and a clean MF and dressed. Very little water was used.


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## [FIN]Dani (May 20, 2011)

Benn said:


> You want to be careful of the fuse box and relays more. Water kills relays very easily.. And new style relays are not cheap. (some Audi ones are over £90)


Fuse boxes are in these days sealed (like in my BMW year 2002), but of course you have to be careful. Lots of water, like open hose will, is bad for engine electric parts, like coils.

So, be careful, use pw with low pressure, and use your brush instead to powerful high flow pw.

I have couples of cars (older megane, alfas and volvo) problem with water in coils, but I took coils out and dried everything with air pressure, voilá.

Yeah, if you dont give a shot, you will never know, but remember, be careful, this is not rocket science but still water and electronic will not walk hand in hand


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## Sheep (Mar 20, 2009)

Very interesting to see how scared people are of engines. I will be cleaning my parents car this weekend hopefully, and they have a rat that keeps crapping on the intake manifold. The engine is a K24 which started production back in 2004, but even full blast pressure washer has never phased it. I did a 1988 Toyota Corolla Carberated engine with a PW, covering only the Distributor, and it worked just fine.


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

[FIN]Dani said:


> Washed in my life maybe +1000 engine bays, some cars need some covers for coils (like Renault!), but like these cars (BMW, Audi and Honda) has waterproof coil protection from factory, I think all new cars these days has.
> 
> Dont use open hose, pressure washer with low pressure is good.


I still wouldn't chance it I have seen them screw up and let water in...

If in doubt cover coils and ECU's thats my rule of thumb....pressure washer even on low is way more than most of the seals are designed for.

I have done loads of engine bays in my time and I always cover anything that looks vulnerable!


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## [FIN]Dani (May 20, 2011)

Next time put your pw on low pressure, say to your friend to fire it up, go 1meter away and put your hand straight to water blast...you will notice thats nothing.
So it will NOT screw any seal or anything else.

But if you put pw 1" away from seals so maybe then, but then you have done it 100% wrong!


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## Welshquattro1 (Dec 6, 2013)

Well after see the clean engines on here and talking to both AndyTDI and [FIN]Dani I cleaned mine today and it looks a lot better!


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## patience (Jul 10, 2013)

I get worried when I spill water putting in washer bottle lol. Thats one hell of a transformation! Looks amazing


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