ML320 Engine Washing

[Chayro]

The engine compartment in my 98 ML320 is very dusty and I was considering washing it down with an engine cleaner and a hose. Most cars are totally ok with this procedure, but it's a definite no-no for others. Any sage advice here? Thanks.

[Peter Guenther]

I have always been told not to do it, It seems when I am in there with the hose to get bugs out of the condenser, my ASD light comes on sometimes. I have been told a rag is the best cleaner, weatherproof connectors are not always that.

The main thing is to not apply pressure continuously in one spot, rather use the car wash wand and move it around the engine compartment quickly without stopping. This will clean things up well without the chance of forcing water into an electrical connector. I've been doing this on every vehicle I've owned since the first time I saw a self service car wash in 1966 and have never had ANY issues.

Remember, move that wand around and just rinse everything off quickly.

As far as engine cleaner and a garden hose, I think you will be okay if you follow the same procedure, but what worries me is getting that solvent outside the engine compartment. Best case it will cut the wax, worst case it may damage the paint. But I don't think that it will do as good as the self serve car wash wand.

Good luck,

[JerryWagner]

I keep all my car's engine compartments clean so you can spot any leaks or problems, makes working on them easier also, I like to drive to the local car wash, open the hood, while I am letting the exhaust manifold cool I spray the interior with Simple Green to break up the grease, let the manifold cool a bit as you could crack the cast iron with cooler water, use the soap feature of the car wash to clean the engine, you can it certain parts hard with the spray such as valve covers, firewall, battery, do not linger much on the electrical parts, avoid the distributor cap, be sure to get down on one knee and hit the oil pan from both sides, rinse off and start up engine right away and drive for 15 minutes to dry off, should be no problem. In case it won't start or runs rough simply remove the distributor cap and dry off any condensation that developed and you should be good to go. The Shop that works on my Cessna airplane uses a air hose with solvent to keep the engine spotless, I would love to use this on my cars but logistically it's not possible