Detailing your engine bay means cleaning out the grime, dust and dirt from the space that holds your engine. Some people wonder why it’s necessary to detail your engine bay? The truth is that an accumulation of dirt may eventually compromise the performance and condition of your vehicle. A build-up of dirt can cause components to degrade and affect the value of your car.
Engine Bay Detailing Tools and Supplies
Before you detail your engine bay, you should gather the appropriate materials.
You’ll need a:
- firm brush
- soft detailing brush
- cloth
- protectant applicator
- protectant
- degreaser
- automotive soap
You may also want to wear a pair of gloves to protect your skin from the products. Detailing your engine bay can be a delicate process, so how exactly should you approach it?
How to Detail an Engine Bay
1 . Choose a Shady Spot
First things first, park up in a shady spot, open your bonnet and ensure that the engine is cool before you get started. You could hurt yourself if you attempt to work on a hot engine, (plus your cleaning products will immediately dry out)!
2. Clear the Debris
Next up, check your engine bay for any debris such as twigs, stones or leaves. It’s not unusual for small objects like this to get trapped inside your engine bay. You can use a small vacuum or remove the debris by hand.
3. Prep & Protect
In most modern vehicles, the electrical parts under the hood are well covered. However, it may be worth covering over certain components, particularly if you have an older vehicle. For example, you should cover any exposed fans or belts using tin foil or a plastic bag. The likelihood is that your vehicle does not have exposed parts, but you can cover anything you like for added peace of mind.
4. Degrease
Now you can apply your degreasing solution, start by applying a light mist across the whole of your engine bay. Remember to mist the hood also. You can leave this solution to rest on your vehicle for about ten-fifteen minutes. Try to ensure that the degreaser does not land on the outside of your car. Degreasers are strong and will likely remove any protective layer you’ve applied to the paintwork!
5. Use the Firm Brush
Look over your engine bay to spot the visible build-ups of grease and dirt. Start scrubbing these build-ups using a firm brush. You’ll likely need a brush with a long handle, allowing you to clean the hard to reach areas.
6. Use the Soft Brush
With a soft detailing brush, you can agitate any areas which are layered with grease. The degreasing solution should still be on your engine bay. Spread the solution around the bay with the brush to break down the grease.
7. Double Clean
Once the grease has started to dissolve, take your automotive soap and give the entire engine bay a good rinse and scrub. You’ll be surprised how much dirt can build up inside here and so it’s likely to need a thorough washdown! The combination of the soap and the degreaser will help to remove all types of dirt from your engine bay.
8. Water Mist
Fill a spray bottle with water and apply a light mist over the engine bay. The mix of the degreasing solution and the water will help you to wash away contaminants. Use water to wash off the solution, being careful not to use too much. Some like to use a pressure washer set to the lowest possible setting; however, a water misting spray will do just fine.
9. Dry it Off
At this stage you can remove any tin foil covers you added at the beginning. Start the engine to speed up the drying process, and use a microfiber cloth to clean off the rest of the water.
10. Apply a Protectant
Take a look to see if the rubber, plastic or vinyl have faded. If so, you can use a protectant to polish these areas and make them shine. Remember, you should not apply cleaners or protectants to fans or belts.
11. Repeat if Necessary
Perhaps you washed off the water, and your engine was not as clean as you’d like? In this case, you might want to re-apply a degreaser and scrub again with your brushes. Depending on how often you clean your engine bay it may need a little extra cleaning! You should detail your engine bay every 3-6months.
Detailing an Engine Bay – Final Thoughts
The engine bay is actually one of the easier parts of the car to detail at home. If you follow the steps above you will have a beautiful pristine motor. There are professional services that you can find locally for engine detailing as well. These are the places you will want to go to if you have a classic or restored vehicles and want your engine car show ready. They not only can clean and detail, but can steam the engine and apply paint if you need it. Other then that a good routine engine cleaning is pretty straightforward and if you do it regularly is easy to do yourself.