DIY: 10 minute engine bay detail

[Razr]

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Yikes.... Regardless of your results, I would NOT follow any of the advice given.

No-one's making you

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

First and fore most, when applying a degreaser your engine should actually be warm to the touch prior to application.

The Engine Cleaner I use specifically states to apply it to a cool engine, and logic dictates that it's going to be difficult to get much soak-in time if the engine is warm or hot. Maybe it's just a matter if what's warm to you and what's warm to me? We never get daytime temparatures below 30c (86f) here, so I couldn't comment on whether effectiveness is reduced at lower ambient temps.

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Have you ever noticed what occures to your tires with the use of most tire "sheen" products? (there are exceptions of course) Due to the heat, they actually end up turning rubber a nasty brown/yellow colour after time....

It cannot be due to heat, otherwise my tires and engine would *always* be brown - It's 41c (106f) as I type this BTW :) I have seen what you're describing though, and have always attributed it to people who think that tire shine products are somehow or other a substitute for cleaning. From what I've seen, layering tire sheen over old dirty tires time after time, is what leads to brown tires.

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

would you honestly want that occuring with all the rubber components of your engine, such as mounts, hoses, etc.?

For this one, I'm going to let some pictures do the talking.. Here's my last car, at 2 years of age, having had this exact type of engine detail peformed on a weekly basis (so 104 times):

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Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Lastly, once soaking up the majority of water after washing an engine bay, you can actually let the car run for a said amount of time to quicken the drying cycle.

Good advice, thanks!