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Dirct comes from road, oil from engine... Posted by REM in Seattle [Email] (#4) [Profile/Gallery] (more from REM in Seattle) on Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:37:19 In Reply to: does engines spew out oil? how does eng compart dirty?, sam t, Sat, 24 Jun 2006 19:06:45 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The engine compartment collects a lot of dirt from the roadway as you drive. There is a constant steam of air, dust, oil and debri thrown up by tires, rainwater, etc. entering though the radiator and exiting under the vehicle.
Also every engine has some sepage of fluids. Oil and transmision fluid can seep past seals like the crankcase ventilation fitting and valve cover seals.
I clean my engine compartment about twice a year using a garden hose and Simple Green soap. A clean engine makes doing engine work much nicer and it is much easier to spot coolant and oil leaks.
Simple Green works very well as an engine cleaner. I stay away from the “Gunk” type engine cleaners because they contain caustic soda (lye) and can cause corrosion problems if not rinsed away completely. Working on a cold or barely warm engine, gently wet the engine. I wipe clean everything I can reach using some Simple Green and a cloth. Then I spray the inaccessible parts of the engine with Simple Green and apply a little agitation with a long handled brush or a cloth taped to the end of a stick. A gentle stream of water or soft spray of water from the garden hose will wash away all that accumulated engine grime. Be a very careful about spraying the water directly at the distributor, battery, ABS, or other electrics. Remove the plastic engine covers (if any) for better access. Don’t use a power washer or a high-pressure hose as you could easily drive water into some of the electrical connectors and relay/fuse boxes.
REM in Seattle
2005 Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible; Steel Gray metallic; 5-speed; 10,000 miles
1998 Saab 900SET; Silver metallic; 5-door; Automatic; 84,000 miles
1984 Saab 900T; Cherry Red; 3-door; 5-speed; 242,000 miles (RIP)
_______________________________________ REM in Seattle Current: 2013 Volvo XC60 R-Design, Rebel Blue, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic 2024 MINI Cooper S Convertible, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 6-speed manual Former: 2005 Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible, Steel Gray metallic, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 5-speed 1998 Saab 900SET 5-door, Silver, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider convertible, Alfa Red, 2.0L 4-cyl, 5-speed 1984 Saab 900T 3-door, Red, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 5-speed
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