Washing engine compartment

XJ-S
1

How would be the safest way to wash my engine and engine compartment of all the road dirt and oil.

2

A bunch of rags and elbow grease. I like to use a little silicone spray on the tough areas. Be super careful around all the electrics.

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3

I used rags, bushes, WD40, aerosol brake cleaner, Simple green (or similar). Water Ok in small amounts, dispensed by a finger-trigger spray bottle.

No high pressure water from garden hose or pressure washer

Cheers
DD

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4

This is insane, why someone would decide to do that?!

It’s like a homicide on youf friend, washing away all the natural rustproofing system…

Have you seen real steam engines? Not those in museum… Were they clean and shiny or smeared with grease all-over to prevent rust?

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5

I used a steam cleaner on the Vee. But as i found out, do NOT do it around the ATF dipstick, as it can find its way into the transmission.

6

Jaguar refused warranty repair for damage done from certain washing and chemicals.

Here is a recommendation TSB when I worked at the dealer.

600-02 Pressure Washing.pdf (26.8 KB)

7

OK you got me, guilty of number five on one or two occasions. What was I thinking?
Seems like a strange request for a car manufacturer to mention in their book about something they don’t even manufacture or supply.

  1. Avoid prolonged spraying of license plates. High pressure hot water can strip paint from license plates.
8

I would go and find someone who can dry ice blast the engine bay. take a look on youtube, put in dry ice porsche and then tell me what’s better, jet wash or dry ice…

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9

DRY ICE CLEANING Porsche 911 996 GT3 - YouTube
wonder at the results…

10

Thank you Mike. For your suggestion, I will look into it.

11

Thank you for your suggestion.

12

But get someone who doesn’t blast off paint in the process.
Something like brake cleaner and rags and brushes will work best. Water without force and not on a hot engine, sure.

13

Thank you David for your advice.

14

I quit washing engine bays with the first EFI vehicle I got. 85 Ford F140 4x4. The car lot had wiped it clean and covered it with some shiny goop. Lots of rags and Simple Green to get it to natural.

My LT! came from the recycle yard. Nice and clean. Power washed !!! But, I installed a new conversion harness. So, any damage there removed.

I used various cleaners on the engine bay as it was bare . Found a spray can of a paint that went well with the Grosvenor Brown.

The tough spot was the front cross member. Little cut the heat cooked Jaguar juice. Oven cleaner. Must have been old stock as it cut well. Bare almost. Refinished in Rustoleum. Done circa 2002. Still presentable.

15

This is pretty interesting… the “media” (dry ice crystals I guess) would just vaporize… but where does all the crud go? Does it just fall to the shop floor to be swept up?

16

Thanks Carl, the engine compartment is not that dirty but the exterior is impeccable. That being said, I feel that I should make an effort to clean it.

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17

“natural” rustproofing? wth is THAT? :confused: Jag used all kinds of chemical treatments, dips, etc. and even Waxoil fills and still couldn’t avoid the brown death … :slightly_frowning_face:

18

Very sound advice, motorman … but it took Jag until 1999 to finally figure this all out? :confused: :laughing:

19

Amazing results, but I’m concerned they only show it being used on the underside of the car, NOT in the engine compartment. I wonder why … :grimacing:

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20

That’s the idea.

In order to get to 20 characters, as long as the engine is cool and not hosed down there is nothing that can go wrong with a little hand cleaning to make it look presentable.