I always wash my engines. In fact, I do it a minimum of once a year whether it needs it or not ! If all you do is use a cotton towel with dilute car wash and a before and after rinse, you would be amazed at how far this really goes. Just stay away from the obvious things like air intake openings, etc. Don't flood the electrical components parts or areas.

I find that I and the mechanics that work on my cars really like clean engines.

 

An easy and effective way to protect electronics/openings is to take a piece of kitchen tin foil and mould it around areas you want to protect. Then you can wipe or spray away!

 

......and don't pour cold water over the the V8's thin exotic alloy valve covers, if they are warm/hot to the touch, or they will warp and leak.


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......and don't pour cold water over the the V8's thin exotic alloy valve covers, if they are warm/hot to the touch, or they will warp and leak.

Engineers dropped the ball on that one considering they designed this thing to ford almost two feet of water.

 

Yes that to me is pretty key, all the heat I give it is the starting the car up to back it to the driveway so the water can drain off.

 

Meh, a little splashing shouldn't hurt anything

 

So what is the consensus in this thread....
1) wait till your engine is completely cold...
2)Soak with a ton of water and car wash soap
3)Soak
4)More Soap
5) Hope your valve cover doesn't warp...

 

So what is the consensus in this thread....
1) wait till your engine is completely cold...
2)Soak with a ton of water and car wash soap
3)Soak
4)More Soap
5) Hope your valve cover doesn't warp...

If you do 1) properly, you shouldn't have to worry about 5)...and if you don't have a V8 you don't have to do 1)???

But if you take 1) divided by 2) times the sqrt of 3) and then subract the answer from 4)...

 

A lot depends on the results you desire and the effort you want to expend. A broad brush soaking of the engine results, IMO, lackluster results.

Two basic kinds of dirt are on an engine. Dust and regular organic dirt can be removed with a light detergent, a quality APC (all purpose cleaner) is what you want. And get a round ended cleaning brush to agitate with. This is a must.

The other dirt is petroleum based. Some APC's can handle this, too. But better results are often achieved with solvent based cleaners. my favorites here are spray engine cleaning products which can be shot into nooks and crannies and textures that you cannot reach or agitate easily. Medical Swabs, like q-tips on steroids, are the thing to use. They are super cheap to buy and make all the difference.

Keep in mind that the best results are obtained by handling one component or section at a time...doing it well...and moving on. Fast, splish splash overall methods look amateur to me. And the results don't last. Finally, a protectant will add protection and sheen to everything without looking cheap and tacky.

As far as products to use, there are many ways to skin a cat and I won't push my preferred products on you at this time. My main goal is to get you to consider the process.

I would suggest going to a detail forum and one quick search will give you lots of answers and suggestions. I like Autopia http://www.autopia.org/forum/search.php?searchid=2244613

A few of my personal engines:
2005 Audi. Newer engines are so easy.

1996 Porsche is hard to get to!

This is a nearly 40 year old BMW motor:

This '97 4Runner engine was black when I started:

This Jag engine is 54 years old:

 

Very impressive, but no Touareg engine pic?!

That Jag engine is a beaut!

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Very impressive, but no Touareg engine pic?!

Not much challenge in that...yet!

 

Great pics. I cleaned my V8 once with a spray and then used a hose with no pressure. Could eat off the engine. Not sure if I will try it on the TDI. Brad, you go first!


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TDI engines should be more forgiving to any kind of wash due to lack of coils, wires, and plugs.


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That's good to know.


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A before and after photo of my engine detail I did yesterday.

 

That looks awesome. Would you kindly give a few tips on how you did it. Did you use water and car wash soap or just brushed of the dust and used APC. A friend once told me that it would be better to let the engine cool ideally overnight, disconnect the battery under the seat and clean using water. Thereafter let it dry overnight before connecting the battery. Can this be a followed?

Thank you.

 

^^^^ Fantastic! Nice work!

 

Nice. That 3.6 is a lovely engine.

 

Thanks guys

 

I've always been a huge fan of simple green. Spray it on a cold engine, let it sit for 5 minutes, then depending on how dirty either rinse gently or scrub and rinse. Everything just melts away. Gentle spray no blasting water.

 

The main trick is consistent upkeep. From new I use an inexpensive but very effective detailer wax spray such as turtle wax ice (which does not leave white residue).

Then after each wash (about once a month) I wiped down the engine compartment and all around with a slightly damp microfiber cloth that I spray with a little of the detailer, then go back over it with some fresh detailer.

 

I use tire spray, let it soak for a bit and then rinse off with water.. Towel dry it after. The engine always turns out beautiful and the cleaning job only takes a few minutes.

 

cell phone pic

I use prepsol which is a water based cleaner. I spray it on a cold engine, leave for a few minutes, spray again, leave for a few minutes and hose off.

Thereafter I use silicone spray on the engine once it's dried, followed by a wipe down with a dry cloth. Silicone spray really returns the blackness of rubber and plastics without being oily and not attracting dust.

 

I use leaf blower to dry engine off after i bath it all the time, oh, i also use leaf blower to dry off the Treq body all the time after i wash it. My neighbors probably think that i am nuts when they see me doing so, while, at least for me it makes perfect sense. My Treq does not have those little tiny scratches which come from drying it off with chamois.

 

No one has posted about using a pressure washer, but I've used one under the hood for more than 30 years. Back in the olden days, every so often, I'd have starting problems, but not for the last 25 years! I use a wash and wax product like Turtle Wash 'N Wax, and get all the corners of the engine compartment and the engine itself. I agree about the need to have a cool engine, but this technique, done once every month or two, has worked beautifully for me. It is especially good about getting tree pollen and leaves out of spots you can't reach.

I use a more painstaking methods on cars I intend to show, but this treatment, done before washing the rest of the car with the pressure washer, is fast and easy, with good results. Adding a leaf-blower dryer at the end helps a lot too.

 

I found ChrisFix video to be a great help with what to do and not do when cleaning your engine.
https://youtu.be/PRSoRkM8GcM

 

There is a guy on Youtube called "Scotty Kilmer", he's mental and comes across as a raving loon but has some really good tips and worth watching all his videos.

For example, IF you do get water into electronics, then he recommends to simply spray them with WD40 as its a water dispersant.

Also, I did not know this, but WD40 has a silicone lubricant version which is FANTASTIC for window seals etc to keep them running smoothly and also for general squeaky things.