OK to power wash engine?

**BLACKWRX** · 08-12-2006, 12:22 AM

.......i have cleaned numerous engines with out a drop of cleaning products, just the pw.....sometimes when you spray degreaser on a mildly warm engine it can mess up the plastics and stain them.......i generally pw the engine and if neccessary use a degreaser then pw off
there are 100`s of ways of clean engines just stick with what works

**vwgtivw** · 08-12-2006, 05:57 AM

Actually if you are washing the engine with a garden hose you are putting more water on the engine then if you were using a pressure wash. Most pressure washer put out about 2-2.5 gpm where as a hose spray nozzle will put out about 5-6 gpm so it volume vs. pressure. I have washed countless engines with a pressure wash and I`ve had very few problem, just don`t aim it at one place for a long time.

**Jngrbrdman** · 08-12-2006, 07:41 AM

It takes more than high pressure to wash an engine. If you aren`t using any degreasers or brushes when you are doing it, then you are doing it one of the 100`s of ways that is wrong. You wouldn`t get your paint very clean with just high pressure and the same goes for your engine. If rolling into a coin-op car wash, poping the hood, and then spraying down the engine for a couple minutes is your idea of engine detailing, then you`ve got some things to learn.

**Squirtgun** · 08-12-2006, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by vwgtivw

Actually if you are washing the engine with a garden hose you are putting more water on the engine then if you were using a pressure wash. Most pressure washer put out about 2-2.5 gpm where as a hose spray nozzle will put out about 5-6 gpm so it volume vs. pressure. I have washed countless engines with a pressure wash and I`ve had very few problem, just don`t aim it at one place for a long time.

This isn`t entirey true.Our skid puts out 5.5gpm.We are looking into a a second unit that is 8gpm that wil be bale to run 2 pressure lines at 4 gpm each or 1 at the full 8gpm.

Jngrbrdman,
Our machine is capable of 220 degree hot water I rarely use a degreaser for mild dirt in the engine compartment.Now for heavy grease and oil or construction equipment a degreaser is a must.

**Beercan31** · 08-12-2006, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by vwgtivw

Actually if you are washing the engine with a garden hose you are putting more water on the engine then if you were using a pressure wash. Most pressure washer put out about 2-2.5 gpm where as a hose spray nozzle will put out about 5-6 gpm so it volume vs. pressure. I have washed countless engines with a pressure wash and I`ve had very few problem, just don`t aim it at one place for a long time.

OK I usually never post to these types of subjects because there is and will always be 2 sides to the answer neither are wrong....

With a good common sense a power washer can be a very useful tool in the engine compartment..... the KEY WORD is common sense.... some of us have it... most of us don`t.

Just power washing a engine compartment will get rid of large contaminants... but will ALWAYS leave behind a residue.... with or with out using a soap solution.... and I have used some of the strongest stuff on the market, Enough to foam and discolor unprotected aluminum and destroy alternators, form Spray Nine to 5th Wheel Cleaner from Armor (witch is the nastiest stuff I have ever used).

To get a clean engine compartment you MUST use some sort of equipment to rub, touch or scrub the surface to release the dirt.... no questions about it.... it has been proven time and time again. you don`t belive me... try power washing the side of your dirty veh. with out touching it as see what you get....

IF your not comfortable using a PW to clean under the engine compartment then DON`T...use a garden hose instead.

The problem is NOT volume of water it`s PRESSURE. as of yet I have not been able to get water in the newer style connections... not saying it can not happen, just it has not happened to me. but I have had water where I don`t want it nor need it... again it`s common sense.

I agree with both side... it can be done... and yes you can screw-up the running of your motor. use your own judgment. if your not comfy doing so don`t do it. you have to become responsible for your OWN actions and not the answers you get here.

We are here only to help guide you in you decision process, Show you that there are many different views/ideas on a particular subject...not become responsible for your actions if something were to go wrong.

Good luck.

**Sparkie** · 08-12-2006, 07:58 PM

Rich, very well said!

**TrueDetailer** · 08-12-2006, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Beercan31

The problem is NOT volume of water it`s PRESSURE.

