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Firstly in this weather ? You're mental. I wouldn't bother until about March ..
However, you want to cover up every electrical item in the bay. Just not worth the bother one bit.
However, you want to cover up every electrical item in the bay. Just not worth the bother one bit.
No problem with washing an engine with a jet washer, done it all the time in the trade. Good tips are to spray engine lightly with water then degreaser on a warm engine, work into stubborn oily bits. Cover essential electrical connection's like coil pack plug, ecu connections in tinfoil as its easily moulded around things. Start car and power wash, be careful around air filter depending on the setup you have. If water gets into anything the heat of the engine will dissipate it, knowing what to stay away and whats essential for running is a help. If it starts missfiring i.e water in ignition sysem, take it for a cruise, it will soon stop.
EDIT: alternators are designed to be in contact with water, obviously soaking it in a bucket will kill it.
EDIT: alternators are designed to be in contact with water, obviously soaking it in a bucket will kill it.
Clio Sport 172 Ph2
Fletcher
ClioSport Club Member
I wouldn't French electrics + water = 
Evo 5 RS
What does common sense tell you
I wouldn't French electrics + water =
This.
Steam cleaners aren't at as much pressure as a jet wash, and the steam evaporates much more quickly, also truck engines don't have delicate little wiring looms with small French wires in them, so I'm not sure I see the relevance of the comparison tbh mate. If he'd asked should be steam clean a truck engine I'd have said go for it.
You obviously don't know steam cleaners and truck's chip. Modern trucks have more delicate wiring/sensors/ecu's than any Clio, stay away from key components and know where to wash from a distance. Steam cleaner is a industrial high pressure water with preheated water so by no means less pressure than a karcher (other brands available) domestic pressure washer.
The key difference is the temperature mate, the steam mostly evaporates and a pressure washer doesnt especially at this time of year, also car engines being so much more compact makes it a lot harder to "stay away from the electrics" where exactly on a clio engine CAN you spray a jetwash and not be near electrics? And I disagree on the delicateness of the loom, the looms on these cars frequently go wrong due to water ingress even without a pressure clearner on the scene!
Knock sensor and oil level sender at the front, starter at the back, alternator on one side, temp sender and throttle body on the other side, coilpack and plugs on the top etc, there just arent any big areas worth spraying with a jet wash in the first place.
I just dont see what he is really going to gain my trying to pressure wash a couple of tiny parts of his engine, and then have to do the rest manually anyway, and the spray bouncing off the bits he does want to hit is still going to be travelling at speed when it bounces onto the bits he doesnt want to hit. Its just a generally bad idea as there is the potential to start off bits of the loom rotting, and in exchange for what thats actually useful?
Knock sensor and oil level sender at the front, starter at the back, alternator on one side, temp sender and throttle body on the other side, coilpack and plugs on the top etc, there just arent any big areas worth spraying with a jet wash in the first place.
I just dont see what he is really going to gain my trying to pressure wash a couple of tiny parts of his engine, and then have to do the rest manually anyway, and the spray bouncing off the bits he does want to hit is still going to be travelling at speed when it bounces onto the bits he doesnt want to hit. Its just a generally bad idea as there is the potential to start off bits of the loom rotting, and in exchange for what thats actually useful?
Agreed there "IS" potential to go wrong like most thing's.
Just wash the engine itself with ht leads removed and paper towel in the holes, gearbox, chassis legs, that's 90% washed, steer clear of fuse box/ecu and any large collections of conduit. Wash with the nozzle 5-10cm away. Wrap the alternator in tinfoil if your really bothered. They are designed to be in contact with water as I have previously said. Done it many many times to all makes of cars. Im not advising to try and wash electrical components but some spray won't hurt much. It helps if you have some of engines and operating systems. Have the engine warm prior to doing so and drive it after to clear excess. I have never had a problem other than some slight miss firing from water on plugs that is cleared with a short drive.
What would be your suggestion to cleaning a car engine that's had a head gasket or oil leak for a prolonged period of time and is everywhere? Its standard procedure in the trade, trust me. it's not feasible to strip down and hand clean.
