Squirrels and mice have taken to using my minivan’s engine compartment as a nut and feces storage facility. (Didn’t anyone tell them not to shit where you eat?)
Can I take my garden hose and spray around in there indiscriminantly? Should I avoid spraying certain components? Should I not do this at all? What’s the best way to clean this area?
Thanks all!
Go for it. The only thing I’d worry about is getting water in the air intake–wrap a plastic bag around the air cleaner if you’re concerned about it. Afterwards, be sure to dry off the ignition wires. I’ve power-washed a few engines in my day in order to locate oil leaks and such and never had any problems except the occasional bout of rough running due to wet ignition components, but once dried out everything ran fine.
When you say air intake/air cleaner, do you mean the air filter? If so, no problem.
Re: ignition wires…aren’t they insulated? Why do you think getting them wet affects anything?
Thanks for the quick reply, QED.
Yes, exactly.
Yes, they are, but there are often small pinholes in the insulation and water can get in there and provide a nice path to ground. Same goes for the weather boots on the plugs and at the distributor/EI module. At ignition voltages, it doesn’t take much for the current to go where it’s not supposed to. It may not, in fact, be a problem for you; I mention it only so you’ll know what’s going on should your engine run rough afterwards.
Thanks again!
Your pretty safe lightly hosing it down (after all, the whole engine compartment is exposed to water from underneath when it rains),
however they do not recommend using a pressure washer on it. You can blast water into some unwanted places with those things and hose off lubricated parts that you shouldn’t.
It’s ok if your cautious. The engine foam cleaners tell you to secure aluminum foil over the carburator and the electrical components. doing so may break the law in your area, due to the run off. Some leases and housing groupos also prohibit that activity. I’ve done it many times and your electrical wiring is what can have prpblems.
I’ll second not powerwashing. I think you could knock some things loose this way. Maybe not so much on a newer car, but I know on my old car that had 200,000 miles on it, I would have broken it - wires would have come undone, pieces that were mostly rusted through would have gotten a hole in it etc.
I don’t own a power washer, and wouldn’t use that anyway. Remember, I’m not really worried about getting the engine block shiny or anything, I’m just removing rodent waste. I will be avoiding electrical components anyway. Thanks for all the advice & warnings.
I have always pressure washed away on my vehicles. I know it isn’t ideal but the car wash even has some spray engine cleaner you can wash it with first. Sometimes it sounds a little funny for a second or two when you first start it but it always works Ok. I have an SUV and I don’t even want the damn thing anymore if it can’t stand a little spray. It would kill my dreams of crossing a rushing mountain stream some day.
I had to get off the phone and posted too soon.
Spraying the compartment around the wheel wheels and the radiatore is very safe.
Lightly spraying water around the engine will be no more harmful that driving in the rain and hitting a puddle.
Forceful directed spay at the wrong place can create a problem on some cars.
Sorry if this seems a little general, but I don’t know what you drive, and I am probably not familar with any potential weak spots of that car.