Friends, let's figure it out: is it necessary to wash him, darling? After all, the engine is hidden securely under the hood, and no one really sees it. Unless harsh and even dirtier car mechanics during repairs

My advice is to do it! Not as often as the body or interior, but washing the engine is helpful. Personally, I chose the frequency for myself: once, maximum twice a year. Most often I do this in the fall, because in the Siberian region the engine gets dirty more in the summer, and in winter it stays clean.

So, first of all, a clean engine is just nice. I don’t know how anyone, but it gives me pleasure to open the hood to see a neat, well-groomed engine compartment.

Secondly, a heavily contaminated engine will not allow passing the state technical inspection... Such a car can simply be turned around and sent to the car wash.

Third, smudges are better visible on a clean engine. But the earlier a malfunction is noticed, the easier and cheaper it is to fix it.

Fourthly, repairing a clean engine is easier and more enjoyable. The ingress of dirt particles into the internal cavities of the engine and attachments is excluded.

Fifth, a thick layer of dirt on the engine is, in fact, a fur coat. The engine is hot in the fur coat. And engine overheating can have extremely unpleasant consequences.

Sixth, the same fur coat is not a bad conductor yet, which provokes unintended electricity leaks. In especially advanced cases, difficult start-up and interruptions in engine operation are provided.

And finally, seventh: points 5 and 6 together give an increase in the fire hazard of the engine compartment. I would not want all this oil-gasoline film to flare up from an accidental spark at one fine moment.

So, figured out - you need to wash, not often, but regularly. The second question is how to wash? The thing is that under the hood there are many "tender" places that are afraid of the aggressive effects of a water jet and moisture itself. These are electrical equipment, wires, pins and connectors, factory decals, hood insulation and much more. Therefore, it is not recommended to wash the engine, in contrast to the body, with a high pressure washer.

The correct washing technology can be as follows:

1.wrap with cellophane and tape the units that are afraid of moisture: battery, generator, engine control unit, fuse box, distributor, wires, electrical connectors;
2. Apply the cleaning chemicals to the entire space of the engine compartment, wait for the prescribed time;
3. wash off the foam with a light stream of water, you can also from the washer, but at minimum pressure;
4. If there is dirt somewhere, repeat the procedure for individual parts of the engine;
5. remove the cellophane, dry the engine with compressed air, especially cavities and electrical equipment;
6. Start the engine and check that it runs smoothly.

And in conclusion, a few more tips:

It is best to wash the engine at a car wash. Most car washes now provide this service. However, make sure the washers know how to do this, otherwise problems cannot be avoided. It can be helpful to be around and control the process.
For self-cleaning the engine, you can use special chemicals purchased at any car dealership. Cleaners Profam 1000 or Profam 2000 are well suited instead of chemicals. Brushes are also useful for you different sizes for cleaning hard-to-reach places and scrapers for removing stubborn dirt.
Washing the engine with detergent or Fairy liquid is useless. Diesel fuel, gasoline or kerosene is dangerous.
If there is no compressor, then the engine can be dried with a vacuum cleaner or pump.
It is better not to wash the engine in freezing temperatures overboard. Moisture, instead of evaporating, freezes and can interfere normal work engine.

But I completely agree ... because I myself worked at a car wash at one time ... and it happened in different ways with engines ... thank God, not on my shift :)))

To wash or not to wash?

