3rd & 4th Generation (19921996 & 19972001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
Some say to cover up the battery, alternator, distributor, and intake when washing the engine bay but honesty, I pressure wash everything and just work my way around the alternator. Had done it many times on different vehicles and never had a problem. I try to wash it when the engine is cold or cooled off. Also, if theres a SRI, I would cover up the filter.
All I ever do is spray some degreaser, let it sit for a minute or two then hose it down comes out like brand spankin new! Just stay a couple feet back with the hose and leave the engine on while you wash it. I've always done it like that and nothin has ever gone wrong.
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Some say to cover up the battery, alternator, distributor, and intake when washing the engine bay but honesty, I pressure wash everything and just work my way around the alternator. Had done it many times on different vehicles and never had a problem. I try to wash it when the engine is cold or cooled off. Also, if theres a SRI, I would cover up the filter.
Well a lot depends on what degree of filth you are starting with. If it's really grungy you'll eventually have to clean/scrub all the things you'd potentially cover up. How grungy does it look?
I'd start with a fan spray nozzle on your garden hose, light pressure, just to see how much you can float away with just water.
What remains will be grease. Personally I think a spray bottle of a cleaner and various size brushes and scrub pads, using a spray nozzle on your garden hose works best and less concern about covering things up, but takes more time than a high pressure wash.
Grease melts/scrubs away better if the engine is warmed. I find a thoroughly warmed up engine that you wait an hour or two to cool, works better than just a few minutes of warming a cold engine at idle.
Once it's thoroughly clean it takes very little time to maintain it thereafter (unless you have leaks). But the first time cleaning a caked-on grungy engine can be real time consuming if you want to clean every reachable surface.
Last but not least, a spray-on engine dressing makes all your efforts look their best.
I hose both my Camry's engine once or twice each year, usually in the spring, to get the road salt off of everything. I do it when the engine is cold and only use a garden hose. I have never covered anything and have never had a problem. My thought process on doing this without covering anything is that how different can this be than driving on a highway at 70 MPH in a rain storm. Everything under the hood is getting a pretty good bath at that time, and nothing is covered up.
Thanks for all the advice guys.. really helping. I brought some degreaser and engine shine spray thats what im going to use to clean it up and get the little spots with a brush or something.
I agree with the comment of the power hose.. you could push something outta place.
I guess I'm bad. I find the highest pressure car wash I can, and spray the heck out of the engine and bay, 4-5 times a year, although I never focus the spray on any electronics. (distributor, wiring etc.) I'ts always clean enough to eat off of. Never had a problem.
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Domesticon Prime
93' LE V-6, 303K Km., fully optioned including Leather Interior. ES300 rear discs, twin piston front calipers, Depo Chromes with HID projectors, 17" OZ' summer's, 96 corner lights, MAF, timing, exhaust and intake mods, 2001 Toyota/JBL sound, + more and always more coming.
I guess I'm bad. I find the highest pressure car wash I can, and spray the heck out of the engine and bay, 4-5 times a year, although I never focus the spray on any electronics. (distributor, wiring etc.) I'ts always clean enough to eat off of. Never had a problem.
I do the same too; hit it with degreaser and pressure wash everything down. I heard never to hot steam clean the engine because steam is finer/smaller and can get further into wiring than water.
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Washing the Camrys engine.
ASIM AL-HASHMI
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Camry
Celica
Corolla
I find the highest pressure car wash I can, and spray the heck out of the engine and bay, 4-5 times a year, although I never focus the spray on any electronics. (distributor, wiring etc.) I'ts always clean enough to eat off of. Never had a problem.
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