quikdcride

what should i cover up the air filter and just the alternator?
i think im just going to use a garden hose
should i cover up the ecm or can i get that wet?








im gay

denlou

Just open the damn hood and start spraying it down, these kids are pansies. I've washed hundreds of cars with a pressure washer and they all still run. Christ, if I had to cover every engine component so it didn't get wet not only would I never cover them all but I'd never get anything done.

With that being said, if you didn't wrap electrical tape around your HID relays to keep the water out and for whatever reason they haven't already crapped out, cover those. But all the factory components are water tight, including the HID ballasts.

Hammbones

iTrader: (1)

I guess when you're married with kids, spending a hundred bucks on a part that failed because of using a garden hose to clean the bay out means I'm a kid. I guess taking food from my table makes me a kid too. If that's the case, I'm glad I'm a kid because only an ******* would think taking limited income and putting into repairs because of misinformation is "cool".

ronn

iTrader: (3)

I use TIN FOIL to wrap around all electrical stuff..alternator..sensors..coils. The foil is easy to shape around the parts and will deflect the water stream. It doesn't have to be *air tight*..just enough to deflect a stream of water directly on the part.

I then use hose with light spray/stream..then spray on Simple Green Motrorsports degreaser. This NOT regular Simple Green which isn't good for aluminum. Then rinse with same light stream. Done.

denlou

It's called the internet, if you want to believe that for some reasons cars aren't weather proof then go hard

Hammbones

iTrader: (1)

I never said cars weren't weather proof. I know electrical connections aren't weather proof so lets shoot water at them and burn them out. Internet didn't ruin my Camshaft Actuator Solenoids, the water I sprayed on the engine did because I believed that the bay was water proof enough to keep it a little clean.

cmiller8006

iTrader: (3)

As long as you dont have an exposed filter like a sri you will be just fine. When I detail cars I use soap and water just like the rest of the car. When at the dealer and power washing the lot cars we put the hoods up and like stated before just stand back and use a fan tip on the sprayer. We do that on every new and used car, except for older model cars with a distributer cap, water ***** them up good lol.

cmiller8006

iTrader: (3)

All the connectors on new cars have a rubber seal I have never had a problem and when I was at the dealership, ever other week we washed 150 cars on friday and saturday.

denlou

It's no use man, there's no way any of them will believe us...

Ahh well, work smart not hard.

BooSSted

iTrader: (3)

You're the only person I have ever heard of that's had a problem like that. There is certainly more to the problem than just washing your engine.

GpB311

Ive always been told I didnt need to cover as much as I do when I clean my engine bay, but it makes me feel better, and Im the one who is doing it, so the way I look at it is just do whatever works and youre comfortable with.

Maybe spending ten minutes covering things a little more thoroughly will save you trouble/money down the road, maybe itll just cost you ten extra minutes of your time...

quikdcride

I did it the other day and used tin foil worked well the alternator was a little had to cover up so just watch out for that. what do you guys use to clean the supercharger and get all the crap off it?

Shanedude

Not sure on the supercharger but you'r engine bay will look great with a polished SC, matching that intake.

I've washed my engine once and no adverse affects. But do so with caution, hold sprayer back further then you would on the outside, don't use any of the chemical additives if you're at a car wash. And air hose it gently after, I had a lot of pooling of water in the engine bay. Also note that there was noticable steam afterwards for a few minutes.

BlkWdoSS

iTrader: (7)

Wow ignorance runs rampant around here.

Just wash your engine bay and use common sense. Dont use high pressure up close, if it will take your skin off then COMMON SENSE says do not get it close to your vital parts.

ALL of GM's late model vehicles are equipped using GM's special design connectors. Now a company called Delphi purchased these connector types from GM and they are the industry standard. EVERYONE uses them in one way or another. They are known as WEATHERPAC connectors, they use a rubber insulator that keeps liquid out, hence the "Weather" in WEATHERPAC.

Look at it like this:

Your fuel pump is electric, it has an electrical connector. You put fuel in your tank it submerses your that connector. If that electrical connector was not insulated, the electricity would arch inside of your fuel tank, and what happens? It goes boom. I think your underhood can handle low pressure water...

Hammbones, those seals failed for 1 of 2 reasons:

1) they had already failed and water got by them

or

2) you used high pressure and got too close, focusing that pressure in that area and they failed

I can say this without even seeing it because of this: You said the seals and O-rings failed because they got wet, but was the seal and O-rings purpose to begin? The seal out fluid transfer from one area to another. In this case the normal fluid there would be oil. Which oil is pumped causing pressure. those seals wouldve failed because the pressure exceeded that of what the seals and O-rings are capable. Im sorry that you had to do repairs, but dont say you cant wash an engine bay. It just takes more time and patience than most people give to them.

l8r,
PD

P.s. - If you do end up with a connector that wasnt clipped in and received some water inside of it, spray the connections with WD-40 and allow it to dry. WD-40 is a water displacer and will restore connectivity to the connector.

TommyP

iTrader: (2)

anybody who has ever fried something in an engine bay is just having plain dumb luck or their connections were already bad. I wash engine bays in every type of car every day without covering anything up, and I've never had a single problem. We use high pressure washers and everything. we spray on a simple degreaser over the entire engine bay and bottom of the hood and spray it all off, works like a charm.

hydroturboss

Hahaha I just washed my car this morning top to bottom for winter storage and washed the engine bay while the car was running.....,.. Zero problems......took iit for a 2mile run after and TRUST ME......all the water was long evaporated from the heat of the engine......

Pressure washer won't hurt.....just don't be a fool and hold the water full blast on the ECU or Alternator

nhanson

iTrader: (1)

i wash mine with no problems. I havent recently because my TB rewire is done by wire nuts for now

FasterIsBetter

Just don't wash a Jeep Liberty like this unless its running. I did mine before I sold it and water sucked right around all the coils that go in perpendicularly. Therefore water sits and it doesn't matter how lightly you spray, your engine will miss afterwards and you have to get it hot and pull each coil then replace and redo this about 4 times. I barely sprayed mine and avoided spraying directly on the engine but it wasn't enough. But wait we're talking about cobalts, spray the hell out of it!!