There is no need to convince anyone that the car should be washed regularly. A clean body is not only pleasing to the eye, but also more resistant to corrosion. After all, moisture, a source of corrosion, does not linger in dirt and dries immediately. It's not all that obvious with engines. And in general, whether it is necessary to regularly wash the engine of your car outside, and if necessary, how, so that it does not harm it at the same time - this will be discussed below.
A serviceable engine (serviceable in the sense that it does not have oil drips) must be washed periodically, for example, once a year. In doing so, we take into account the following considerations.
A clean engine is less prone to overheating. After all, dust and dirt serve as something like a fur coat, and a very dirty engine is simply bound to overheat. Yes, the cooling system is likely to cope with this slight overheating, but why make it difficult.
A clean engine is more pleasant to maintain. Replacement engine oil, air filter, spark plugs - all this is much more pleasant to do on a clean engine. You say that all the maintenance of your car takes place in an auto repair shop? Well, then the engine should be even cleaner. After all, when you have a visit to the doctor, for example, for a medical examination, you first go to the shower, right? It's the same with visits to auto repair shops. Otherwise, your masters will not only scold you and consider you a slob, but they will also have a more careless attitude to the car.
A clean engine compartment is less fire hazardous. There are many known cases where oil leaks in the engine compartment led to the ignition of the engine. Due to overheating of the exhaust manifold or due to a breakthrough exhaust gases, or a spark somewhere "clicked", and then flammable vapors.
So, you need to wash the engine. The worst thing that can be used is pressure washers. And the point is not even that the jet from the same "Kersher" makes holes in the insulation on the hood and completely flushes (or rather knocks down) all stickers with various information in the engine compartment, as well as paint on some parts. After washing under pressure, water will most likely get into the distributor (under the cover, and rubber bands will not help!), Into candle wells, into the housings of various relays and control units, into the generator, etc. But the saddest thing is not even that. Pressurized water gets inside the connectors and there, without drying out for weeks, initiates corrosion. At the same time, a failure in electricity can occur only after a few months, when you have already forgotten about washing. Therefore, at the end of the wash, all the water will need to be removed with compressed air, while disassembling the connectors that have been under the stream. But if you blow out unnecessary water from the spark plug wells of engines, for example, 3S-FE or 4A-FE from Toyota, it is quite simple, then with engines 3S-FSE (this is D4) or even 1JZ-GE this number will not work. It is already necessary to disassemble something, i.e. visit a car repair shop. And if you have, for example, a "Nadia" car with a D4, then also remove the engine. Otherwise, you won't get to the candles. There is only one way out of this situation: before washing, ask the washers if they guarantee the serviceability of the engine after their intervention to clean the engine. If not, refuse their services.
A more gentle, and, therefore, more acceptable, in our opinion, engine wash procedure looks like this. Spray cold engine, however, you can use the entire engine compartment with a cleaning agent in an aerosol can and after a couple of tens of minutes wash everything off with water, with a weak stream, or just watering everything from a bucket. If the engine is hot, the detergent will dry very quickly without having time to dissolve the dirt. This is not to mention the harm it can do cold water hot engine. Therefore, be sure to cool the engine before washing. While the engine is standing and decaying under the influence of the detergent composition, some places can be rubbed with a brush. But this is usually required by more polluted engines. If an aerosol can for cleaning the engine is not available to you, you can also use detergent. But it is bad because it is very poorly washed out, and if this is not done, the remains of the powder will intensify the corrosion of the contacts in the connectors. It is useless to use detergents like "Ferry". They only dissolve animal fats, and, alas, are powerless against motor oil. It is possible to use gasoline to wash the engine, however, with the risk of burning the car. What can not be said about kerosene, it ignites much worse, but also washes worse. But such powerful agents (gasoline, kerosene) are usually used only on very dirty engines and very lazy owners. And one more remark. If you use kerosene or gasoline, they can get caught on the optics. And if it is reinforced with a film and this film "crawls" in shreds? Such cases, alas, have happened.
When washing the engine, and indeed the entire engine compartment, is over, rinse everything again with water and, opening the hood, leave the car to dry in the sun. If it is possible to use compressed air, the drying process can be accelerated. But at the same time, blowing the engine with compressed air, you can blow out drops of water where they will later be completely unnecessary. For example, in the same candle wells. Then, when the engine is next started, especially when it is accelerating, one or more cylinders will not work. If the engine has not been disassembled before, there is a hope that all the seals are in place and are not abolished by local "craftsmen" as unnecessary, the rubber in them is still elastic, and nothing terrible will happen. If water does get on the candles, then it is advisable to remove them and dry them separately. Just first you need to make sure that there is no water in the candle wells. Otherwise, unscrew the candles, all the water from the well will pour into the cylinder. Then you screw in the spark plugs, start the engine, and you get a hydraulic wedge with all the attendant effects. Therefore, if at least half of the well is filled with water, remove it. No compressed air - blot the water with napkins or rags. And only then unscrew the spark plugs and dry them. You may also have to dry the candlesticks, the distributor cover, high voltage wires, ignition coil, etc. This is usually done when the driver feels that after washing the engine has reduced its power. And if not, then you can ride.
Disable by washing diesel engine even harder. The maximum that unpleasant things can happen there is when fuel hoses fly off the Kersher. And in fuel systemnaturally, water gets in. Also, water can get into the connectors, after which oxidation processes will begin there (or not, if earlier, during assembly, everything was greased) and ... perhaps that's all. Generator, starter, high pressure fuel pump, battery - all this can be poured with water as much as necessary. Then dry for a couple of hours and you can go
So, the engine can and should be washed. At the same time, if you do not use high-pressure installations, you will not disable the engine. And if you fill in the candles, it's not difficult to clean them. And most importantly, make sure that no water gets into the cylinders, i.e. do not wash the engine in a floor disassembled state (with removed air ducts, removed air filter, inverted candles, etc.).

