You are more than likely familiar with how to keep both the exterior and interior of your car clean, but what about your car engine? 

Knowing how to clean a car engine is a great skill – doing this task regularly prevents any damage and keeps your resale value high. Here’s a guide on doing it properly. 

A Guide on How to Clean a Car Engine in 7 Steps

These 7 steps are crucial for ensuring that your car engine is cleaned properly. 

1. Hose the Engine Down

First, you will want to give the engine a pre-rinse, which does a great job of taking away any loose dust and other substances. By doing this, you are making it much easier for the other steps to be effective. 

Make sure that you wait until the engine has cooled off, pop your hood and wait about an hour before washing. Also, put down absorbent pads and drip pans to catch any chemicals that may drop to the ground. 

2. Disconnect Wires

Next, make sure that you either cover the battery with a plastic bag or disconnect the negative battery terminal. Since water conducts electricity, you want to avoid making new temporary circuits. For a classic car, cover up the alternator, distributor, and the carburetor. With a modern car, cover up the alternator and watch out for the fuse box and coil packs. 

3. Degreaser

For the best results when it comes to grime and oil, use an engine degreaser and spray it all over the engine. Go as heavy as you need to with it, especially on really nasty areas. 

Follow the degreaser bottle’s instructions. Typically, you will let it sit for about five minutes to get the most out of the product. 

4. Rinse with Water

At this point, you will want to rinse the engine again and inspect it to see how much progress you’ve made. Depending on how frequently the engine has been washed, or whether or not it has been cleaned at all in the past, you may need to scrub a little harder during the next step. 

5. Use Soap

Get a heavy-duty automotive car-wash soap to scrub the engine with. It’s recommended that you use an automotive wash mitt to scrub the soap on. 

6. Rinse Again

You will then want to repeat the rinsing step again, and then remove any plastic bags that you have placed over sensitive areas. 

7. Polish 

Lastly, use a plastic cleaner to polish any scratches on the engine and to give the plastics a little more shine. The product can be applied with a terry cloth and then wiped off with a microfiber towel. 

For any metal parts, you can use a metal polish as well. Simply grind some into the metal surface until it gets darker, and then wipe it off with a clean towel or washcloth. 

Final Thoughts on How to Clean a Car Engine 

At this point, you are looking at a bright and shiny car engine, and you have learned a valuable skill that will help you out with any future vehicles. 

If you are currently in the market for a new vehicle and have an older car to get rid of, consider getting some cash for the junk car in NJ. For those of you wondering where to sell junk cars, look no further than US Junk Cars. 

Check out our service areas to find out where you can sell your junk car today. There are locations all over to choose from, and we can get you some extra cash fast!