After you buy a car in Malaysia, months pass and thanks to your care, your care remains as good as it was when it was bought fresh out of the dealership. One day, you are inspecting your engine and notice that stains and grimes have rendered your engine dirty, but perhaps not dirty enough to seriously affect its inner workings.
Cleaning your engine is a different matter compared to cleaning your car in general. This one requires caution, knowing that there are electrical components surrounding your car’s engine. Obviously, you do not want water sprayed on them, so how can you clean the engine without wetting them?
Follow these steps and you will be able to clean your engine effectively in safety. Open that hood and start. If you just drived, wait for 20 minutes or so until the engine cools down after you park your car.
Cover electronics
The electronics in your engine must be watered to avoid water from getting in. Use plastic bags or thick wraps of cloth and secure them with electric tape. Ignition wires and engine control units are examples of electrical components to be covered. Never skip this step even when you are well versed in engine cleaning.
For the battery, the negative terminal must be removed before you can start cleaning. Additionally, you can also remove the entire battery for further safety, or just cover it up like the other components. Don’t miss a spot.
Degrease and brush
With your chosen degreaser or engine cleaner, thoroughly spray or apply on your engine’s exposed parts. Follow the product’s instructions to get the best out of your degreaser. Let it sit for an instructed amount of time, then use your brush to scrub the degreaser on your engine.
Apply a bit more of the degreaser on a stain that is still stubborn to not heed your brush’s eviction order. Overall, just ensure that the grime and dirt are brushed off and that they are no longer visible on your engine.
Rinse
Now that your engine is completely lathered by your degreaser, you can give your engine a good shower. If you want to take extra steps in cleaning it, use a damp microfiber towel to wipe down your engine first before rinsing it with water.
Do not use a pressure hose as high pressures can ruin your engine. If you have to use it, use the lowest settings. Otherwise, stick to a garden hose. The pressure is smoother and you can adjust it easily with your thumb.
Dry
If you have a blower, blow your engine in the medium settings to dry it, then use a dry microfiber towel to wipe off any remaining water. Air drying, however, is more effective when the weather is good enough to do the job for you.
Don’t forget to replace the battery or its negative terminal if you remove either or both of them. Uncover your engine’s electrical components and last but not least, run an inspection on your engine. At the very least, check the engine oil, coolant and steering wheel fluid.