The cleanliness of the engine of your car is a maintenance task that should be carried out every two years if you use your vehicle primarily in the city, or, every year if you drive your vehicle in mountainous areas.
Excess dust in the engine may cause the radiator to become blocked, which might lead to cooling problems. A dirty engine will also present problems with emitting heat, meaning that it will not perform optimally. To help you out, we at OneHowTo.com will provide a step-by-step explanation on how to clean a car engine safely.
- Stiff brush
- Brush
- Specialised product for cleaning the car's engine without water
- Chamois
- Water pressure gun
- Bags
- Tape
Whether you decide to clean your car's engine with just a brush, or if you prefer to use water pressure, you must make sure that the vehicle's engine - especially if the vehicle is driven frequently around dirt tracks - is completely cold.
To clean your car engine safely, it's also very important to cover all the electric parts in the engine as well as the carburetor to avoid any water leaking into these parts.
If the car is not very dirty, using a brush should be enough to remove any excess dirt. Furthermore, you could spray the engine with one of the many products available in specialist shops if you decide to clean it without water.
If you find that a brush does not remove the dirt completely, you could use chamois and exert more pressure.
If your engine is particularly dirty, the best option is to clean it with water pressure, although not all cars can be cleaned this way, therefore, check the car's manual to avoid causing any damage.
If your car engine is able to be washed using water pressure, the first thing you should do is to cover the alternator and other electrical parts with masking tape.
With the car completely cooled, aim the water pressure at the engine, avoiding the taped electrical parts, and focusing on the dirtiest of areas.
After you've applied some water, you can turn on the engine and leave it idle for a few minutes so that the car engine heats up a little, which will help to remove the toughest of ingrained stains.
Now you know how to clean your car engine safely, you can also read other OneHowTo articles to keep your car's maintenance up to date! Take a look:
- How to clean your car air filter at home
- The best way to remove stains from a car seat
- How to clean a fuel injector at home
If you want to read similar articles to How To Clean A Car Engine Safely, we recommend you visit our Car Maintenance and Repair category.