How to properly wash the engine and engine compartment of a car Any car enthusiast washes his car regularly, since a clean body has an aesthetically pleasing appearance and is less prone to corrosion. Over time, all car owners have the question of washing the engine to clean all the dirt that has accumulated under the hood. Opponents of this procedure are reasonably guided by the principle of "do no harm", which is due to the capriciousness of electrical equipment in contact with moisture. But there are much more arguments in favor of washing, it can and should be done, but with the observance of precautions. Why wash the engine and engine compartment A serviceable engine with no oil and coolant leaks requires periodic washing based on the following considerations: An engine free of dirt is not prone to overheating. Dust layers serve as a heat insulator, which creates unnecessary stress on the cooling system. A clean engine is easier and more pleasant to maintain. Service station change oil, spark plugs, filters or process fluids when dirty power unit can cause a careless attitude in the car and reduce the quality of his work. A dirty engine compartment is more fire hazardous. There are cases when oil leaking out on the engine and other parts of the compartment caused ignition due to the ignition of combustible vapors from a spark, an overheated or damaged exhaust manifold, and a burst of exhaust gases. A clean engine allows you to immediately identify the place of a leak and quickly fix the problem without waiting for its aggravation. When selling a car, the chances of finding a buyer faster with a clean engine are higher. Preparation for washing the engine Before starting the procedure for washing the engine compartment, certain preparatory steps are performed to prevent the negative impact of moisture on the wiring, electrical appliances, parts sensitive to wet. The procedure is as follows: Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Dismantling the engine compartment protection. Protecting sensors, connectors and wires with joints with tape and plastic wrap. A good effect is given by water-repellent aerosols, with which connectors and electrical contacts are treated. Disconnection of parts and assemblies that prevent access to the engine. How to wash a car engine at home When choosing a detergent for the engine, they proceed from the density of the units under the hood. In simple and relatively old machines, it is not filled too tightly, which allows the use of bottles with a manual spray. This design ensures accurate dosing of the agent and its savings. For new cars with tight engine compartment aerosols are more suitable, allowing you to process all hard-to-reach places. Concentrated detergents are found in automotive cosmetics stores. They are not very convenient to use, but they are irreplaceable in case of heavy dirt, allowing you to get rid of a large layer of accumulated dirt at one time. It is forbidden to use body products to wash the engine due to the acid content that damages metal parts. The use of diesel fuel and gasoline is unacceptable, as it threatens with instant ignition in the engine compartment. See which external engine cleaners do their job better: Special detergents are used to thoroughly remove dirt deposits and drips of process fluids when washing the engine compartment. Depending on their type, the method of application and preparation differs, detailed in the instructions on the package. Do not wash a hot engine, as the agent on the unit body will dry out. The procedure itself is performed in the following order: After the preparatory work, a detergent is applied to the engine and wait for the time specified in the instructions. With the help of a brush, the most dirty, hard-to-reach and problem areas engine. Washing off the detergent. The operation is repeated until the foam and dirt from all areas is completely removed. Removing previously installed insulation from film and tape. Drying the engine with compressed air. Particular attention is paid to candle wells, contacts and depressions where water is collected. Starting the engine and checking its smooth operation. Washing the engine, performed with disregard of the above rules, is dangerous in its consequences, the most innocuous of which is the engine not starting due to water entering the wiring connectors. Sometimes car owners do not take into account the significant temperature difference, leading to deformation of the cylinder head. For this reason, it is better to postpone washing in winter until summer.

The cleanliness of the car must always be maintained both externally and internally. This is especially true of the motor. How to wash a car engine yourself, you can learn from our recommendations.

Why do I need to wash a car engine

Taking care of the car, you need to refuel it on time quality fuel, change oil, pay attention to cleanliness. Both outside and inside. This concerns the most important part - the motor.

