Guys, it's ok to get your alternator wet and have your engine running while washing the engine. If you think about, when your driving your car on the rain your engine and your alternator gets wet. The engine will not crack when you hose it with water, if that was the case, your engine will have crack while driving on the rain.
Good video but I agree with the last poster. I shut mine off but have it warm. Not very warm of course. Just warm enough. I use a good solid degreaser, soak. Sit for 5 then spray lightly with water. Use rag as needed. Final rinse, then armor all and wd-40 as needed. Our minivans have over 170k each and both engines look fairly new. But we keep ours up too however so they run good too. Seafoam & scotch brights: a good friend.
I will like to know if you have done this to a lumina 1995 because i have one and need to know the right way to do this and the things that we have to cover.
This is the way I look at it (minus a distributor cap). When a radiator hose busts....water shoots everywhere under the hood. It doesn't kill or hurt your engine, anything that it's the line of fire of a high pressure radiator hose, can get wet by a water hose with light pressure, in my opinion. Going by this, I've never had an issue with cleaning engines with a water hose for years. Including my dad's '97 Ram, which I don't cover the distributor on. :-)
KYLE I GOTTA GOOD REQUEST THIS SUMMER SINCE YOUR GENIESES HAS THE AIR INTAKE DO A VIDEO ON HOW TO CLEAN THE ENGINE SHOWING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO CLEAN ITS ENGINE SINCE YOU GOT AFTERMARKET INTAKE!
I have a bmw e39 and I was told not to wash with water but use the gunk degreaser. Detailing specialtist would do my car when i took it to him......im still not to sure as to which sections need to be covered up and protected when putting the degreaser on if someone could direct me. thanks.
im not understanding the part where you have it running while you clean it or why you rev the engine what efffect does that have on the cleanliness of the engine
Nice Video. I am going to cover my Alternator just because it sounds bad to even say spray water in it. (old School I guess) I especially like the fact that you did not mention any names on the cleaner just whatever you prefer. Mentioning the Armor all was all good as we all know they make the ultimate products. I really appreciate the fact that you are showing how to do something NOT SELL ME SOMETHING. Awesome Video in my humble opinion. and that is all it is my humble opinion. Thank you.
Love all the comments about cracking the block... if your engine can handle being driven in a thunderstorm and through deep puddles, it can handle a light shower as depicted in the video.
Wonder if some detailers just simply wipe down the engines, or if they don't bother with the engines at all? I might agree with "jland904" here. In my area, one mobile detailer doesn't even drive the vehicles, although he does the engine detail. Not sure how he does it, though.
@BOLTONxVALLEYxRIDER Revving (especially if you have a belt driven fan) will shake off (blow off) some of the excess dripping water. Turning it off and back on isn't necessary but ensures that nothing critical got too wet and will cause it not to start.
ok i have a question. with the chevy suburban/silverado based engine bays, you have quite a bit of room to work and dry everything off, heres my only issue. what about a nissan versa? my mom has a versa and the engine is absolutely filthy and im wondering how am i supposed to successfully get everything else dried up? cuz im sure that once you spray the engine with water you gotta pretty much hustle to get it dried off?
It's just referred to as "All Purpose Cleaner" by Auto Magic (you can find some other brands too) but as it says it can clean just about anything or any substance.
@Rare92Mustang I'm sorta a GM fan, but your right. On previous generation Escalades they shared the same dash,seats,steering wheel.... pretty much same interior as low-level SIlverados and mirrors,and door locks. The only difference was the Escalades had cheap chrome and wood accents to make it look more luxurious. Theres alot of other parts shared too. I have no doubt General Motors makes alot of profit off of these cars.
to be honest you're not supposed to do the wash with just soap and water (soap meaning like dish soap). yano when they say, it fights the toughest grease, its essentially referring to your cars wax. It will strip the wax right off your car leaving the paint exposed to the elements. just a suggestion use something like Meguiars Crystal Car Wash, it works bc i ve used it b4. all this is just an fyi.
I did the same job on my car, i covered the distributor and the alternator and when i finish degreasing my engine i turned it on and the engine made a rare sound and started smoking from one side of the engine, and now i don't know what's wrong with my car, i hope you can help me. Thanks
@pearldrumsarecool I would just wash the engine by hand. Spraying alot of water could get on one of the electric parts witch could cause a fire and water could get into the engine through the intake and f your truck up. Also if the engine is hot spraying cold water could damage the engine block. EXPENSIVE RISK I wouldn't consider.
