Tools for car engine care

Cleaning the engine bay requires more care and patience than the other parts of a car because of the equipment you find in there. First things first, if you ever do clean the engine bay, ensure that you let the engine cool down before you start. You may not only get burns, the engine bay components will be full of stains as the products you use to clean it dry off too quickly.

1)    Tinfoil/cling film
The simplest tool here, tinfoil or cling film protects most parts that you do not want cleaning fluids falling onto like the electrical wires, air intake etc. It is waterproof, doesn’t tear easily, and its ability to fold into any shape is very useful.

The prices of these products range from Rs 50 (Home Foil).

2)    Degreaser/cleaner
A degreaser should be sprayed on to all the surfaces inside the engine bay before cleaning it, components in the engine bay are subject to oil, grease and a lot of dirt. Do take care not to spray the degreaser onto any body panels, it strips them of any wax or sealant that you may have applied. Agitate the degreasing solution over the applied surfaces using a brush or cloth and leave it for around ten minutes. Rinse this off to get a clean surface. Switch on the engine for around a minute to speed up the drying process, also use a cloth.

The prices of these products range from Rs 200 (Permatex Grez-Off 5 oz bottle) to Rs 8000 (Aero away clear 1 gallon, 2 can pack).

3)    Plastic and metal detailing fluids

After the engine bay is dry, use a microfiber towel or applicator to rub some plastic and metal detailing fluids onto the respective components. Rubber hoses can be nourished using a tyre dressing fluid, applied using a microfiber towel or applicator. Never spray or pour these fluids directly onto the surfaces inside the engine, a spillage can spoil other components.

The prices of these products starts from around Rs 370 (Armor All ultrashine wipes).

NOTE: Today's engine compartments are full of electronic components and allied paraphernelia. As such ideally, thorough engine cleaning should be left to the people who carry out regular servicing schedules at the service station. If one is finicky, you can blow out the dust using a vacuum cleaner and a cloth to get rid of the remaining dust.