Just wash the engine itself with ht leads removed and paper towel in the holes, gearbox, chassis legs, that's 90% washed, steer clear of fuse box/ecu and any large collections of conduit. Wash with the nozzle 5-10cm away. Wrap the alternator in tinfoil if your really bothered. They are designed to be in contact with water as I have previously said. Done it many many times to all makes of cars. Im not advising to try and wash electrical components but some spray won't hurt much. It helps if you have some of engines and operating systems. Have the engine warm prior to doing so and drive it after to clear excess. I have never had a problem other than some slight miss firing from water on plugs that is cleared with a short drive.
What would be your suggestion to cleaning a car engine that's had a head gasket or oil leak for a prolonged period of time and is everywhere? Its standard procedure in the trade, trust me. it's not feasible to strip down and hand clean.
Steam cleaner gets my vote over a jetwash for a quick solution to a very dirty engine as a result of gasket failure etc, but I personally tend to be involved only with more high value jobs where time isnt so much of the essence so hand cleaning is practical, I realise if you are turning around a couple of headgaskets a day in a backstreet garage though you need shortcuts, but the bottom line is that on a clio the looms DO degrade if they are exposed to excessive moisture, especially where they run over the gearbox and corrode and break down so jetwashing that area of the engine and box like you are suggesting isnt a good idea IMHO
A failure WONT happen when you actually do it, but it does increase the chance of it happening further down the line, I guess thats fine for a garage who want the customer to come back in a year or two with a faulty loom anyway as its more work for them and wont be blamed on them jetwashing the engine, but its not so fine for someone on here wanting to keep their car for years and years where longterm water ingress to the poor quality loom can be a problem.
One or two jetwashes when the car has had a big failure isnt as bad as people regularly doing it though, so again it depends on the circumstances, I certainly would strongly advise against a jetwash in the engine bay as being part of someones regular cleaning procedure for example.
A failure WONT happen when you actually do it, but it does increase the chance of it happening further down the line, I guess thats fine for a garage who want the customer to come back in a year or two with a faulty loom anyway as its more work for them and wont be blamed on them jetwashing the engine, but its not so fine for someone on here wanting to keep their car for years and years where longterm water ingress to the poor quality loom can be a problem.
One or two jetwashes when the car has had a big failure isnt as bad as people regularly doing it though, so again it depends on the circumstances, I certainly would strongly advise against a jetwash in the engine bay as being part of someones regular cleaning procedure for example.
Ill agree that French wiring is poor as a whole and the chances increase of water ingress but as you say this is not a week in week out thing. Once a year if needed and best done in summer months. Its no different to going through the odd deep puddle that has caught you out.
Certainly the less the better, personally I'd need a very good reason to use a jetwash in an engine bay TBH, I would generally try and avoid doing so, things like brake cleaner work very well to spray and dont have the negative side effects for example.
Seems very different to me, one splashes water most of which just harmlessly bumps into some arch liners specifically designed to stop it going into the bay, the other is deliberately spraying high pressure water into the very place the design engineers have tried to keep it out.
Have you been to Scotland much? there's no engineering your way out of that without sealing it off lol.
Matt e
ClioSport Club Member
snow foam it (not may car btw)
The Chubby Pirate
ClioSport Club Member
Golf R
Jesus christ.
Matt e
ClioSport Club Member
it was someone from on here, it was posted ages ago
so funny i had save it
so funny i had save it
Also has a cable throttle.
RX7 FD
I see what you did there.....its snow joke.
Is it your car Jack?
It is possible but snow foam doesn't have much effect on oily substances anyway and takes forever to remove, it just keeps bubbling up so more washing needed and higher water ingress risk.
If it was part of your detailing process, I would use a high quality spray cleaner and brush in where required. Start engine and jet wash off carefully then apply 303 aerospace protectant on all plastics and allow to dry with engine still running and bonnet closed. I have never seen better results on your typical engine from that few steps which take around 20 mins max.
It is possible but snow foam doesn't have much effect on oily substances anyway and takes forever to remove, it just keeps bubbling up so more washing needed and higher water ingress risk.
If it was part of your detailing process, I would use a high quality spray cleaner and brush in where required. Start engine and jet wash off carefully then apply 303 aerospace protectant on all plastics and allow to dry with engine still running and bonnet closed. I have never seen better results on your typical engine from that few steps which take around 20 mins max.
