What Are the Benefits of Cleaning the Engine Bay?
4 Answers
Here are the functions of engine cleaning: 1. Clean oil passage sludge: The engine block is filled with oil passages, and engine cleaner can clean and unclog the sludge and impurities in these passages to ensure the normal operation of the engine lubrication system. 2. Clean piston ring carbon deposits: When the engine cleaner is added to the engine oil, it cleans the residual carbon deposits on the piston rings and ring grooves as the oil spreads on the cylinder walls. 3. Maintain the engine: When substances like sludge and carbon deposits that affect the engine's normal operation are cleaned, it can improve engine performance and extend the engine's service life.
Last time when I cleaned the engine bay, the mechanic told me that removing sludge is particularly crucial—those accumulated oil deposits could actually self-ignite under high temperatures! Especially for older cars, every nook and cranny is filled with dust mixed with oil leaks. After blasting with a high-pressure air gun and scrubbing with specialized foam, the repair guy even praised that my engine bay was cleaner than a new car's. Now every time I pop the hood during maintenance, the wiring connectors and rubber parts are spotless. Last spark plug change was done bare-handed, saving half an hour of labor cost. Oh, and after cleaning, the engine cools faster too—the temp gauge stays rock-solid even when climbing hills with AC on.
I've been repairing cars for twelve years, and what I fear most are customers who never clean their engine bays. Cars with oil sludge so thick you could grow vegetables in it take twice as long to inspect for leaks. Last week, an old Tiguan caught fire because leaking waste engine oil ignited the wiring. Actually, cleaning the engine bay costs next to nothing—just buy a bottle of cleaner for a few dozen bucks and wipe it down once a month. The key is to rinse the gaps in the radiator fins; when willow catkins and dust clog them, the cooling fan goes into overdrive during summer traffic jams and still can't bring the temperature down. Clean rubber hoses also won't crack prematurely, and the money saved on replacing parts is enough to fill up three tanks of gas.
As a used car appraiser, I always check the engine bay cleanliness first when taking in a vehicle. For Accords of the same model year, a spotless engine compartment can fetch an extra two grand! Oil residue corrodes metal connectors, and wiring harnesses caked with grime age faster. Last time I inspected a car for a client, vehicles with faded maintenance stickers showed more severe underbody rust. Proper cleaning isn't just about hosing it down - you need pH-neutral cleaner with soft brushes, followed by thorough air drying. Now I clean mine quarterly - my six-year-old Corolla's engine bay still looks factory-fresh when you pop the hood.
