Hi folks
I am planning on giving my NDs engine bay a clean at the weekend. I’m using AutoGlym Engine Cleaner and some rags, and was going to rinse with either a low pressure hose or a spray bottle.
I don’t really know my a*** from my elbow when it comes to what is under the bonnet, what areas should I avoid getting wet at all costs? The battery and spark plugs seem obvious areas to avoid. Are there any others?
Like you, my rocker box has surface corrosion and I’ve found no (practicable) way to deal with that. Otherwise - I wouldn’t use a pressure washer and I don’t think you really need water at all, unless you are entering a competition and need it absolutely in factory condition. Use a brush (old paintbrush, or one of those round ones) to brush away the dust and sand. You may need to blow down a thin hose to get it out of the nooks and crannies. Then just use a cloth with silicone spray on it (choose spray that doesn’t contain oil otherwise the rubber hoses will rot) to clean everything. You will be amazed by how the rubber hoses lose their white powdery surface and come up as new. Same with the plastic parts.
Agreed, I wouldn’t be putting water inside the engine bay. I just give everything a wipe over with various products, adding water into the mix just asks for trouble especially on more modern vehicles.
Just detailed my engine bay. Combination of WD-40, white spirit and Autoglym rubber and vinyl spray. The white spirit was used to shift some overspray of Dinitrol I’d been meaning to clean off for ages.
It’s just a case of getting in all the nooks and crannies with a cloth and the above products. If you really want to do it to death, remove anything that easily bolts in before you start, like air filter box and associated hoses, battery +box, washer bottle, cross brace.