You do realize that the wires on the alternator are coated with enamel right? if they weren't they would simply short out as soon as you turned it on. I can't think of really any problem with getting them covered in water.
This might be a dumb question but I have a 2007 model as well, and I'm trying to play my music from my phone, I hooked it up to auxiliary in the rear, pressed the auxiliary option (rear display 1) on the front of the radio, but I can't hear anything, I tried on rear auxiliary display 2 also, and still nothing, does anyone know if im doing this right? or is the rear auxiliaries just made to listen to the radio from the rear? I hate listening to the radio or using cds, since my phone has my music, let me know if ya know how to play music from your phone, thanks
The gmc denali only has a aux available for music on your phone. I got a 07 Yukon xl and an 07 Escalade, your gonna have to buy an fm transmitter for the cadi
You need to get an aux that goes into the red and yellow ports on the back of the center console/rear seats. It’s not an aid cord I think it’s an “av to aux” cord let me know if this works for u
1) you need to let the solution to sit for at least 5min to breakdown heavy "gunk". 2) never want to spray on warm engine. work on COLD engine or solution will cake on WITH the "gunk"
by the way.. that all-purpose cleaner works great on the INSIDE of the engine. spray it directly into the throttle body while it's running, and you'll see anywhere from 75-125hp gains ;) give it a try!
Spraying a chemical cleaner at an engine while its running. That's like spraying it into a fan pointed at you. Maybe just stick to cleaning the inside so you don't hurt yourself.
That's crazy to wash this engine its matter of time u will get so many problems from knock sensor going bad yo many other problems I rather keep it dirty rather than wash it
you can get it off by unplugging the battery of + and - wait 5 min and plug it back in than drive around 20 miles and if it pops back up then something is really wrong with your car and you should consider taking it to a mechanic.
Running the engine while hosing down is a bad idea, could shock the engine block and crack it. And turning the engine off and back on again will do absolutley nothing, there is no point to it. Otherwise good vid!
I am sorry but I need to say something about General Motors, I am not bashing them, or the quality of the vehicles, but when you spend $85,000 on an Escalade, the freaking power steering pump and alt. SHOULD not whine like that(exact same as on a Tahoe) and REALLY GM? The cover you put on the top of that 403 Horsepower engine is the same as a $19,000 Silverado? All it says is Vortec. It doesn't even say cadillac. That is ridiculous.
i dont see why everyones bitching, your engine bay gets wet anyway lol.. that engine wasnt cold when he revving it it was plenty warmed up, getting the alternater a little wet is fine, not like your gonna soak it in water. 20mpg out of a 6.2L in a 2 1/2 ton truck is amazing, my my nissans 2.4L gets 20mpg in a 2500lb car. now. since i straightened out everyones bitch fest. nice caddy, i always use brake/carb cleaner and a pressure washer but great results
This is not pots and pans. You don't need hot water to loosen the dirt, that's what the cleaner is for. Leave the engine off. You are damaging the car.
I don't get it, why most of you bitch about alternator getting wet? I would be more worried about all the plugs, connectors as the water cannot escape from there cause it never gets warm etc etc. That is when you keep on changing fuses all the time thinking wtf is wrong? Main thing is to cover your connectors, most of the newer cars should have them covered tight but some older ones might be lose, or even the headlights cover might be missing and so on. I would personally use air hose :)
I did the same thing to a Jeep Cherokee and blew the engine up. I definitely do not recommend this
.......How NOT to clean your engine
i was wondering b/c it has electronic fuel injection and the distributer cap is behind the engine do u think i have to cover tht ?
doing this way of cleaning the engine..soaking all the sensors, maf sensor etc..can they get affected? I need to know please.
Guys, it's ok to get your alternator wet and have your engine running while washing the engine. If you think about, when your driving your car on the rain your engine and your alternator gets wet. The engine will not crack when you hose it with water, if that was the case, your engine will have crack while driving on the rain.
i have a 99 Chevrolet Suburban 233,000 miles runs great I've NEVER CLEANED THE. ENGINE never had any issues with it
J Bush I have a 2000 cadillac escalade and I clean my engine with baby wipes
I took your advice from the Altima video and detailed my engine today. It turned out great! You have some good advice.
very informative. have you ever had a 1996-1998 ford fiesta at the dealership.