Why do I need to wash the car engine:

  • To prevent damage. Evaporating liquids partially settle on the walls of the internal combustion engine, mix with dust, adhere to each other, forming layers. This plaque interferes with normal heat transfer. Because of this, the internal combustion engine overheats, its work is disrupted. Troubles such as oil seal wear, branch pipe or oil lines... Possible wiring problems. The accumulation of dirt makes it difficult to control the leakage of brake and coolant, engine oil.
  • To prevent fires. Droplets of settled oils ignite when heated.
  • A car with a clean engine is easier to sell.
  • To find the problem. If the internal combustion engine is without dirt, then you can immediately understand where the breakdown is. For example, to find the place of localization of the leak, to determine the condition of the seals.
  • For fast maintenance. It will be just more pleasant to inspect the car, change candles or oil.

If the engine compartment is clean, then the service of the car will be much faster than with a dirty one.


Let's look at the question from the other side and see why it is better to refrain from this. Problemsthat may be waiting for washing:

  • You can accidentally damage electrical wiring strong pressure of water.
  • If you use special solutions that are not intended for these purposes, you can get engine compartment fire... This is especially true of those moments when drying with hair dryers or other similar means takes place.
  • If you do not completely dry the engine and start it, then you can provoke its breakdown or short circuit.

Choosing detergents

So why wash and clean the engine your favorite car at home yourself? To clean it, you can't do with regular soap. In addition, household detergents are not suitable for these purposes. To remove dirt from the motor well, it is better to buy special substances... They can be both universal and specialized:

  • Universal. Designed for washing not only the car as a whole, but also for washing the space under the hood.
  • Specialized. They can be used both for removing oils and for cleaning from dust and dirt. Designed for both the engine and other parts of the machine.

To flush dirt from the motor, you can use manual spray bottle... But it is convenient only when the internal combustion engine, other components are loosely adjacent to each other. Under other conditions it is better to use aerosol spray... This is how hard-to-reach parts of the internal combustion engine can be processed.


Methods for washing the motor

When the question of how to wash the car engine has been resolved, we will decide how to do it. And here are some common ways:

  • Dry cleaning... Use liquid or foam in an aerosol can. It is not necessary to wash off with water after applying the substance. Before using such a tool, you must warm up the enginebut not too hot. If applied to a cold engine, cleaning will not be effective. It is forbidden to apply to some parts of the internal combustion engine, the instructions indicate this. The process itself is also very time consuming.
  • Steam wash... This professional method is not suitable for home use. Only a specialist knows how to properly wash and not damage the engine.
  • Karcher... Not the safest method for non-contact cleaning. High pressure water can damage some parts of the internal combustion engine. A small amount of fluid can also enter the motor and cause damage or corrosion.
  • Rinsing with water... Pre-applied special tool for cleaning. After a while, it is simply washed off with a stream of water. This method is the most common, but does not protect against moisture ingress into the motor.

The engine compartment needs flushing only once a year.

Engine wash procedure

Before figuring out how to properly wash a car engine, you must first prepare to this procedure:

  • Disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery.
  • Dismantling the protection of the internal combustion engine.
  • Protection of wires, sensors with foil. It is necessary to wrap them tightly and fasten everything, if possible, with tape. It is recommended to treat with water-repellent substances. This will help to avoid unexpected damage due to the penetration of liquid there.
  • Disconnection of all parts that interfere with free access to the internal combustion engine.


So how can you independently clean the engine compartment of a car from dirt? Consider this issue depending on the funds that will be used.

How to properly wash the engine by aerosol:

  • Apply the substance evenly to the internal combustion engine.
  • We are waiting for a while, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Clean the motor with a microfiber or soft cloth.

How to properly and carefully wash a car engine water by yourself:

  • Cool down the internal combustion engine to 50 degrees.
  • We make mechanical cleaning of the treated surface.
  • We apply chemistry.
  • We are waiting for 10-15 minutes.
  • Pouring water or process with karcher... Important with this wash do not bring the sprayer closer than 50 cm.
  • Before using the detergent, carefully read the instructions.
  • Necessarily needed in advance prepare the motor

    Author

    For 15 years I have been repairing all kinds of cars, including brands such as Vaz, Uaz, Chevrolet, Mazda, Kia and many others. Everything related to the gearbox, engine or chassis. You can write me your question below in the comments and I will try to answer it in detail.