Spraying out the engine bay

[Swordfish]

I opened up the hood yesterday and it was completely full of dust and what appeared to be sand like substance. I probably drove through a construction zone or many and the weather and air here has been extremely dry to the point where the intake filter I just changed after 7,000 miles.

Everything in the engine bay is stock, if I just take the car to a self-serve and open the hood, if I just spray everything with soap and water to wash out the engine bay is there any issues or anything I should avoid spraying (car battery, etc.......)

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[TheCodifier]

The usual advice is to cover the alternator, fuse box and battery with a plastic bag and not spray high pressure water directly in those zones.

 

[360glitch]

I sprayed mine (water only) without covering anything and did not have any issues. I was careful to not directly spray any areas that seemed sensitive. I'd be careful with it though.

 

[zroger73]

For the last 20 years or so (when I keep a vehicle long enough for the engine bay to actually get dirty), I've filled a half-gallon pump sprayer with Simple Green and sprayed down the engine bay, let it soak for 5-10 minutes, then rinsed it off with a garden hose and spray nozzle. Everything under the hood is protected from splashing water. Avoid pressure washing.

 

[boosted180sx]

pressure washer imo is safer than rinsing down with a garden hose.
I have had ZERO problems washing my engine bay on my cars with a pressure washer. Just don't spray and stay in one spot for long.

I spray an all purpose cleaner under the hood, agitate with a brush and spray away. Just avoid directly spraying on places that you wouldn't want water to get into.

 

[zroger73]

pressure washer imo is safer than rinsing down with a garden hose.

Using a pressure washer is safer because it uses less water and cleans/rinses better.

 

[boosted180sx]

Using a pressure washer is safer because it uses less water and cleans/rinses better.

not to mention, it spreads out the water far better than a garden hose making it less prone to directly spraying in one spot.

yeah no. That's just there for honda to prevent people from coming back to them about fucked up engine bays because they don't know how to correctly wash the engine bay.

maybe if your pointing the pressure washers tip right up against the the spot your trying to rinse. Go use a 40 degree nozzle with the correct orfice and tell me if it's "high" pressure. A pressure washer doesn't necessarily always produce HIGH pressure.

 

[NotSerious]

I had used a high-pressure wash many times before with no problems.
Then one time that I used a high-pressure wash on my engine bay of my 2001 Civic at a coin wash I damaged the ignition coils. It was an expensive repair.

Just because others have managed to use high-pressure washers and were lucky enough to not do damage doesn't make it a good idea for you to try it. There is a reason that Honda and mechanics recommend that you don't. The components are not designed to handle it.

 

[tacthecat]

I opened up the hood yesterday and it was completely full of dust and what appeared to be sand like substance. I probably drove through a construction zone or many and the weather and air here has been extremely dry to the point where the intake filter I just changed after 7,000 miles.

Everything in the engine bay is stock, if I just take the car to a self-serve and open the hood, if I just spray everything with soap and water to wash out the engine bay is there any issues or anything I should avoid spraying (car battery, etc.......)

In addition to covering the alternator and fusebox be sure to NOT to use the WAX option - can mess up the finishes and likely smell terrible. Spray from a distance to keep pressure lower and don't overdo near wiring connections - if you tried to cover them all, you might as well leave the hood closed.

 

[Swordfish]

Maybe if I use water only and stand back far away so there is no direct pressure. I'll probably skip the soap. The engine bay compartment is completely dusty and needs to be cleaned out somehow though, it is incredibly full of dust and debris.

 

[Swordfish]

I always thought the air intake is in front of the grill like a pseudo-RAM air. The duct seems to draw from the front, curl on the hood, then down into the intake box.

In fact, this type of set up is why I suspect my air filter is toast after 7,000 miles is due to direct air intake vs. Toyota which tucks it inside the engine bay and behind the headlight.

 

[boosted180sx]

I used a high-pressure wash on my engine bay at a coin wash.
Had to replace the ignition coils afterward.

Don't use high-pressure nozzle on your engine.

Ignition coils do not go bad because you washed it with a pressure washer. If you soak the coils with water, that may possibly mess them up. I’ve washed bmw, Mercedes, and Audi’s with zero problems.

If you use some common sense and keep a certain distance and not blast the fuse box, alternator, intake, coil pack area you’ll be fine.

 

[Civics4Ever]

I'd rather use a garden hose with a spray nozzle. Make me too nervous about damage from high pressure. Honda sells an engine cleaner called hondabright. It works very well but you have to hose it off very quickly after applying it. I used it and then sprayed off with a hose nozzle. I've also used compressed air to blow out dust.

 

[NotSerious]

Ignition coils do not go bad because you washed it with a pressure washer. .

Then I guess that I just imagined the car misfiring like crazy after I used a high-pressure wash on it. And my mechanic that I trust must have lied to me about having bad coils. And after he replaced the coils, I guess I just imagined that the very bad misfire disappeared.

 

[boosted180sx]

Then I guess that I just imagined the car misfiring like crazy after I used a high-pressure wash on it. And my mechanic that I trust must have lied to me about having bad coils.

I’m not saying you are lying. You could’ve sprayed in one spot and had a pool of water around it which seeped in. Who knows.

All I’m saying is a pressure washer is not a direct cause of coils going bad. You can do the same amount of dmg with a garden hose if you aren’t careful around the sensitive electrical areas.

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