Ive had my alternator under water and mud a hundred times and nothing has happend to it. And whats the difference from it getting wet from the rain?
at this self car wash i go to, there is a knob that says engine cleaner. is it ok to use that instead of degreaser or is it even safe to use?
Good video but I agree with the last poster. I shut mine off but have it warm. Not very warm of course. Just warm enough. I use a good solid degreaser, soak. Sit for 5 then spray lightly with water. Use rag as needed. Final rinse, then armor all and wd-40 as needed. Our minivans have over 170k each and both engines look fairly new. But we keep ours up too however so they run good too. Seafoam & scotch brights: a good friend.
Hey i have a 99 Suburban and i was wondering if u could give me any tips on cleaning the engine Thx!
will the cleaner stuff harm the belts, pulleys, and the battery itself?
Would you also remove the cover over the center of the engine, where the spark plugs are, and clean in there as well?
I will like to know if you have done this to a lumina 1995 because i have one and need to know the right way to do this and the things that we have to cover.
I agree i thought it would be bad to get water all over the engine parts. But how do you clean it.
This is the way I look at it (minus a distributor cap). When a radiator hose busts....water shoots everywhere under the hood. It doesn't kill or hurt your engine, anything that it's the line of fire of a high pressure radiator hose, can get wet by a water hose with light pressure, in my opinion. Going by this, I've never had an issue with cleaning engines with a water hose for years. Including my dad's '97 Ram, which I don't cover the distributor on. :-)
KYLE I GOTTA GOOD REQUEST THIS SUMMER SINCE YOUR GENIESES HAS THE AIR INTAKE DO A VIDEO ON HOW TO CLEAN THE ENGINE SHOWING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO CLEAN ITS ENGINE SINCE YOU GOT AFTERMARKET INTAKE!
I'm thinking about doing my Lexux Rx330. Is there a purpose in cleaning it other than making it look good?
hey have you ever cleaned a f150 b4? i wan2 clean mine but im not sure about it....?
I have a bmw e39 and I was told not to wash with water but use the gunk degreaser. Detailing specialtist would do my car when i took it to him......im still not to sure as to which sections need to be covered up and protected when putting the degreaser on if someone could direct me. thanks.
so you just sit in your driveway until your engine heats up before you start driving? also alternators in newer cars can take some water
im not understanding the part where you have it running while you clean it or why you rev the engine what efffect does that have on the cleanliness of the engine
Nice Video. I am going to cover my Alternator just because it sounds bad to even say spray water in it. (old School I guess) I especially like the fact that you did not mention any names on the cleaner just whatever you prefer. Mentioning the Armor all was all good as we all know they make the ultimate products. I really appreciate the fact that you are showing how to do something NOT SELL ME SOMETHING. Awesome Video in my humble opinion. and that is all it is my humble opinion. Thank you.
@saabkyle04 did you take out the engine cover when you cleaned it?(on the 5.7L engine)
Love all the comments about cracking the block... if your engine can handle being driven in a thunderstorm and through deep puddles, it can handle a light shower as depicted in the video.
why do you turn on the car when cleaning it?
What's a distributor cap and does a 2003 Saturn Ion have one?
Wonder if some detailers just simply wipe down the engines, or if they don't bother with the engines at all? I might agree with "jland904" here. In my area, one mobile detailer doesn't even drive the vehicles, although he does the engine detail. Not sure how he does it, though.
@BOLTONxVALLEYxRIDER Revving (especially if you have a belt driven fan) will shake off (blow off) some of the excess dripping water. Turning it off and back on isn't necessary but ensures that nothing critical got too wet and will cause it not to start.
ok i have a question. with the chevy suburban/silverado based engine bays, you have quite a bit of room to work and dry everything off, heres my only issue. what about a nissan versa? my mom has a versa and the engine is absolutely filthy and im wondering how am i supposed to successfully get everything else dried up? cuz im sure that once you spray the engine with water you gotta pretty much hustle to get it dried off?
Would this work on a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu and a 2006 Honda pilot?
