[mb_jg]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

May I safely apply WD-40 to clean the engine bay on a weekend, when the engine is cold and stop using the car for two days? As I have a secured garage, I may even leave the car for a few hours, keeping the bonnet open. Although WD-40 is flammable, will not the residue evaporate by then? Will there remain any major fire hazard, considering that I use a petrol car?

No harm in using WD40, but it's not recommended. It leaves a sticky residue which will attract even more dust.
WD40 works very well for what it's recommended for, lubrication!!

[blackfire_9]

Well, I would agree on how water gets trapped at certain nooks & that it could stay there for a long time, but a water-proofing giving way is something I am not too sure of. It takes a lot more than just trapped & still water to enter a sealed unit.

As for the sealed ECU, I also have an Alto that sports such a unit & for the past 7.5 years, the car has been washed numerous times including the engine bay without anything ever happening. And it is not luck.
It's your choice if you don't want to take the manufacturer's word for it but then there's a reason why the company would have put an ECU out in the open where there are all the chances of it getting wet, especially when a fault/error in this aspect could cost the company millions in warranty claims. Something analogous, is there any way one could ascertain if an engine oil is synthetic or mineral just by looking at it? I can't & I am sure most can't including you, but we still take the manufacturer's word for it.

About Skoda, I am not aware of the details of their products but then even if the PW motors were water-resistant, nobody ever said anything about being water-proof. There is a difference between being water-resistant & being water-proof & it's almost always that you see people driving in rains with windows slightly or fully lowered resulting in a good amount of water falling onto the switches & the door. Or, while getting in & out of the car during the downpour, the door was kept open for longer. It's quite probable something like this happened with your neighbor. If not, Skoda already doesn't hold a great reputation & this won't be a surprise.

Drive safe.

Originally Posted by JustCause

I wouldn't take the manufacturer's word for it. Nothing will happen, maybe a few weeks/months since the event. But, it will sure result in problems later on.

You see, there are many trays & nooks in the engine bay where water can be retained for months. And the waterproofing might easily give way if the water is persistent enough.

And, you quoted me at a very opportune day. My neighbour came up to me and asked me if I could do anything about his two month old Fabia, whose Power Window motors which were supposed to be water resistant at the very least, developed a snag as a result of rains. With the result, all the windows are open & I could still hear the whirring sound of the motor, even when the windows are fully open.

@mb_jg: The primary use of WD-40 is rust & corrosion protection & that is what it was developed for. Lubrication is something that came in as an added benefit. The 'WD' in the name stands for "Water Displacement" & this is the principle behind rust protection ability of this product. And it's also used as a degreaser (another one of the primary uses), so I cannot fathom how it would result in a sticky residue being left behind.

[basky]

Is It Necessary to Clean Under the Hood of a Car? No.
Is it necessary to clean the insides of a car? No
Is it necessary to wash the underside of a car? No
Is it necessary to wash the car at all? Certainly Not. What are monsoons for anyway?

There are few schools of thought here.

• People who like everything spic-and-span all the tme - read as Automotive Nuts

• People who like to have everything spic-and- span but dont have the time - Normal people.
  Remember, when you have the time, you dont have the money and when you have the money, you dont have the time.
  Blessed are those with both.

• People who see cars as an instrument of going from point A to point B - Certainly it cannot be a TBHPian

But jokes apart, I get a high seeing a well detailed and maintained engine compartment - just like the rest of the car.
Ever since the M800 came to India, washing down the engine compartment has been a pleasure. In all these years 'Anno Maruti' ie since Maruti came to India, I have had only one case of secondary condensation, the day after a wash & detail of an old model M800 when there was condensation in the distributor cap in the morning. No modern engine washed sensibly should fail.

The choice between washing it yourself and at the service station - I simply hate the way they work and have no illusions that they know what they are doing. Most dont.

You can certainly do a better job. So be out there with your kids this weekend and clean the car - Remember, the family which washes the car together, stays together.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by basky

Remember, the family which washes the car together, stays together.

