Greasy, grimy underside
 

I've had it! Tired of the mess under the car! :eek: Looking at the interior/exterior AND even the engine compartment of my car one would not think the 'belly' would be so messy. I can't touch anything without getting a big ol' gob of BLACK on me!

I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with my Indy to have them look into WHAT is causing the problem. A couple culprits I know of: 1) turbo drain tube and/or the oil separator tube is in dire need of new seals and 2) tranny is leaking from somewhere. They've GOT to get fixed! :mad: :mad:

After they are repaired I want to get it cleaned up somehow. Would a detail shop do a job like this? It seems that the car would be best placed on a lift and hosed down with degreaser then pressure washed (responsibly, of course!). Or perhaps a good steam cleaning? What are some thoughts on this? Have any of you guys undertaken such a daunting task...yourself?

I prefer a good steam cleaning, throw some degrease under there and steam clean it real good it'll look WAY better. If you don't mind taking a LOT of stuff off (fuel lines, exhaust, driveshaft, and a bunch of little stuff) you could re-undercoat it for a real nice finished product. Haven't yet seen anyone with the balls to waste that much time stripping but it sure would look nice :cool:.

If you have some serious coating of black going on that's a lot of fluid from somewhere, are all of your levels ok? How much cat litter do you have to use a week wherever you park?! :eek:

I've been very happy with the results from Simple Green Max. and a water hose. Works best warm of course.

LOL!!!

Guess I did make it sound pretty bad, huh?! :eek:

I watch the levels and to be honest, they don't go down very fast at all. Just today I topped off the tranny fluid with about 1-1/2 pints (first time in many months and miles) and as far as the oil, it must just kind of atomize under there because I don't use half a quart between changes! :D

As far as kitty litter, nah! I prefer a big piece of cardboard and a foil roasting pan stategicly placed...! :)

Jeff,
What is your procedure? Do you run it up on ramps in order to get to it best? Just trying to figure out the best way to approach it IF I were to tackle it myself. :)

YES! This is what im talking about, same thing in my garage :cool:


Seems to happen to me too, my oil pan is pretty nasty, valve cover is leaking a little. Actually no, the EGR is leaking a good deal too and probably on the valve cover. It does atomize a good bit and then EVERYTHING seems to want to stick to it.

I actually drove through a massive "flock" or lightening bugs not too long ago and when I got home I just had to check out the carnage. It wasn't as many as I'd hoped but it was some funny "redneck underglow" to tell everyone about. I mean this stuff on the bottom of my car is like fly-strip-nasty!


I've never heard about this? I guess I should ask around some auto stores?

It's taken me years to get the underside of my car clean. First you have to clean it, than chase leaks. Chasing leaks on these cars is a never ending job. I probably seal 2 or 3 a year and that many new ones pop up to replace them. Recently I have won the transmission battle and its staying dry, this is a big victory!:D:cool: However I have lost the IP battle with a badly leaking bottom cover seal.:(


The problem is people don't fix any leaks for 10-15 years, than you have some catching up to do.

Having a lubed chassis prevents rust! Seriously! :D :D

You DO have a point there my friend!!! :D


YIKES! That's almost discouraging to hear it might take "years"! :eek: I shall try anyway.

What did you find to be the tranny leak issue? That's one I have. :mad:

On mine it's the front seal. Not worth having to separate from the engine to stop a leak that I can put off until it gets much worse.

I always seem to fear the worst! That would be my luck - front seal!:mad::mad::mad:

(As much as I like my ol' Benz I'd almost give 'er up and look for something else IF that's the case...:( )

Actually, the worst would probably be a rear main seal.
I'm just sayin...

I like a clean engine, and with the belly pans it stays clean and pretty dry.

Simple Green Max is available at autozone, in spray bottle and 1gallon refill. It is bio-friendly, of course the oil and grease it dissolves isn't, ...

Ramps would work, I just spray it reaching in from the sides. I suppose a really greasy mess would require ramps to get up around the driveshaft et al.

It has worked better than the Gunk et al foaming de-greasers and other solvent-based cleaners I've tried, and is water soluable. Very strong odor, tends to tighten up my throat if I don't wear a mask, maybe I'm over-cautious. Anyway, I believe it is caustic, so don't get it on the bright aluminum trim on the car, and be sure you rinse it thoroughly especially from aluminum and electrical connections.

Lots of water.

I prefer to not spray with a power-washer under my car or hood, tends to force water past seals and get into places it shouldn't be. A regular water hose uses more water and rinses more thoroughly also.

Clean it up as well as possible, it will help you find the source of any remaining leaks. Mine was the power-steering hose clamps, the hose had lost its ability to stay sealed on the barbs as it shrunk over the years, a fresh set of clamps was all that was necessary (low-pressure hoses). Did make a mess of the belly pan and side of the engine bay until then though, I though it was the pump seal.