Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Review BLACKFIRE Pro Detailer`s Choice Engine Degreaser
A huge THANK YOU goes out to Meghan and Autogeek for providing this product!
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Product Description from Autopia store
Eliminates the tough to remove grime that builds up on your engine!
Blackfire Engine Degreaser will allow you to finally clean all of the difficult grime, oil, and dirt that accumulates on your engine. Blackfire Engine Degreaser is gentle enough that it won’t damage even the most delicate areas that surround your engine bay. Blackfire Engine Degreaser comes ready to use, so you won’t have to worry about carefully measuring out the perfect amount of product and water to use.
My Review
Subject: 2014 Kia Sportage
Engine: 2.4L GDI
Mileage: 60k
Location: Bell, California
Time Period: September 2018
Products & Tools
-Metro Blaster SideKick
-Black MF towels
-BFAIOTT - Blackfire All In One Trim & Tire Protectant (old[er], discontinued product)
-Double sided applicator (yellow mesh / grey MF)
-BFED - BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser (product being reviewed)
-BFWW - Blackfire Waterless Wash Concentrate
-32oz Wide mouth bottle (with BFWW)
-Garden style pump sprayer (tap water)
-Plastic bag
-Gloves (safety first)
-Engine detailing brush
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https://www.autopia-carcare.com/blac...l#.W8euXGhKiM8
BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Cost: 24.99 (as of 10/17/18)
Size: 32oz bottle with spray head
Scent: Light sent, can’t place it. Definitely not a harsh chemical odor.
Taste: I didn’t try it. (but one never knows) – DO NOT taste this
Consistency: Liquid. Thin enough to be sprayed
Starting off. Visual inspection of the engine bay. I was looking for sensitive spots (ECU, alternator), as well as potential tough (grimey) spots. The engine bay could use some TLC. After removing loose debris like leaves, I gave it a quick vacuum to pick up any other dirt / debris that could come off easily. I then covered the alternator. Here’s what the bay looks like
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Initial cleaning. Now that the alternator was covered up, I sprayed water over the left side of the engine bay (facing the car). I only did half of it since the sun was coming up quick and I didn’t want any of the cleaners to dry on the car. Once water was everywhere, I then sprayed some BFWW all over as well. Right away, some of the dirt was being loosened and pushed around just from the spray bottle of BFWW. I let it soak for a minute or two. Up next, I sprayed BFED on the spots I noted earlier during the inspection. Things like the engine mounts, alternator bracket (I left this part exposed, and was careful to wrap the bag around, and in between the brackets). Again, I let the cleaner soak for a few minutes. I proceeded to agitate with the engine detailing brush. I did this to pretty much everything! From the cowl cover, to shock towers, overflow tank, radiator shroud/covers, etc.
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Once I was satisfied that all the dirt was agitated and ready to be rinsed off, I took the pump sprayer and rinsed off all the engine bay that was cleaned. I followed up with air drying with the SideKick and took the MF towels to some of the parts that were still wet. Here are some 50/50 shots of the just-cleaned side vs the untouched side.
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Satisfied with how this turned out, I pushed the Kia up several feet to get some shade. (I was actually going to drive it in, and luckily remembered the bag on the alternator! Whoa. Close call, man). After getting the shade, I repeated the process on the driver side.
Once that was said and done, it was time to play dress-up! I took the MF applicator and squirted some of the BFAIOTT onto it. Working the product on just about all plastic surfaces and even the rubber hoses. It helped by adding some sheen to the rubber and the plastics. Also, it leaves protection behind! I also went over all those bits with the black MF towels to remove any excess product. Here’s what I was rewarded with!
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Conclusion: All these products used worked out well for this little project. But to zero in on the BFED, I would like to point out some things: First, I didn’t have to use a ton of product. The sprayer head did a fine job dispersing the product. The BFED worked well without having to keep spraying the areas I targeted. Second, toward the end I realized that at no point did I feel I was choking from inhaling this product. That’s great!!
When I went to remove the bag from the alternator, there was a spot that was missed (cuz the bag was covering it). To test the BFED, I *first* tried spraying an MF with the BFWW and using my finger to agitate the greasy area. This didn’t phase it. *THEN* I did the same, but this time with the BFED. This did the trick.
To summarize my thoughts on this, I liked it. It seems to have some good cleaning power without the terrible choking that comes with harsh chemicals.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Great job and excellent write up. Engine bay cleaning is my least favorite and usually forgotten job when I am detailing a car. You sure made it look good.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Top notch review JustJesus!
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rlmccarty2000
Great job and excellent write up. Engine bay cleaning is my least favorite and usually forgotten job when I am detailing a car. You sure made it look good.
Thank you, thank you. I`m not a fan of engine bays OR interiors!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GearHead_1
Top notch review JustJesus!
Thank you, sir.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
The result speaks for itself. It came out great. It does work pretty well.
