Cleaning Under Hood of Car (1 Viewer)

[captain_amazing]

I'm looking to clean under the hood of my car. Due to a few valve cover gasket leaks, over time, everything's gotten a bit oily. I've looked online at some degreaser you can spray and just rinse off, but I'd like to do this in an environmentally safe way. Or, is there a place I can go to have this kind of thing done? Thoughts from folks who have done this?

 

[Bucks]

I do it at the quarter self-serve car wash. Not regularly but always before I sell the car. I keep the engine running while I do it. Degreaser sprays out at light pressure, then quickly and carefully rinse at high pressure.

 

[captain_amazing]

I do it at the quarter self-serve car wash. Not regularly but always before I sell the car. I keep the engine running while I do it. Degreaser sprays out at light pressure, then quickly and carefully rinse at high pressure.

We have one near us and was thinking the same thing. What kind of degreaser do you use?

 

[Ignoramus]

When the engine is cool, spray down entire bay with Simple Green. Wait about 10 minutes then hose everything down

 

[netnalp]

I do it at the quarter self-serve car wash. Not regularly but always before I sell the car. I keep the engine running while I do it. Degreaser sprays out at light pressure, then quickly and carefully rinse at high pressure.

We have one near us and was thinking the same thing. What kind of degreaser do you use?

Most have a degreaser setting you can turn the selector knob to.

 

[parasaurolophus]

I'm looking to clean under the hood of my car. Due to a few valve cover gasket leaks, over time, everything's gotten a bit oily. I've looked online at some degreaser you can spray and just rinse off, but I'd like to do this in an environmentally safe way. Or, is there a place I can go to have this kind of thing done? Thoughts from folks who have done this?

The degreaser is the least of your environmental concerns.

Second the engine running.

 

[captain_amazing]

I'm looking to clean under the hood of my car. Due to a few valve cover gasket leaks, over time, everything's gotten a bit oily. I've looked online at some degreaser you can spray and just rinse off, but I'd like to do this in an environmentally safe way. Or, is there a place I can go to have this kind of thing done? Thoughts from folks who have done this?

The degreaser is the least of your environmental concerns. Second the engine running.

I'm assuming the environmental "hazard" would be the oil, but I'd assume the self car wash place has to treat whatever goes down their drains, right?

 

[captain_amazing]

I do it at the quarter self-serve car wash. Not regularly but always before I sell the car. I keep the engine running while I do it. Degreaser sprays out at light pressure, then quickly and carefully rinse at high pressure.

We have one near us and was thinking the same thing. What kind of degreaser do you use?

Most have a degreaser setting you can turn the selector knob to.

That's convenient - thanks! Regarding leaving the engine running - what advantage does that have over turning it off? I thought I read elsewhere that you should turn the engine off and take the terminals off of your battery... Should I be concerned about that or just leave the engine on as you do?

Again, TIA to all.

 

[parasaurolophus]

I do it at the quarter self-serve car wash. Not regularly but always before I sell the car. I keep the engine running while I do it. Degreaser sprays out at light pressure, then quickly and carefully rinse at high pressure.

We have one near us and was thinking the same thing. What kind of degreaser do you use?

Most have a degreaser setting you can turn the selector knob to.

That's convenient - thanks!Regarding leaving the engine running - what advantage does that have over turning it off? I thought I read elsewhere that you should turn the engine off and take the terminals off of your battery... Should I be concerned about that or just leave the engine on as you do?

Again, TIA to all.

Ideally you would cover lots of stuff with plastic wrap. The engine should be cool in a perfect situation, but the issue there is that most people wont cover the right stuff and you want to drive somewhere to do it, so the engine likely wouldn't be cool anyway.

The reason you keep it running is so that if you get water and cleaner where you don't want it (aka alternator, distributor) you will be ok.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

When the engine is cool, spray down entire bay with Simple Green. Wait about 10 minutes then hose everything down

This. I do this to my truck twice a year and it looks like it's brand new. (1997 truck). Disagree with everyone else- doing it while the engine is running. Introducing cold liquids to hot metal doesn't seem like a good idea nor does cooking the cleaner inside your engine.