This is the best Quote Ive read in this specific post ,

I totally agree that the guys at the Service stn MOST of the time dont know a thing about washing , if you dis-agree then do take a look when ur car gets washed at the Service stn, especially the Engine compartment

[sohail99]

Originally Posted by basky

Is It Necessary to Clean Under the Hood of a Car? No.
Is it necessary to clean the insides of a car? No
Is it necessary to wash the underside of a car? No
Is it necessary to wash the car at all? Certainly Not. What are monsoons for anyway?

There are few schools of thought here.

• People who like everything spic-and-span all the tme - read as Automotive Nuts

• People who like to have everything spic-and- span but dont have the time - Normal people.
  Remember, when you have the time, you dont have the money and when you have the money, you dont have the time.
  Blessed are those with both.

• People who see cars as an instrument of going from point A to point B - Certainly it cannot be a TBHPian

But jokes apart, I get a high seeing a well detailed and maintained engine compartment - just like the rest of the car.
Ever since the M800 came to India, washing down the engine compartment has been a pleasure. In all these years 'Anno Maruti' ie since Maruti came to India, I have had only one case of secondary condensation, the day after a wash & detail of an old model M800 when there was condensation in the distributor cap in the morning. No modern engine washed sensibly should fail.

The choice between washing it yourself and at the service station - I simply hate the way they work and have no illusions that they know what they are doing. Most dont.

You can certainly do a better job. So be out there with your kids this weekend and clean the car - Remember, the family which washes the car together, stays together.

I agree and I always want my engine bay clean and shiny!!

I usually go over my engine bay once a week with ONR so no heavy cleaning(read, degreasers, pressure washers) is required!

Dress up with a durable trim sealant that protects the plastic and rubber hoses, parts, engine belts, interior paint and underside of the hood etc.! And even prevents dust deposition to some extent!

It always feels nice from the inside when you know that your engine bay is clean!!

[kutts]

Originally Posted by Mortis

I think getting the engine cleaned by pressurized air once a month and getting it washed 1-2 times a year after servicing is more than sufficient for most cars

Agree on this . I leave pressure water cleaning to the dealer workshops where they are a bit more careful. It is safer to stick to pressurized air cleaning of the engine bay if you are servicing at your local station.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by Peter

Friends ,

In my Opinion the engine bay needs to be kept clean just as any other part of the car, Imagine the smile on a technicians face when he opens up the hood to find a clean and well kept Engine bay smiling at him ,

I clean the engine once a week , not necessary with water , regular dusting should help keep the dirt away as much as possible , during the rains this becomes tricky so tend to use a damp cloth to wipe the hoses and surfaces large enough and capable of being cleaned with a damp cloth.

Regular cleaning in this manner will keep the engine clean and less offorts when the car is actually taken for a wash at the service station.

I know some may think its ridiculous to clean the Engine bay as well , but for those who have a phobia for cleaning will have a diff story to tell alltogether,

I use a small pressure washer to loosen up dirt in the not so delicate areas of the engine compartment which helps to clean the engine bay effortlessly.

Just my 2 bits .

Thought Id might as well add 2 pics I took today to show the results of regular cleaning of the engine bay for those who have a phobia of keeping the bay clean like I do ..

Just as Sohail99 has mentioned ... It always feels nice from the inside when you know that your engine bay is clean!! ,

Just a Personal opinion , please dont bombard me

[supremeBaleno]

^^^ Looks like one could eat off that engine-cover. Amazingly neat.

But what's the big deal ? Even without cleaning, my car's engine-bay looked like that too. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . That is when car was new.

How old is your car BTW ? I would like to see the bay some years down the line. :P

[dot]

Is it necessary to clean the engine bay?

Ans: Not necessary.

Is it a good practice to clean the engine bay?

Ans: The answer to the question can be given by an analogy: Someone wearing a great Salvatore Ferragamo $500 shirt and $800 trousers and have dirty uncut nails.