By the way seems like you were able to recover your write up. It was well written.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Guz
The result speaks for itself. It came out great. It does work pretty well.
By the way seems like you were able to recover your write up. It was well written.
Thanks Guz.
I wish. I had to redo the whole thing! And then Chrome was giving me security issues because some of the "code" used was something something. I forget. Ended up not formatting like I had initially. Oh well.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
JustJesus !
Just perfect write up, very well written, understandable, I knew everything you used and how it worked for you. Thank you !
Loved the awesome change from an engine that had not been Detailed to an engine that is perfectly Detailed. Great work! Thank you !
Great pics !
Dan F
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Lovely. I`m like 50/50 on engines. I will clean them if I am bringing it into for service.......just so whomever is working hopefully will recognize the OCD.
On the flipside, a lil grease keeps rust at bay..
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Gotta keep them clean to see what`s going on (leaks, etc.), so that no dirt builds up to harbor moisture, and so that nobody gets dirty (e.g., Accumulatorette checking her car`s fluids when gassing up, let alone my Audi Tech doing work in there).
I had to refuse to give a woman a jumpstart because her engine compartment was too dirty for me to get into. I felt awful, but she didn`t want to DIY it and I wasn`t gonna get my hands dirty, let alone risk ruining a great shirt. [Heck], I didn`t want to get my jumper cables near that dirty mess!
JustJesus- Yes indeed, great job on both the review and the cleanup.
Now it`ll be easy to keep it that way ;) What`s the plan for maintaining it?
How long will the BFAIOTT last?
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stokdgs
JustJesus !
Just perfect write up, very well written, understandable, I knew everything you used and how it worked for you. Thank you !
Dan F
You`re welcome...and thank you for the kind words!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mobiledynamics
Lovely. I`m like 50/50 on engines...
On the flipside, a lil grease keeps rust at bay..
Thank you. Being in Southern California, we don`t see some of those harsh conditions others see. No ice, salts or whatever. Heck, we barely see rain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Accumulator
Gotta keep them clean to see what`s going on (leaks, etc.), so that no dirt builds up to harbor moisture, and so that nobody gets dirty (e.g., Accumulatorette checking her car`s fluids when gassing up, let alone my Audi Tech doing work in there).
I had to refuse to give a woman a jumpstart because her engine compartment was too dirty for me to get into. I felt awful, but she didn`t want to DIY it and I wasn`t gonna get my hands dirty, let alone risk ruining a great shirt. [Heck], I didn`t want to get my jumper cables near that dirty mess!
JustJesus- Yes indeed, great job on both the review and the cleanup.
Yes, I agree with you. Gotta keep them clean. I just need to make it a habit!
Oh wow. Refusing to jumpstart because of the dirty mess! WOW. It must have been way dirty. I can`t blame you for that one. I recently jumpstarted a neighbor`s car. It`s a newer Lexus and it wasn`t so bad. I was wearing "dirty work" clothes since I was already working on the Kia. Might have been the day I did the engine, actually. Anyway, his engine bay wasn`t very dirty. But I did find myself picking out leaves and small twigs that were around the fenders and cowl area! haha. Couldn`t help myself.
Thanks, Accumulator!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Accumulator
Now it`ll be easy to keep it that way ;) What`s the plan for maintaining it?
How long will the BFAIOTT last?
Totally! But, gosh darn, I hadn`t thought about maintenance. D`OH. I guess maybe I`ll track it monthly and clean it off with some BF Waterless Wash. Apply the BFAIOTT as needed.
Not sure how long it will last. I did the outside trim with the same product. Going on 1 month. The plastics by the rocker panels could be touched up. The bumpers and the wheel well arches seem to be just fine, currently. I`ll monitor them regularly and update this thread.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JustJesus
Oh wow. Refusing to jumpstart because of the dirty mess! WOW. It must have been way dirty. I can`t blame you for that one. I recently jumpstarted a neighbor`s car. It`s a newer Lexus and it wasn`t so bad. I was wearing "dirty work" clothes since I was already working on the Kia. Might have been the day I did the engine, actually. Anyway, his engine bay wasn`t very dirty. But I did find myself picking out leaves and small twigs that were around the fenders and cowl area! haha. Couldn`t help myself..
Yikes, leaves and sticks?!? Sigh, people... :rolleyes: Clogged drains, [stuff] getting into the linkage/etc...But OK, I guess "who cares?" if it`s a lease (not being sarcastic, that`s why I think leases are great for some people).
I dunno if the one I mentioned was all *that* dirty by normal standards, but it wasn`t anything I was gonna get too close to (even had I not been wearing nice clothes). And while it`s kinda harsh, I`ll admit that when I saw how little attention that car (maybe six years old or so) was getting under the hood, I thought to myself "what did you expect?". IMO ignoring the engine compartment until something in there doesn`t work isn`t the path to reliable transportation. I kinda figured that the battery was either way old (couldn`t see the sticker for the grime) or the visible corrosion on its terminals was to blame.
