since my last Rallycross, there are a lot of mud somehow got into my WRX engine bay. I want to wash it off but want to check with the experts here first, to see if I need to cover up anything before I spray water to clean my engine bay.
anytime I've washed the engine bay I just cover up the alternator and gently sprayed everything off. Of course, engine is cool. never had any issues
i wash my engine bay almost every time when im at the car wash. I have the stock intake filter so i don't have to worry about it.
I cover the alternator and battery and do a short soak in Simple Green then a quick spray down. Does Simple Green smell like Coca Cola to anyone else? Or should I not be thinking this :hsugh:
Have you had any issues with simple green on aluminum? Which line of Simple Green are you using? I'd suggest covering electricals and using various (detailing, or just soft) brushes with gentle agitation rather than straight water pressure. If you do decide to use a strong household cleaner/degreaser, please dilute it and rinse it off very thoroughly. Please also try to keep it off your beautiful white paint!
I use the All-Purpose cleaner and make sure to keep it quick. 10 minutes tops from spraying on the Simple Green to rinsing it off. Also, I make sure to rinse well. I repeat if neccessary. Also, soft brushes due help for the stubborn areas. I spot clean after a full 10min soak/rinse to prevent leaving it on too long.
I'm using this kind and no i've not noticed any issues with aluminum. Is there something I should keep an eye out for? Its only soaking for 10 min max, just like it as it works well and I don't wanna touch some of those other products out there that'll melt my driveway or my face if I get to close. I like to scrub with tooth brushes.
what is this washing you speak of??? I just hose it down with the engine cool and make sure to cover alt, battery, and air filter since i have a cone filter Then Make sure to let it dry before firing her back up or turning on any power. (might even bee a decent idea to just take the battery out)
Just curious. Apparently there is an aluminum safe version and a not so aluminum safe version. I have no personal experience with simple green on cars, but have seen some troublesome posts online where aluminum surfaces were etched white and aluminum wheel finishes have been ruined. I'd think the same could potentially happen to your hood. Although spendier, Autoglym engine and machine cleaner and P21S total auto wash (citrus based, biodegradable, won't melt your face off and works really really well) have never done me wrong. If you upkeep the engine bay, simple agitation and clean water works well enough most of the time. It also doesn't strip off any dressings, protectants, or natural oils that might be coating your hoses and such.
I'll have to read the bottle closer and see if it says anything about aluminum. Thanks for the tips. Regular engine cleanings would be ideal but I spend the time I do have on cleaning the outside since everyone has to look at that Where can this Autoglym be purchased? Local stores?
I wanted to talk to you about this. Thanks for posting, I am sure i will be hitting you up next week.... or are you going to the meeting on monday?
From what I've read, the purple bottles, the home depot version, and the ones that say "aluminum safe," or something to that effect, on the front label are the ones that some people are using on wheel wells and engine bays. I haven't seen autoglym locally. I buy it in bulk online. You can get a 1L spray bottle for around $15 that's good for 6-7 sets of wheels inside and out (or 6-7 Subaru sized engine bays). It's much cheaper than that in bulk if you don't mind having a large bucket of it around and don't mind buying a separate spray bottle. here's one such online retailer http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ag-ec001.html
Here's info from Simple Greens website about Aluminum. Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum? When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
Cool, that speaks to my original point: There's some decent debate about using SG on most detailing forums. For my personal use, I think it is overkill, but if it works for you, then great!
