Do not clean engine?

[chris0626]

Hey I like these guys too. Although I have never heard their radio show I do look forward to their column that comes out twice a week in my local paper. I respect their opinions/advice that's why I questioned this response.

If you like the column, you gotta try listening to the live talk show (1 hour of grins!). Go to npr.org, type in your city, and find the time and station where they broadcast. I think it's a fun show. But I know some other folks here have quibbles with them.

By the way I am an anal/compulsive autopian but I have never cleaned an engine in my life. But I do need to start and have been meaning to for some time now.

What year/model is your car, madazskunk? For a year, I've been working on a '75 Jag. It was a bear, because it's so degraded and there's so little space to get your hands down into it. But just this month, I finally started working on my '93 Benz. I can't believe how easy these new car engines are to detail! (If you're interested, I posted my little pix in this thread. ) To get started, read the article in the Learn icon, and search some of the threads here, and I bet you'll feel confident about it too.



And ... if you still have questions ... just ask 'em here. Luster, MBZ500E, and others have achieved remarkable, eye-poppin' results. :up

 

[madazskunk]

Right now I have a 02' trailblazer. I have read alot about engine cleaning on this site, i just haven't been motivated to do it. I just never got into the engine aspect of cars like most people. I think cause I grew up into lowriders as opposed to street racers and most guys I knew including myself put money into the outside of their car instead of the inside because lowriders always drove slow so you could check out the ride.

 

[TurboCat]

I always cleaned my engine bay without using a hose - just using something like P21S Total Auto Wash and wiping with a clean cloth.



Then about 6 weeks ago I visited Jimamary at his detail shop in Carmel, IN and he was kind enough to let me use his hose and equipment to clean my car. I was still wearing my wrist splint so it was not easy! He gave me some sort of solution to spray on the engine bay, and then we let it sit for 15 minutes. Then used a hose to gently spray the engine bay. Afterwards it looked great! And using a gentle spray didn't seem to hurt anything.



The only downside was (and maybe this was just coincidence?) that about 10 days later I noticed a big drop in my fuel economy. I raised my hood and the heavy metal VW emblem that was on the cover of the turbo was GONE. Took it to the dealership and apparently the emblem came loose from the glue and slipped off, slicing a vacuum hose in the process. Once they replaced the hose, my great gas mileage returned! However, I still am missing the emblem. I'll have to special order it.



I just figured that the solution got between the emblem and the glue and dissolved it, making it come off. I don't have any other explanation for it.



:nixweiss