Engine bay detail questions VW Passat

[BoomerSooner]

So my new order will be here tomorrow and I need to know what is safe to wash in the bay.  This will be the first detail for the engine bay.  The battery has a soft cover on it.  I will post some before and after pics once I get the detail finished.  Thank you for the help.

 

[mc2hill]

I would recommend just cleaning it with Rinseless wash (at wash strength) and cheap MF towels.  I use the Rinseless wash in a sprayer to wet down the compartment, then spray the cheap MF towel to soak it and wipe.  Maybe respray and wipe again to remove any leftovers.  This way you don't have to worry about getting anything soaked with water from a hose.  If you have some very greasy spots, hit them with diluted APC (prob 50/50 with water), then rinse those areas with the Rinseless in the sprayer.  Wipe it dry and mix up some SVRT 'milk"  - 70 % SVRT to 30% water, and spray that on the compartment, let it sit for a few minutes and wipe off.

 

I used this method on an Infiniti G35 this weekend and it came out great!

 

BTW, i use a 1/2 gallon pump sprayer for this and it works even easier.

[BoomerSooner]

Thanks for the advice mc2hill!  I'm going to give this a try tomorrow and see how it turns out.  What type of spray bottles are you using?

[Ricky Bobby]

He's using one of those pump sprayers from Home Depot with the wand on the end, prob works great for spraying into crevices.

 

Personally I use APC on the engine bay, rinse it down (I keep the engine running to make sure all is ok), and then blast it out with my Redmax backpack blower so I don't have water sitting anywhere.  When it dries I hit it with SVRT and In and Out Spray.

 

As long as you aren't soaking submerged filters you are good!

[Feets31]

I spritz my Camaro with a hose to dampen and then again to knock off the suds.  After three years no problems.  (of course the next time I do it....)

[GerryC]

Personally I don't like spraying water directly on the engine. A. you get water all over the place, and B. you need to keep the engine running like Jason said to make sure you don't flood anything for too long. With the engine running it'll start to warm up, and the last thing you want to do is spray cold water on a hot engine.

 

I use a detail brush similar to the "trim and lug" brush, with a bucket of water and a bottle of APC. Wet the brush, spray APC in it and scrub whatever you want to clean. I do one area or component at a time. Dunk the brush in the water and then use the clean wet brush to rinse the area. I use utility towels to dry everything off.

[Garsnow]

Gerry's recommendation above is definitely the safest, but I have never had a problem using a hose on any engine bay. My steps

 

1. Wait for the engine to be completely cool to the touch

2. Cover up any areas you dont want water to touch/rest (aftermarket air filters are a big one)

3. Hose down the engine bay and knock out as much grime and dirt as you can

4. Spray with APC and agitate with various brushes

5. Rise with hose

6. Start engine

7. Dry

8. Dress

[mc2hill]

Thanks for the advice mc2hill!  I'm going to give this a try tomorrow and see how it turns out.  What type of spray bottles are you using?

 

 

He's using one of those pump sprayers from Home Depot with the wand on the end, prob works great for spraying into crevices.

 

 

Nothing that fancy!  Just one of these from the DIY store.  I use it for pre-treating bugs, bird bombs, etc, before a wash too.

[BoomerSooner]

Thank you for all of the advice everyone. I am very excited to get the bay cleaned up tomorrow. Has anyone ever sprayed a newer Passat TDI engine?

[Chris@Adams]

Kris, If it were me no dirtier that that is I would use APC & Utility MF towel and wipe your engine compartment down. Then you can apply SVRT & In & Out Spray.

 

Adam's Edgeless Microfiber Utility Towels Adam's All Purpose Cleaner Adam's Super VRT Tire & Trim Dressing Adam's In and Out Spray

[blcksilv08]

It truly can be preference, I've done it multiple ways. Most of the time I just use the hose with a wide fan and then use APC with brushes and rinse.

[Timmy8784]

Since your bay is not that dirty, you can go the wipe down method. 

 

Also, it depends on how you plan on drying.  If you have a blower of some kind (I personally use the Master Blaster Sidekick) then it will be no problem getting everything dry after hosing it down.  If you don't have one, it would be a big pain trying to get everything dry so the spray and wipe down method might be easier.

 

If you do go the hose down method, you use a light fan just to soak the bay and cover any after market air filters, battery, or alternator.

 

Good luck!

[BoomerSooner]

Well, I cleaned the engine bay this afternoon.  I went with the wipe down method using waterless wash.  I realized that I am going to need a lug nut brush and some In & Out spray to get into some of those tight areas.  Thank you for all of the suggestions and helpful hints.  

 

I should probably get a better battery cover soon.  That soft material just collects dirt!

 

[blcksilv08]

Looks good, those battery covers do collect dust like crazy.

[LFairbanks]

Some cars don't like water and others it doesn't hurt anything.  I have never had an issue with rinsing an engine with water.  I always just do it after the motor has sat for several hours or overnight.  The cold glass in hot water thing, same applies to metals.  I usually don't even start them up either until I'am ready to move it into the garage to finish the detail.  I do have a Master Blaster that works well to dry the engine bay out.  Best to ask the dealer if it is acceptable to hose down the engine bay.  

[Gen9Rolla]

Looks great, nice job!