This may sound like a dumb question but here goes. I always wash my car at the coin car wash because I worry that the automatic ones are hard on the car. What I want to know is, should I be washing the engine too. As in lift up the hood and clean it with the spray? Someone said I should. How about some opinions?

I don't see a problem with it, provided.....


A: The engine is cool. A hot engine and cold water can crack your block.

b: You cover your carbeurator, fuse box and battery with a plastic bag.

c: Your car is older than 20 years (This, only because I don't know how water affects the computers in today's cars)


I've sprayed down my car engines once or twice, but it really didn't do much good. I imagine it might work better with hot water and a de-greasing soap or foam.


Mr(rub-a-dub-dub)Sensitive

Saffy: NO NO NO! Do not wash your engine. You are begging for trouble. There is no reason in the world to do this. Vehicle engineers go to great lengths to exclude water from the engine area of your vehicle. And they are contending with splashing water from rain or snowmelt, not water under 150 pounds of pressure. You can and will force water into areas where it has no business and can cause problems not necessarily when you finish washing it but in the future. You car is probably an everyday driver and not a show car. If you go to a car show and all of those vehicles have the hoods open and are displaying spotless, shining engine bays, know that they got that way by the owners going in there with rags, toothbrushes and degreasers and doing it by hand not with a pressure washer. After you finish your wash open the hood, take a wet rag and wipe down the parts of the bay that meets your eye. It will keep it looking nice and you won't be building any problems for yourself. By the way, not a dumb question at all. The only dumb question is the one not asked.