Cleaning engine compartment

i would avoid it, unless you know what to spray and what to wrap tightly in plastic. prius engine compartment stays a lot cleaner than most anyway.

 

Don't do it!

Just wiping it down by hand is a far less risky approach.

Fortunately, quite unlike other vehicles, the engine compartment is sealed. That plastic underneath keeps it remarkably clean. So, there won't be much to do anyway.

 

I spray mine down too occasionally, and I mean spray. No great floods of water. I also use compressed air to dry all the exposed wires seal and connectors. I've been happy to do this while new but I will modify that from next summer as the seals do shrink with age.

 

Mine is starting to get a little dusty and dirty, I was thinking about a mild damp cloth with degreaser or something.... I had my car serviced for the first time and the dealer (let's just see he was a sloppy tech) oil and grease all over the engine compartment, filthy.. I would like to get it cleaned and maintain a clean engine compartment.

I normally spray my engines well but when I see all the wires and packs under the hood on the Prius, I'm reluctant to do so.

 

How's it looking, does it really need hosing down? I ask 'cause our's around 38000 kilometers and still looking pretty clean. I think the engine underpanel has a lot to do with it, maybe coupled with the radiator/ac fans rarely running.

I've used a wet dry vacuum with brush attachment on it a bit, and set it to blow to knock stuff out of the corners. Also tried a more powerful electric leaf blower. One of those duster wands is good, just feed it through gaps, then vacuum it off. A paint brush is good too.

I'd rather not be spraying petroleum solvents and caustic soaps in there, then hosing them down the storm drain.

 

It gets hot and dusty here so I run the air often, it was fine until my last service where the tech obviously could not get the oil gun in the hole and oil stains were all over everything, not to mention his greasy hands. I scolded the dealer. My car should have been returned in the same if not better condition than when I brought it in. They also curbed a wheel when they brought it to me and the tech damaged two wheels with the socket wrench.

They wanted to repair the wheels, I demanded a new ones.

Maybe I will just take a damp cloth and wipe down the engine bay... Previous cars I stay on it so there was never a need to use chemicals as I was merely just rinsing off dust and bugs, etc..

 

Check to see what toyota recommends.

 

Get an air compressor in your garage and wear goggles and mask. That's what I would do if mine ever got that dirty.

 

There was another post in G2 I think that a guy recommended high pressure hosing down the engine as all the connectors are waterproof.
They may start out waterproof but after a while the engine heat attacks the connector's and it tends to shrink and water under high pressure can get in the connector. Nobody I know uses water to clean the engine bay. Pro's use steam. To many electrical connectors.
Besides raw metal squeaky clean under the hood will accelerate rust.

 

Those aren't sparkplug wires there cop power supply and control wires. Water seeped into the sparkplug well past the cop seal which is not that great of a seal. Far from waterproof.

But still makes the point water's getting in where it shouldn't. Not to mention everything around the engine is getting wet like the ac compressor, the exhaust manifold, all the electrical connectors below, the steering rack right below etc.

Last thing you need in this world is a 2013 that's developed a strange engine misfire that comes and goes.

 

Probably not a "Terrific" idea.....