Pressure washer,shampoo best bet to clean engines

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/08/2002 (8697 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

QUESTION: I recently purchased a 1998 Honda Prelude with a DOHC VTEC Engine. The previous owner took very good care of the car exterior and the passenger components are all in excellent shape. However, the engine and surrounding areas were not kept very clean and I find that everything from the underside of the hood to air filter housing box are unusually greasy and grimy. I’m not sure of the best way to clean off all the grease. Is there a specific product that would do the job? I also thought maybe it could be steam cleaned. Some advice would be appreciated.

ANSWER: It is unusual to find the engine compartment of any Honda product this new looking greasy and grimy. Many import vehicle engine compartments are sprayed with a sealer or coating at the factory and sometimes this coating starts to yellow and peel off. I have never seen this coating look greasy, so I assume this is not what you are seeing.

You do not mention oil leaks beneath the vehicle, so I am guessing that the previous owner sprayed the engine compartment and perhaps the underside of the vehicle with oil. Some owners do this to act as a rust prevention coating. It works but makes a terrible mess. Now the problem is getting it off, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.

There are two ways of cleaning the engine compartment: steam cleaning or pressure washing. If I was going to steam clean the engine compartment, I would have it done by one of the professional auto detailers listed in the yellow pages, but there are a couple of precautions when steam cleaning. Never steam clean directly on any AC components or the pressure may increase too much in the AC system and the pressure relief valve will open, discharging the system. Secondly, stay away from any moving parts such as the alternator, starter, and other accessories. The steam is discharged at a fairly high pressure and it can enter component bearings where it will tend to wash out grease and cause rust. For this reason, I prefer to pressure wash the engine compartment.

Just using a pressure washer will not clean as well as a steam cleaner, but if you use an engine shampoo, then the results are good. There are several brands of engine shampoo available at auto part suppliers and I have no preference. Make sure the engine is completely up to operating temperature before spraying the cleaner on the engine and underhood parts. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften the grime and then wash with the pressure washer.

You will need to spray from several angles to get beneath belts, hoses, and mounting brackets, but again don’t spray heavily directly at rotating parts or the ignition system. If you spray too hard at the ignition system, water may short out the high voltage spark and the engine will run rough or be hard to start. Remove the plug wires and distributor cap and dry out the water before driving the car. Now the underhood area should look as good as the rest of the car.

QUESTION: I am having trouble starting my 1991 Acura. Sometimes when I turn the key, the starter just clicks but the engine doesn’t crank. Other times the starter makes a groaning sound and the engine tries to crank very slowly. Most times, it just starts normally.

The car has left me stranded a couple times because it would not start. Any ideas on what to do?

ANSWER: The problem sounds like it could be one of three different items. I have seen batteries with intermittent internal short circuits that would cause your vehicle’s symptoms, but it is rare. Have the battery load tested at any repair shop to see if it seems OK. Sometimes the battery may need testing a few times before this type of short circuit shows up.

Loose or corroded battery cables could also cause this problem. Remove, clean, and retighten all the connections, including the engine to body ground to eliminate this source of the problem.

Finally, the starter itself may be the problem. A short in the armature winding on the starter can cause these symptoms. If you can measure 10 volts at the positive cable on the starter when trying to start it, but it doesn’t crank over, then install another starter.

Jim Kerr is an experienced mechanic, instructor of automotive technology and freelance journalist. You can e-mail questions to Jim at the address below. E-mail correspondence only, please.

kerr.jim@sk.sympatico.ca