Eh, I`m just not used to people ignoring stuff like that; the women in my family never did, but then they grew up in a different time. Ignore such stuff back in the day and you weren`t gonna get far, and before things like cell phones/OnStar that could be awfully serious. Guess it still can be...
Quote:
gosh darn, I hadn`t thought about maintenance. D`OH...
Heh heh, the Curse of Autopia strikes again :D Now *that* has to stay perfect all the time too..no going back once something`s been done to Autopian standards!
Quote:
I guess maybe I`ll track it monthly and clean it off with some BF Waterless Wash. Apply the BFAIOTT as needed...Not sure how long it will last. I did the outside trim with the same product. Going on 1 month. The plastics by the rocker panels could be touched up..
Hmm, after just a month? If you get tired of that you might look into a Trim Sealant. But eh, OTOH rockers can be tricky, sometimes nothing really lasts on them.
The Waterless oughta work fine as long as it doesn`t get too bad between cleanings. I can often do a lot of it with just IUDJ (hint- BHBs, especially small ones, can work great for that as long as you rinse them out frequently).
Quote:
I`ll monitor them regularly and update this thread.
Heh heh, that might provide added motivation to keep it nice ;)
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Accumulator
Yikes, leaves and sticks?!? Sigh, people... :rolleyes: Clogged drains, [stuff] getting into the linkage/etc...But OK, I guess "who cares?" if it`s a lease (not being sarcastic, that`s why I think leases are great for some people).
I dunno if the one I mentioned was all *that* dirty by normal standards, but it wasn`t anything I was gonna get too close to (even had I not been wearing nice clothes). And while it`s kinda harsh, I`ll admit that when I saw how little attention that car (maybe six years old or so) was getting under the hood, I thought to myself "what did you expect?". IMO ignoring the engine compartment until something in there doesn`t work isn`t the path to reliable transportation. I kinda figured that the battery was either way old (couldn`t see the sticker for the grime) or the visible corrosion on its terminals was to blame.
Yep. Some people :ph34r: I could be some of those people at times. I admit it. I should have replaced the battery cables on the Jeep already, but that job doesn`t look fun with the twists and turns that positive cable takes, with it`s built-in starter solenoid wire, too. Ugh. NOT wanting to do that job.
On the other hand, I wanted to change the oil on the rental Chrysler we were taking on the family trip! It was getting on the dark brown side of things, and we were planning on about 3k miles. The rental guy told me NOT to change it; that it was done so recently. [shrug]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Accumulator
Heh heh, the Curse of Autopia strikes again :D Now *that* has to stay perfect all the time too..no going back once something`s been done to Autopian standards!
Umm. that engine bay is not really all that Autopian, though. haha... That stinking curse!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Accumulator
Hmm, after just a month? If you get tired of that you might look into a Trim Sealant. But eh, OTOH rockers can be tricky, sometimes nothing really lasts on them.
The Waterless oughta work fine as long as it doesn`t get too bad between cleanings. I can often do a lot of it with just IUDJ (hint- BHBs, especially small ones, can work great for that as long as you rinse them out frequently).
Yeah. one month. I went over them with rinseless yesterday, and yeah, they still look a tad bit "less new" than the other trim around the bottom. The other plastics still look good, though. I recently received UTTG+ so maybe I`ll sneak that onto the rockers and see how that does. Or, is there a Trim Sealant you would suggest I spend my money on? hehe... You have spent my money wisely thus far.
If the BF Waterless isn`t working out, then I`ll switch it out to IUDJ and BHB. I have some of that, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Accumulator
Heh heh, that might provide added motivation to keep it nice ;)
Actually, yes. It does add some motivation. Easier to maintain than to do that job all over again from scratch, I`m sure!
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
JustJesus- I`ve only tried the UTTG+, no other trim sealants. I did prefer the v1.0 a bit, but the current stuff is OK IMO. Others have said it attracts/retains dust/etc. but that hasn`t been my experience at all. I`ll be very interested in how it works for you, appears to be a real YMMV! thing.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Thanks for the write up and review, it looks great ! Did you spray water, BFWW and BFED right after each other without touching/drying each product? I always wondered about the cleaning power of a WW.
Re: Review: BLACKFIRE Engine Degreaser
Looks really clean!
Like how the BLACKFIRE engine cleaner doesn`t bleach out the plastic.
The 50/50 shot gives nice perspective.
Have the Original UTTG+:angry:.
Pours like a clear version of Marvel Mystery Oil and has a distinct petroleum distillate smell to it!
Will be going into my Oil recycle container.
Now using up the last of my Zaino Z-16 on the Infiniti.
Very satisfied with the look and endurance of Tufshine on my other three cars. It will be my go to from now onB)