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Five Steps to a Cleaner
Engine
There are some good reasons why you should
clean the engine compartment of your vehicle
periodically. For one thing, it makes it easier
to see fluid leaks and worn belts, prevents
rust, and makes a great impression if you are
selling your car.
It also makes working on your car's engine less
of a chore because you don't get as messy.
You'll notice when take your car to a garage
that the mechanics tend to be more meticulous
and precise when working on a clean engine.
A few precautions- Always wear good eye
protection when using chemical cleaning agents
like engine degreasers. You absolutely must
disconnect your vehicle's negative battery
cable before beginning any cleaning work on the
engine and/or electrical system. Please also
refer to your vehicle's service manual for any
cleaning instructions or precautions that may
specifically apply to your particular
engine.
Step One- Before you begin the cleaning, start
the engine, let it warm up for a few minutes
then shut it off, in order to soften up
collected grease and grit in your engine
compartment. The correct cleaning temperature
for the engine to be is warm but not hot- you
should be able to hold your hand to the engine
without burning it.
Before cleaning the engine with water, it's
imperative to cover electrical and mechanical
components beneath the hood to protect them
from water damage. The air intake/air filter,
the distributor, the coil and the oil
dipstick/breather should be covered using
plastic baggies sealed with rubber bands It's a
good idea to also check the tightness of the
oil filler cap, power steering filler cap,
windshield washer fluid cap, oil dip stick,
battery filler caps and secure baggies over
them.
Step Two- Spray all over the engine and engine
compartment with non-petroleum based degreaser,
starting from the bottom and working up. Citrus
degreasing products will not harm the paint or
finish on aluminum components and are
biodegradable. After 3-5 minutes use a soft
cotton towel or brush to carefully scrub the
heavy dirt. Re-spray and re-scrub any areas
that need additional cleaning. Once the whole
engine and engine compartment has been cleaned,
rinse thoroughly with water. Try to avoid
getting the degreaser on any exterior painted
areas as it will strip the wax from your
finish. If this happens, it's okay, but you'll
have to give those areas a good wax job when
you're through.
Step three- Once clean, right away take off all
the plastic baggies. Dry any collected water,
especially on aluminum parts, with a soft
cotton towel. Using paper towels, dry the
battery. Start the engine and let it warm up,
in order to dry the remainder of the engine and
evaporate any moisture in sensitive components.
Once everything is dry and cooled off is a good
chance to put a coating of rubber protectant on
your rubber hoses, plastic shields and rubber
gaskets.
Step Four- If the battery terminals are dirty,
disconnect the cables and clean both the cable
terminals and battery posts with a wire brush.
Reconnect the terminals and retighten. Get some
battery terminal spray and spray on the
connected terminals to protect them from
corrosion.
Step Five- A thin coating of non-silicone
lubricant should be applied to any hinges,
throttle cables, cruise control cables and
similar moving parts. Now check and top off
fluid levels.
Take your car out for a spin and make sure the
engine runs satisfactorily. Congratulations,
you're done and now should have a spotless
shiny engine compartment.
D.Demetre is an author and webmaster at
Caroom.us, where you can find Car Accessories
to help keep your car clean.
by David Demetre -
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