It's just referred to as "All Purpose Cleaner" by Auto Magic (you can find some other brands too) but as it says it can clean just about anything or any substance.
Instead of using water, would stem work?
cool thanks thanks again so much fun to see you on man take care man
wouldnt it end up getting wet any other way? for example on heavy rain or something?
@Rare92Mustang I'm sorta a GM fan, but your right. On previous generation Escalades they shared the same dash,seats,steering wheel.... pretty much same interior as low-level SIlverados and mirrors,and door locks. The only difference was the Escalades had cheap chrome and wood accents to make it look more luxurious. Theres alot of other parts shared too. I have no doubt General Motors makes alot of profit off of these cars.
Did you get a check engine light
can u clean a 2007 dodge charger the same way
what about the mass air cencer and coils?
when i do clean the engine what cars need covering?
to be honest you're not supposed to do the wash with just soap and water (soap meaning like dish soap). yano when they say, it fights the toughest grease, its essentially referring to your cars wax. It will strip the wax right off your car leaving the paint exposed to the elements. just a suggestion use something like Meguiars Crystal Car Wash, it works bc i ve used it b4. all this is just an fyi.
isnt that awful for the alternator? getting it soakin wet?
What happens if the engine isn’t running and you are doing this (washing the engine)? I don’t know if this is a silly 😜 question.
can i use this on the 4.3l v6?
I did the same job on my car, i covered the distributor and the alternator and when i finish degreasing my engine i turned it on and the engine made a rare sound and started smoking from one side of the engine, and now i don't know what's wrong with my car, i hope you can help me. Thanks
wshat about if u have a intake
why is the car running when you clean it?
Dude you are killing the engine¡¡ stop doin that , use a hand spay and towells , avoid the electric conections and parts , never use "water hose"
@pearldrumsarecool I would just wash the engine by hand. Spraying alot of water could get on one of the electric parts witch could cause a fire and water could get into the engine through the intake and f your truck up. Also if the engine is hot spraying cold water could damage the engine block. EXPENSIVE RISK I wouldn't consider.
its better to spray and wipe what you can dont hose your engine off and if you do in light amounts as possible
if u wana dry it well use a gas powered leaf blower u have in the garage if available and wot , it dries in minutes .
You do realize that the wires on the alternator are coated with enamel right? if they weren't they would simply short out as soon as you turned it on. I can't think of really any problem with getting them covered in water.
madjimms i been cleaning my engine on my 99 Silverado for 18 years at the car wash and no problems, i also do not cover anything
Why do you leave it running
you should make a video on cleaning an older car, like a 70's or 80's year
You call THAT dirty? You should see my greasy old Neon's engine... and thanks for the video!
thank's bro !
im going to clean my engine tommorow.
5*****
how tall are you? you have no trouble seeing that engine... I have to climb in the truck to see it all
Car could be raised, or bigger tires.
Never seen anybody do it while engine is running? I don’t like to because it dries up my cleaner when engine is warm or hot.
i detailed my dads mint 01 buick lesabre when he got me a car, i cleaned the engine
and engine bay, also washed and waxed under there.
This might be a dumb question but I have a 2007 model as well, and I'm trying to play my music from my phone, I hooked it up to auxiliary in the rear, pressed the auxiliary option (rear display 1) on the front of the radio, but I can't hear anything, I tried on rear auxiliary display 2 also, and still nothing, does anyone know if im doing this right? or is the rear auxiliaries just made to listen to the radio from the rear? I hate listening to the radio or using cds, since my phone has my music, let me know if ya know how to play music from your phone, thanks
big papi chulo Dude .... I got the same problem ... finally am not alone lol .
The gmc denali only has a aux available for music on your phone. I got a 07 Yukon xl and an 07 Escalade, your gonna have to buy an fm transmitter for the cadi
You need to get an aux that goes into the red and yellow ports on the back of the center console/rear seats. It’s not an aid cord I think it’s an “av to aux” cord let me know if this works for u
carlos m. U need a new car
Nick Angelos Vlogs Yeah im pretty you need an AV to AUX cable.
wat is da spray call again
very nice man love ur work 10/10
i did this and my alternator failed and blew the ignition coil
1) you need to let the solution to sit for at least 5min to breakdown heavy "gunk".
