My 03 engine needs to be steam cleaned I was wondering if its ok to steam clean it with high pressure water without damaging anything

I've done it multiple times. I always do it while running and I let it run for a while afterwards to make sure everything gets dried out. I did this to my Jeep a few years back when it wasn't running and I ended up with an electrical issue that temporarily caused it to not start. Have never had an issue with the E . . .

You don't need to pressure wash it. Just get some orange cleaner from Home Depot and squirt it all over the engine area. Waite a bit and hose it off.You can use a scrub brush for the tough bits. Easy.

Yep, a clean engine runs cooler and a cooler engine saves gas. Plus you can see if there's a leak on a clean engine, and a clean engine increases the sales value of a car, so it's a win to keep it clean. 8)

Yes, I've washed it there, and here.:-)

The "trick" to keeping an engine bay clean is to keep it free from oil, grease, and any other material that can attract and bind dust and dirt.

"Steam" cleaning and pressure washing can remove accumulations, but each has the disadvantages; high pressure plus high temperature water in the presence of any grit can remove more than grime. Paint coatings can be penetrated.

Some of the hoses and other rubber-like materials have coatings that extend their lives. Often, these coatings look like a whitish haze. If you see this, resist coating the surfaces with silicone or other sprays that have a petroleum carrier. Waxy materials such as ArmorAll are particularly bad, as they will aggravate the accumulation of grime and make it harder to remove them later. One of the few aftermarket materials that is good for treating hoses and everything except belts is Formula 303 - provided that you wipe off any excess after it has a chance to dry.

If you can prevent oil and other fluids from leaking, and wipe up any drips after replenishing these fluids, most of the accumulation in the engine bay will be dust and road salt. These can be removed using a mild car wash soap and low pressure water.

I've done this many times to vehicles over the years. One caution, though:

COVER THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER!! (it's located in the back right corner)
There was an E owner that somehow ended up with water in her brake lines and ruined the whole system. Since that post, I have VERY cautious to avoid it.... :shock: :razz:

(it's located in the back right corner)

Looking into the hood (driver's side)?

Looking into the hood (driver's side)?

Yes, driver's side back corner area, round semi-opaque plastic reservoir with a gray lid (at least mine is gray.. :roll: ).

Here's a visual:

You don't need to pressure wash it. Just get some orange cleaner from Home Depot and squirt it all over the engine area. Waite a bit and hose it off.You can use a scrub brush for the tough bits. Easy.

I've been doing the same with Simple Green for many years. I never had a problem & it works great!

Steam cleaning and high pressure water are not the same machine ;) High pressure water should be used for the larger, looser stuff. Steam cleaning can be used for more stubborn stuff if needed. Either can harm painted valve covers, brake boosters, etc. Keep the tip from getting too close. Simple green will etch bare aluminum after time as is is slightly acidic. Most degreasers will. But they are also the best cleaners for the job. Cold engines and short dwell time helps avoid issues. It is much better to wash the engine various times than just leave degreaser on it for a long time. As the engine function and cycles from cold to hot to cold again during its normal operation, old stubborn stuff will loosen up. The next time you wash the engine will improve slightly, and thereon. So patience pays off with a cleaner engine.

Dressing with WD-40, or an engine dressing does look like crap, but sometimes it can be beneficial. Rubber hoses (specifically honda ones) get oxidized and benefit from a rubber dressing. It will even out their color and I believe they will even help clean during the normal thermal cycles of operation over time and subsequent cleaning. After a few times you will not need to dress the engine anymore.

Make sure the engine is cool before hitting it with gallons of cold water. Other than that, it is hard to believe even high pressure water would harm anything under the hood that has its factory cover well placed. Water in a brake cyl from washing? Doubt it. If brake fluid at hundreds of psi is not squirting out, water at 14 psi will not get in IMO. Leaks from rain or faulty components, rust, a loose cap, or the simple fact that brake fluid absorbs water (which is why it should be changed every once in awhile), thats another story. Stick with the right DOT for the car and you should be fine.

Just another tip: cover/avoid spraying water over the alternator. I accidentally soaked one on my last car and caused a premature whine/failure of it. Also a normal garden hose has enough pressure to take care of most dirt, no need for a pressure washer.

i wash mine with simple green on a cold engine. i cover the alternater with a plastic bag and blow out all the electrical connectors with conpressed air before turning the key on. also be sure to rinse the motor off really good because the simple green seems to corrode metal if it sits on it for too long.

. . . If brake fluid at hundreds of psi is not squirting out, water at 14 psi will not get in IMO. . . .

The brake fluid in the reservoir beneath the cap is at ambient atmospheric pressure, not hundreds of psi. If it were higher (and the cap weren't vented) it would blow off.

Atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.223 psi. If the psi of a water stream from a hose were 1 ATM, anywhere above sea level, if you pointed the hose end up, you'd stop the flow.

Mains water starts with a pressure created by the height of the supply water tower. In the municipality that has structures in excess of 10 stories, the water towers may be as tall as a 10 story building 150-200 ft. (Local pumps are used to raise the pressure within taller buildings.)

For every 33 feet of height it's raised, the water pressure at the bottom of a tower goes up about 1 ATM or approx 14psi. Restrictions and turbulence in water pipes creates back pressure, so in a municipality, static water pressure will be at least 3-6 ATM at the supply end.

If delivered to a surface by an unrestricted hose, ("flooding") the impact pressure is negligible, all you have to worry about is whether the surface accumulates or can shed the water. If restricted by a nozzle, the velocity of the water rises, causing the impact pressure per square inch to rise.

Anyone ever washed there engine bay with water

Me. I go to the quarter car wash, open the hood and squirt away. I've been washing out the engine compartment this way on all the cars I've owned over the last 43 years without a problem.

If you are worried about water getting into things like the alternator then don't drive through puddles on a rainy day.:-D

yeah, what psschmied said. i'd use a gently flowing hose, but not the blaster at the quarter wash. if you have any doubts whether there is really a practical difference, have a friend squirt your face with both, and report back your results. ;)

> if you have any doubts whether there is really a practical difference,
> have a friend squirt your face with both, and report back your
> results.

Damn, now I have to clean the coffee out of my keyboard again!

yeah, what psschmied said. i'd use a gently flowing hose, but not the blaster at the quarter wash. if you have any doubts whether there is really a practical difference, have a friend squirt your face with both, and report back your results. ;)

I had a friend do that once. He has since been very happy with his new nose and eyelids. :grin:

> if you have any doubts whether there is really a practical difference,
> have a friend squirt your face with both, and report back your
> results.

Damn, now I have to clean the coffee out of my keyboard again!Awww, it's so nice to be appreciated! :)

I had a friend do that once. He has since been very happy with his new nose and eyelids. :grin:heh heh heh...

So there is a very simple solution to this and everyone can benefit from it. There is a product called Super Clean. Its in a purple bottle. This stuff is amazing and you can buy a gallon bottle for under $10. I cant believe how well this works. All you do is on a dry cold engine spay everything under the hood with it wait 30 seconds to 1 minute and spray it off. There is no need to scrub or any use power washers. You also do not need to saturate your engine with water so there is no worry of alternators or anything else. Spray on spray off, that simple.

yes, keep away from intake, and other key parts, as others have said