How to clean your engine bay like a pro

Whether you’re a professional mechanic or a DIY enthusiast, it’s wise to look after both the exterior and interior of your car. Though some neglect it, knowing how to clean an engine bay is an important part of vehicle maintenance.

Why should you keep your engine bay clean?

Because it’s where several major car parts are located, including the battery, fuse box, and transmission, knowing how to clean a car engine bay can help prolong your vehicle’s service life. It can also save you the hassle of going to a car shop to fix a problem because regularly cleaning an engine bay can prevent issues from cropping up.

What do you need for engine bay cleaning?

Before beginning an engine bay cleaning job—also called engine bay detailing—you should have all the necessary tools and materials within arm’s reach. These include:

• Safety gloves; 

• A vacuum cleaner or blower;

• Cleaning brush;

• Wrench; 

• Plastic covers;

• Soapy water;

• Water hose; and

• A clean rag or cloth.

You may also want to have both carb cleaner and brake cleaner on hand, as they can be useful for tackling different types of grime and buildup in the engine bay. Just make sure to use them correctly, as they are powerful solvents that can cause harm if not used properly.

You also need to be in a well-lit area to prevent accidents.

Steps to clean your car’s engine bay

Step 1: Turn off your car and cool its engine

Before dealing with the inner workings of your vehicle, see to it that you won’t suffer any injury from touching a hot engine bay or that you won’t cause any unforeseen damage. Open the car’s bonnet and wait several minutes to make the engine cool before you begin to clean the engine bay.

Step 2: Deal with loose dirt

Start by wearing safety gloves to ensure your hands are protected throughout the process. You can use a vacuum cleaner or blower on a lower setting to remove loose debris in the engine bay. Another everyday tool you can use is a brush. Just remember not to use too much force when trying to dislodge dirt because it may cause damage or movement.

Step 3 (Optional): Disconnect the car battery

This step can prevent electric shocks and other incidents associated with car engine cleaning while the battery is hooked up. What you need to do is check where the battery’s terminals are and use the correct type of wrench to unlink the negative and positive terminals. If the car’s battery is bolted down with a clamp, you’ll have to use a different kind of wrench to unfasten and remove it.

Step 4: Cover the car’s electrical components

If you cannot remove the car’s battery, you should just use a plastic cover to protect it while you clean the engine bay. The other parts you need to cover are:

• The engine control unit;

• The air engine; and

• The ignition cables.
  
  

Step 5: Degrease the engine bay

Since oil and grease can accumulate in your car’s engine bay, spray soapy water and use a brush to help remove any stubborn grease. Do the process section by section to cover all surfaces, including the bonnet’s underside and hard-to-reach corners.

Step 6: Wash off the degreaser and dry the engine bay

Use a garden hose to rinse off the soapy water. As previously mentioned, avoid too much pressure, which can cause damage. To get rid of excess water and dry off the engine bay and its electrical components, simply wipe a clean cloth or rag on any wet surface.

Step 7: Reinstall the battery

After the engine bay and its components have been thoroughly cleaned, don’t forget to put the battery back on and ensure the positive and negative terminals are properly connected.

Have your engine professionally cleaned with Airtasker

Since a car is one of the most expensive things a person can own, you don’t want to accidentally damage its delicate inner systems and components. That’s why it’s ideal to get your engine bay cleaned by a professional.

Airtasker is a convenient way to find and hire a qualified car cleaner. Simply post a task on the website and include the following details:

• The kind of car you own;

• Additional detailing services your car’s engine bay needs;

• The location where the car engine cleaning job will be performed (in a car shop or in your own garage); and

• Your expected car detailing cost.
  
  

Wait until Taskers answer your job posting, then choose which of them you’d like to hire for the task.

Airtasker can also help you get in contact with professionals who perform related services, such as specific types of car engine cleaning, general car detailing (whether in a shop or anywhere you want), and vehicle repair. In addition, the site has cost guides—like one about car wash prices—so you’ll know what to expect in terms of how much services are worth.