Cleaning da engine bay..Advisable??

[mr_bertz]

Hi there guys,Am now taking care of my cousins e46...Popped da hood and i was like....Waddahel...Lump of soils and debris in da engine bay...( i might be exaggerating!!)Is it advisable to clean da engine bay? I mean by spraying it with water etc..hhehehheheAnyhow, need advice from bimmers sifu....any shop to recommend guys?

 

[python_dev]

A good clean engine bay is always advisable, but
Never clean engine bay when it is very hot (can crack the heads)

Having a clean engine bay means you can find trouble spots alot faster, they stick out against the rest of the clean parts making it much easier to locate the problem.

 

[mr_bertz]

any good place that can do this cleaning thing bro?

its a tedious job i would say...

Hehehhee

(Lazy bastardo)

 

[astroboy]

Then just close the hood..

Actually dusty engine is easier to spot for leaks because its visually easier to tell the oily dust from the just-dust.

But a clean engine can disperse heat better than a dust covered engine, like blanket.. So a clean engine runs cooler and more efficient..

E46 engine I think is save for spray because all the individual ignition coils are covered. So just got to look out for other things.. like the ECU, izzit in the engine bay? what about the HID ballast unit? Any voltage stabilizer installed?

Try to identify the electrical components and avoid spraying at them and u should be fine.. just my 2 sen!

For lazy bastardo, best leave it to the expert at BMW SC.. I think they can do a better job..

 

[pussy]

i clean my engine bay every weekend...

then it looks good... just a simple water, glo detergent and a cloth... that's it...

 

[mikeyew]

If you clean it regulary, I guess it will be easier to maintain the cleaniness of the engine bay. I clean it every week by using a brush to remove the dust and sand
and a wet cloth to wipe it.

Modern cars especially BMWs are fill with electronics and it's very risky to clean with runing water.

 

[python_dev]

Not really risky to clean..
most are designed to get wet (accept proton wira distributors) they are sealed units otherwise it wouldn't be safe to drive in the rain.

 

[AlexNg]

don't pressure wash it but instead use a slow flowing water from pipe. use toothbrush (soft) and glo / degreser to slowly scrub out the dirt and all. if you do it often, you are rewarded by a nice clean engine!!!