How to Clean Car Engines
Although many people are diligent to clean the interior and exterior of their car, few people think to clean the most vital part of the entire vehicle, the engine. A clean engine will give you increased performance, so take a extra minutes the next time you wash your car to clean out the engine.
Items you'll need:
- Hose
- Bucket
- Degreaser soap
- Brush
- Plastic bags
- Cleaning the engine while it is warm is the best way to clean. By warming up the engine, you will heat up oil and grease stuck on the block, making cleaning easier. Once the engine has warmed for a few minutes, turn the engine off and open the hood.
- Disconnect the battery to avoid a short. Remove the negative lead first and then the positive. Then, cover the battery with a plastic bag to ensure that nothing gets wet. If your car has a carburetor, cover that as well.
- Take the hose and rinse off the engine, getting off any loose dirt.
- Mix soap and water in the bucket and start to clean the engine. Use the brush to clean the engine. A smaller brush such as a toothbrush can help you get hard-to-reach areas.
- Rinse off the engine by using the hose again. Make sure that there is no soap remaining on the engine.
- Allow the engine to air dry for a few hours before removing your plastic bag coverings. Once you are sure that the engine is dry, close the hood. It is best to start the car and run the engine for a few minutes. This will burn off any water that seeped into the engine during the cleaning process.