Is it possible to wash the engine at a car wash

Is it possible to wash the engine at the sink or not - this question is of interest to many motorists. A person who keeps his vehicle clean does not allow heavy pollution, periodically cleaning all surfaces of the engine compartment with special shampoos and wiping it all with soft napkins and rags.

On our autoportal Vodi.su, we have already written a lot about how to dry-clean the interior, or how to properly wash the car body in winter. In the same article, we will consider the topic of engine washing: why is it needed, how to properly produce it, where to go so that your engine is washed in accordance with all the rules and the car would start without problems after this procedure.

Why is it necessary to wash the engine?

Even in the most expensive car, there are places through which dirt can get under the hood, for example through the grille. In addition, antifreeze and engine oil heat up and evaporate during engine operation, and then these fumes settle on the engine in the form of a thin film.

Road dust mixes with the oil and over time forms a thin crust that impairs heat transfer. This leads to the fact that the motor begins to overheat, especially in summer. Also, due to overheating, the viscosity of the oil decreases, which leads to the rapid wear of pistons, liners, connecting rods, gears of the gearbox, and so on.

Among other things, oil stains combined with overheating of the engine can cause a fire, and this is already fraught not only with monetary costs for subsequent repairs, but also with a danger to your life.

Harmful fumes can also be released and enter the cabin through the air conditioning system.

It is not easy for the motor in the winter. At this time, tons of reagents and salt are poured onto the roads, which corrode the paintwork of the body and lead to corrosion. If this salt gets under the hood, then it can slowly but surely destroy rubber elements and wiring.

Well, after long trips, you can simply open the hood and see how many leaves, grass, dust and insects accumulate in the engine compartment.

It is because of all these reasons that it is recommended to wash the engine at least once a year.

You can, of course, do it much easier - periodically clean the walls with the help of available chemicals. But, unfortunately, not everyone has enough time for this.

Washing the engine at a car wash

Today, this service is not uncommon, however, it never was. But on many car washes you can see a sign - "The administration is not responsible for washing the engine." If you see such an ad, you can safely turn around and leave.

In the instructions for some cars, the manufacturer himself recommends not washing the engine. This applies to Toyota JZ and Peugeot 307 engines. However, this does not mean that you have to drive a dirty engine all your life.

Usually at a car wash, they wash the engine as follows:

• close the battery, generator, starter, sensors with dense polyethylene;
• apply a special gel and wait 15-20 minutes until it reacts with dirt;
• wash off the gel with a stream of water under pressure;
• completely dry the engine with an air compressor or a backdraft vacuum cleaner;
• start the engine so that it warms up well and all the remaining moisture evaporates;
• after that, it is recommended either not to turn off the engine for several hours, or to leave the car in the sun with the hood open.

In principle, everything is correct, but the stage with washing off the foam with a jet of water under pressure raises doubts. If you have a modern car in excellent condition, everything is well insulated, protected and screwed, then there is nothing to worry about. But only a small percentage of motorists can boast of such engines. If there is a lot of dirt under the hood, then you may not notice that somewhere the insulation has come off or the fasteners have come loose.

Therefore, we suggest that you contact only official car washes, where qualified personnel work and there is equipment for washing. And most importantly, the administration guarantees you that the engine will start after washing.

The most correct way to wash the engine

At a good car wash, you don't have to worry about your engine.

The washing process itself will consist of several stages:

• first, all surfaces of the engine will be covered with a special gel with dielectric properties, this gel does not contain either acids or alkalis and will not damage rubber and plastic elements, it also has water-repellent properties;
• the car will be left in this state for a while so that the gel begins to act;
• wash off the gel with water, but not from a hose under pressure, but from a spray gun with water mist, the gel folds upon contact with water and is easily washed off;
• everything that is in the engine compartment is thoroughly blown, a lot depends on the quality of the blow;
• a preservative is applied, which forms a thin protective film.

As you can see, with this approach, it is almost impossible to damage the engine. And after washing, it looks like new, and this state remains for a long time.

There is also a dry washing method, in which everything happens according to the same scheme, only the gel is washed off not with a spray gun, but with a steam generator. The cost of such a service in Moscow and, which is very important, with a guarantee is 1500-2200 rubles.

Loading…