Although the engine compartment on my wife's 560SL is relatively clean, I was thinking about going to one of those self-service car washes to clean it up a bit more.

Is this a bad idea on a MB? I don't want to end up with a car that won't start, or cause any problems down the road with soap/water getting into the many, many electrical connections under the hood.

If this is a no-no, do anyone have recommendation for cleaning the engine and surrounding compartment?

Bob Cavazos