Just got my 2010 Prius IV and want to clean the engine up as it looks as if it has never been touched since new. I am nervous of spraying water on a hybrid with all the electronics though. What is the safe way to do this? I heard all purpose cleaner on a warm engine and let it sit for 15 mins then spray light pressure water on the entire engine. Is that right? Are there any areas I should protect with plastic or foil? I have an electric 1700 psi pressure washer, should I use that with light spray far away from the engine or just use a garden hose with a spray nozzle?
What you should do is........NOTHING......that involves water anyway. If you MUST do something, blow it off with a leaf blower or an air compressor.......and then close the hood and don't worry about it.
+1 My tip would be to not wash it at all. But if it really bothers you, search on YouTube. There are a few with some suggestions for protecting some areas.
I'd not hose down any modern engine with water, let alone a hybrid, you probably won't do anything if you're careful, but the downside could be you fry something and you're now looking at an expensive repair. Last engine I hosed down for a cleaning was a 1964 Cadillac DeVille and that was 20ish years ago. But that engine was simple with VERY few electronics. I think all I did was put a plastic bag around the distributor and coil and I did this to clean the engine before starting repairs/service because it had 35+ years of grease and grime building up. If you're doing the cleaning for cosmetics/vanity on the Prius, get yourself a good cleaner (eg Simple Green) and some clean rags, spray the rag with the cleaner and then wipe down the dirty areas like the engine vanity cover, fuse lid, air cleaner etc. Do not spray the cleaner directly inside the engine bay. Cheers!
