What do you use to clean your engine?

[thunderman]

As some of you know, I just bought a sweet '95 525i and I want to clean the engine and make it purty this weekend. DO ya'll use that engine degreaser at one of those high pressure do-it-yourself car washes, or is there some other way to make it nice and clean?

Mike

[winfred]

most degreasers that can be diluted with water will work, i don't like doing a motor while hot and am not too wild about using high pressure, it tends to force water into places it should not be, most of the connections are splash proof under the hood

[Tiger]

Multi purpose cleaner... such as NOW (Costco), Simple Green ($$)... etc... On warm engine, not hot... soak the engine in cleaner... maybe 5 minutes... the entire compartment... if you see something that should be protected... cover it. Then rinse the whole compartment out with a hose, medium spray.

Drive immediately on highway for 10 minutes and you are done. If car acted funny as you start up, check the spark plug holes and blow all water out... sometime that "BMW" cover leaks and water gets in there... so it would be wise to check under that cover before starting the car.

[Warren N.CA]

And by my indy. If I wanted to get more aggressive, I would use pure, odorless mineral spirits, but I would not use any product that requires water cleanup.

If you must be compulsive about cleaning something, leave the engine alone and work on the paint and interior.

As some of you know, I just bought a sweet '95 525i and I want to clean the engine and make it purty this weekend. DO ya'll use that engine degreaser at one of those high pressure do-it-yourself car washes, or is there some other way to make it nice and clean?

Mike

[MO525]

As some of you know, I just bought a sweet '95 525i and I want to clean the engine and make it purty this weekend. DO ya'll use that engine degreaser at one of those high pressure do-it-yourself car washes, or is there some other way to make it nice and clean?

Mike

Once I bought my '93 525, I spent some serious quality time under the hood with Simple Green and an assortment of brushes, rinsing with tap water from the garden hose.
The brushes broke loose the THICK goo from that pesky valve cover leak (gone now, I might add).
Needless to say, after that THOROUGH cleaning, all engine compartment cleaning is merely touch-up with a gentle spray of water and the occasional Simple Green for the stubborn stuff.

The petroleum based cleaners STINK, Simple Green smells SWEET.

[shragon]

simple green and rinse with garden hose (no nozzle).

[632 Regal]

my Ex wifes bridal gown and kerosene.

[thunderman]

HAHAHA Regal!! That's some funny stuff!

[George M]

personally, I would NEVER take a pressure nozzel to a BMW engine underhood. Risk isn't worth the benefit. You want to clean your motor? Plastic wrap all electronics...garden hose sent on half force...hopefully in someone else's driveway ;-)
a lot of old toothbrushes...I collect them for sundry purposes and Simple Green. Soak with Simple Green or equivalent....toothbrush or slightly bigger small brush depending on area and then rinse off with low speed water. There have been numerous issues with a high speed wand used under the hood of a BMW. I know of one 750 that had its harness burned up due to an electrical fire around the DME. Keep water away from the DME box.
Good Luck,
George

[Paul in NZ]

he is QUALIFIED