Whenever I see a car with dirty engine bay, it tells me something about the owner.

[bluevolt]

Members should tell the forum whether they clean their car's engine bay or not. Members just can't run away just by answering 'Is It Necessary to Clean Under the Hood of a Car'.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

^^^ Looks like one could eat off that engine-cover. Amazingly neat.

But what's the big deal ? Even without cleaning, my car's engine-bay looked like that too. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . That is when car was new.

How old is your car BTW ? I would like to see the bay some years down the line. :P

Thats a good one , my car is almost a year old now driven 20kms , already undergone 2011 monsoons in mumbai , rest assured will try my best to keep it that way

[basky]

Originally Posted by Peter

I totally agree that the guys at the Service stn MOST of the time dont know a thing about washing , if you dis-agree then do take a look when ur car gets washed at the Service stn, especially the Engine compartment

Originally Posted by sohail99

I agree and I always want my engine bay clean and shiny!!
It always feels nice from the inside when you know that your engine bay is clean!!

That's the style of the leading detailer!

Originally Posted by dot

Is it a good practice to clean the engine bay?
Ans: an analogy: Someone wearing a great Salvatore Ferragamo $500 shirt and $800 trousers and have dirty uncut nails.
Whenever I see a car with dirty engine bay, it tells me something about the owner.

You said it!

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Members should tell the forum whether they clean their car's engine bay or not.

Ha! Like asking 'Do you brush your teeth?'

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Looks like one could eat off that engine-cover. Amazingly neat.

A delight, I'd say.

Just take a look at this Ritz. It is just a year old. But see how it was used.

Another view


Being Cleaned up


Gentlemen (and ladies too) How does your engine compartment actually look. Come on. Dont be shy.

[filcord]

I have also always been particular that my cars have a clean engine bay. There is no reason for the thick coat of dust and assorted oily films that one sees.
One way is to let the service station do a 3M cleaning of engine bay. This will set you back around 700 to 1000 rupees depending on the car.
What I do is to use a 2 inch paintbrush dipped in detergent solution and go over all exposed surfaces, then rinse gently with a hose or mug, again using the paintbrush to reach and lift off the detergent.
The radiator and condenser get a soft fanjet of water to avoid damaging the fins, and yet rinse off dust and debris.
Do this once in three months and sit back with a cold one. Bask in that indescribable feeling, knowing your ride is clean and ship-shape!

[blackfire_9]

Dust & grime almost always act at reducing the efficiency/performance/effectiveness of a component. At least that is what I have observed in my life so far. And when it comes to cars, the best example of reduced efficiency is with an AC of a car. How many of us have actually observed better cooling once the condenser coils are washed thoroughly with pressurized water?

So, what I follow is to not overdo the washing & make it an obsession, but do it periodically or as & when required.

[JustCause]

Originally Posted by blackfire_9

About Skoda, I am not aware of the details of their products but then even if the PW motors were water-resistant, nobody ever said anything about being water-proof.

They were supposed to be exactly that. Else, it would've been easy for skoda to wash off their hands & asking him to spend another 10-15K on water damage. The doors were not waterlogged due to blockage & the switches were fine. He got the motor(s) replaced and they work fine as of now.

I don't suggest that it is advisable to never clean the engine bay, when I mention that I've seen dirty engines working day in & day out. It is just that machinery is machinery. Some of the nicest examples of the most well kept, modern machines go kaput while some of the least maintained, abused old machines run like clockwork. And all it takes is a 'preventive checkup/cleanup' to bring them down. I advocate dusting/dry cloth cleaning & I do respect your opinion.

Originally Posted by blackfire_9

Dust & grime almost always act at reducing the efficiency/performance/effectiveness of a component......
So, what I follow is to not overdo the washing & make it an obsession, but do it periodically or as & when required.

Spray plenty of water on the radiator, Condensor coils, mud guards & wheel wells. Ensure that the engine is cold while doing so. I religiously follow this practice.