2) never want to spray on warm engine. work on COLD engine or solution will cake on WITH the "gunk"
I hope you didn't wash the alternator while engine idling or you might encounter engine problems in the future.
Sorry about your engine's electrical system, Pa. :[
You can do this to any vehicle that you want to. I would not recommend doing this to a hybrid car such as the Toyota Prius.
by the way.. that all-purpose cleaner works great on the INSIDE of the engine. spray it directly into the throttle body while it's running, and you'll see anywhere from 75-125hp gains ;) give it a try!
nice job on cleaning on your dad's car engine was it very dirty
Spraying a chemical cleaner at an engine while its running. That's like spraying it into a fan pointed at you. Maybe just stick to cleaning the inside so you don't hurt yourself.
yeah, check it out in google images.
That's crazy to wash this engine its matter of time u will get so many problems from knock sensor going bad yo many other problems I rather keep it dirty rather than wash it
you can get it off by unplugging the battery of + and - wait 5 min and plug it back in than drive around 20 miles and if it pops back up then something is really wrong with your car and you should consider taking it to a mechanic.
All the GMT900 Engines look like that. from the 4.3L V6, all the way up to the 8.1L V8.
looks great.
Running the engine while hosing down is a bad idea, could shock the engine block and crack it. And turning the engine off and back on again will do absolutley nothing, there is no point to it. Otherwise good vid!
I always got some aluminum foil and wrapped the alt with it,trying to keep as much water out of it as possible.
Basically, your Video can be used as a Universal 'How to Clean Your GMT900 Engine Compartment'!
I was always taught hot metal and cool water do not mix
Everytime u go through a car wash your engine gets wet pop your hood and see!
I wouldn't just spray all over the engine just in case it runs into any electrical wiring.
I am sorry but I need to say something about General Motors, I am not bashing them, or the quality of the vehicles, but when you spend $85,000 on an Escalade, the freaking power steering pump and alt. SHOULD not whine like that(exact same as on a Tahoe) and REALLY GM? The cover you put on the top of that 403 Horsepower engine is the same as a $19,000 Silverado? All it says is Vortec. It doesn't even say cadillac. That is ridiculous.
I would stick to making in depth reviews bro.
I prefer to use steam
caddy ruined dash after 06 yr model. also door handles fall off. GM design flaw. 07 first year of changes and never got it right again.
you don't rev a cold engine, and you don't spray the alternator with water. if its not failed you yet then your lucky..
You should had cover the battery, electric parts, and the generator first !
i dont see why everyones bitching, your engine bay gets wet anyway lol.. that engine wasnt cold when he revving it it was plenty warmed up, getting the alternater a little wet is fine, not like your gonna soak it in water. 20mpg out of a 6.2L in a 2 1/2 ton truck is amazing, my my nissans 2.4L gets 20mpg in a 2500lb car. now. since i straightened out everyones bitch fest. nice caddy, i always use brake/carb cleaner and a pressure washer but great results
thanks alot!!!!! :)
A mechanic I know once told me that was the safest way for me to clean an engine bay, is to steam clean it.
Samuel Carter It is the safest way. That’s why all high end dealers and detailers do it that way
I wouldn't leave it run while u spray it u gonna get it all in the engine
Yea this dude is totally not that experienced. U should never spray the engine while it's running .
+Allen Atkins Yes you can, running the engine while cleaning it gives steaming effect and it helps dry the water as well.
i guess you guys don't know what happens when it rains and you go over a puddle huh...
Very dangerous to have engine running with hands near or inside engine bay
oh my belt noise!
Ali is right
@madvlad666 ya this isnt even dirty at all i could get that off with an air hose. lol mines way worse
This is not pots and pans. You don't need hot water to loosen the dirt, that's what the cleaner is for. Leave the engine off. You are damaging the car.
Ok?
Hmmm that car did not look very much like a silverado.
There is no way that engine gets 20mpg, it probably gets more like 15mpg.
I don't get it, why most of you bitch about alternator getting wet? I would be more worried about all the plugs, connectors as the water cannot escape from there cause it never gets warm etc etc. That is when you keep on changing fuses all the time thinking wtf is wrong? Main thing is to cover your connectors, most of the newer cars should have them covered tight but some older ones might be lose, or even the headlights cover might be missing and so on. I would personally use air hose :)