Spraying Engine Compartment at Car Wash?

[JLandry]

I'd like to wash off some of the desert dust which has accumulated in my 2014's engine compartment.

Can anyone tell me if they've done this at a car wash without any ill effects? I'm mainly concerned about getting moisture in all those sensitive electrical connections.

Mind you I don't plan "pressure wash" things... just hold the wand a few feet from the engine and sort of rinse things down real good.

Thanks guys,

John L.

 

[mpaulson]

I do mine several times a year. No problems yet. Like you said, I keep the wand back a bit so that I don't get any concentrated pressure on any critical connections etc. I avoid spraying the alternator directly as well.

 

[SnoKing]

Good question, I washed under the hood on my 2001.5 once a year or so. Lot less to get wet! Where are you at now, we are in Gold Canyon, Az until April 1st. Snoking

 

[JLandry]

I do mine several times a year. No problems yet.

Thanks!

I appreciate the feedback.

John L.

 

[seafish]

Never had a problem doing it that way on my truck.

 

[JLandry]

Where are you at now, we are in Gold Canyon, Az until April 1st. Snoking

Boondocking near Senator Wash in the BLM's Imperial Dam LTVA just west of the Yuma Proving Ground. We'll be here until the daily high temps get consistently in the upper 90's... probably late March or early April... then we'll start migrating north to WA state again for the summer.

It's a tough life and someone has to do it!

John L.

 

[dcs1968]

I do it every couple of months with no problems. Just keep the wand moving so you don't blast a connector long enough to penetrate the seals. I work in the maintenance department of a transit agency and we have CNG powered ISL-G Cummins in our coaches. Every time one is brought in for a PM inspection the engine/trans gets pressure washed with no problems. Some of our older coaches have 800K+ miles on them....that's a lot of times being pressure washed.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I pressure wash my truck engine compartment several times a year to remove accumulated dust. I have my own 3,000 psi pressure washer and as others, I don't hold the wand close nor do I "blast" the alternator. After I complete the wash, I blow dry the engine compartment with my leaf blower. I don't pressure wash the exterior of my truck, only hand wash it the old fashioned way using Meguiar car wash soap, wash bucket, plenty of rinse water, and hand dry.
Bill

 

[JLandry]

But do any of you guys pressure wash the INTERIOR of your trucks?

Just kidding of course!

 

[sag2]

But do any of you guys pressure wash the INTERIOR of your trucks?

Just kidding of course!

Well kind of. My son used to buy blown up Neon's to repair and sell. A couple were so bad I pulled the carpets, door panels and console and pressure washed them. It really cleans them up nice, along with a good detail to the rest of the interior. It is amazing how some people treat the things they own, but a little clean up can increase their value significantly.

 

[w6pea]

Well kind of. My son used to buy blown up Neon's to repair and sell. A couple were so bad I pulled the carpets, door panels and console and pressure washed them. It really cleans them up nice, along with a good detail to the rest of the interior. It is amazing how some people treat the things they own, but a little clean up can increase their value significantly.

I can just picture that now!

 

[Bill Stockard]

Yep, we've pressure washed the interior of medium duty trucks at our truck shop. Pull out the floor mats and seats and wash years of accumulated crud, spilled soft drink residue, chewing tobacco and snuff "juice", old McD hamburger wrappers, tracked in mud, and dirt. You wouldn't believe haw some drivers treat the trucks they don't own.

Bill

 

[swhalen]

When I was a poor starving college student shortly after the pipe was built in Alaska between the time Alyeska (pipeline consortium) maintained the road between Fairbanks and Prudhoe, I used to drive a 2 ton stakebed up the road delivering supplies to scientific field camps and backhauling waste. The road was poorly maintained and was a sea of mud much of the time. One aspect of my job was to steam clean the truck inside and out between trips. It was amusing blasting the interior, but that was long before fancy electronics arrived on the scene. steve whalen