Engine wash. How to do it right?

It would be nice if the engine compartment was kept as clean as we have in the car. However, over time, the engine and its components become covered with dust stuck together with oil particles, and in more serious cases, with dirt or oil flowing from the drive unit.

However, the engine should not be washed as thoroughly as the outside. Mechanisms and electrical systems located under the hood of a car do not require exceptional cleanliness for their operation. It doesn't matter to the engine or gearbox whether they are covered with dirt, greasy dirt or not on the outside. Electrical circuits as well, although if the vehicle has a high-voltage installation accessible from the outside, due to the possibility of electrical breakdowns, it should not be covered with moisture, salty mud, etc.

However, when we decide to wash a dirty engine, dust and sand lying on the surface of the bodies will be washed away, and some of them will definitely get where they are not needed - for example, under V-belts and timing belts, in less protected bearings (for example, alternator), around the crankshaft and camshaft seals. While it will be cleaner overall, the mechanisms can be damaged. It often happens that after flushing, the ignition system failed, and it was effectively soaked. Low voltage electrical connections, which are theoretically sealed, can also get wet.

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So the engine compartment as a whole should not be washed too often, but if the high-voltage ignition cables are accessible from the outside, they should be removed and washed separately from the outside of the engine, and then dried. In addition, do not wash the engine and its components with a high-pressure cleaner, as a sharp jet of water can damage plastic parts.

The only time to wash the engine is necessary and required when the workshop begins to disassemble it, even when adjusting the valves. Running on a dirty engine is a mistake because it's hard not to get sticky mud and sand inside.

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