**Aliengotpsi** · 09-17-2006, 01:21 AM

We blast engines with 4,000psi the only problem is geting water under the spark plug wires, or in the distributor sp? So we blow down the engine with a 175psi of air after then dress with a water based dressing. Once in a while you will get a CEL for misfire just erase it and let it dry. vary rarely will the car take more than a few hours of drying once i had a vw that wouldnt start for a whole weekend but once it started it was fine.

**Jngrbrdman** · 09-17-2006, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by Aliengotpsi

...Once in a while you will get a CEL for misfire just erase it and let it dry. vary rarely will the car take more than a few hours of drying once i had a vw that wouldnt start for a whole weekend but once it started it was fine.

See... it is the `once in awhile` that I avoid by detailing by hand. I never want a customer to not be able to start their car when I`m done. I certianly don`t want them coming back with a CEL that was triggered by something that went wrong due to pressure washing. I wouldn`t pressure wash an engine even if I had a pressure washer. I just don`t see the benefit in taking the risk when hand detailing does just as good of work and really doesn`t take much longer.

**Aliengotpsi** · 09-17-2006, 01:31 AM

well when you detail the volume as us time is money and 90% is dealers and they understand if it needs to dry out..

**joe.p** · 09-17-2006, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by Jngrbrdman

Why powerwash the engine? Seriously, all you need is to spray it down with degreaser and then rinse it with a steady stream. Then bust out the shop towels and brushes and finish it up. How much time does power washing really save? I`d race anyone with a power washer and I`ll bet I do a better job in less time by only using high(ish) pressure from the hose on the painted surfaces and just rinsing the engine itself. Using something like high pressure directly on the engine is just not something I am comfortable doing on a customer`s car. What if you rinse a bunch of sludge into the alternator or some other important component? What if you flood the spark plug cylinders and have to wick them out while the customer waits for his car to be able to start? You`ll never have that problelm if you take your time with the job.

Detailing is not about finding the fastest way to do something. That is called taking short cuts. Detailing is about finding the safe and efficient way of doing something. Any hack can power wash your engine bay, but a detailer will raise the bar and take some time to do it right.

I have to side with Anthony he has completed several engine bays with pics to back it up..

**Jngrbrdman** · 09-18-2006, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Aliengotpsi

well when you detail the volume as us time is money and 90% is dealers and they understand if it needs to dry out..

I agree that time is money, but quality is even more money. Power washing engines is for car washers. I prefer to be a detailer and take a little more time with it. I charge $60 - $80 for an engine detail and I have no problem getting appointments for it. I guarantee you that I wouldn`t get the business for engine detailing that I get if I just power washed the engine for 5 minutes and closed the hood. I prefer my engines to win awards at car shows for something other than being the fastest detailed engine in town. No offense intended to what car washers do for engines, but I just think there is a difference between what a dealership wants when you detail 20 cars on the lot and what a single customer expects when you come to their house to prep their car for sale.

**autobritemike** · 12-06-2006, 05:39 PM

I have power washed engines for years as well and have had very few problems. I spary with degreaser power wash then spray with water based dressing. Most of the problems that occur with pressure washing is due to inexperience. You just have to be careful and know what you should and shouldn`t spray. I very rarely cover anything...I am just very careful and aware of what I am spraying and how much pressure I am using. I do agree that you should stay away from the spark plugs. Some engines have very deep plug wells that can hold alot of water. One more thing to consider is to not try to power wash a very hot engine, that`s just asking for trouble. A warm engine is best, so the grease is soft and can be removed easily. My power washer has a burner so i can heat the water as hot as i need...it goes all the way to 302 degrees....I will never try to wash anything that hot, but it will reach that temperature. I usually power wash engines around 160 degrees. Just be careful, try not to soak everything and stay away from the electrical if your not comfortable. Oh and take care with the underhood mat. It can be torn apart with pressure. I must admit that i usually do power wash the mat, but i have been doing this for years so i am comfortable enough that i can do that successfully. I wouldn`t recommend it to a novice.