I've washed every single car multiple times and never had an issue. I just don't use a power washer just the hose. Sometime I'll use spray foam if it's really bad but I spray all over.
My spark plugs have plenty of dielectric grease on them and I don't spray directly on the fuse boxes or anything like that. They're not dirty anyway.
The only time I had an issue was doing my son's 1978 ranchero. It had bad wires bad everything. When we sprayed it the car didn't start. We ended up replacing the wires and plugs and rotors and caps which it needed anyway.
There were dead rat bones in the engine bay and mice...
I've done it once...and was quite stressful. But I'd had a radiator cap blew coolant all over the engine bay and had to clean the white residue off so I could tell if I was still leaking anything. Tried to minimize how much I sprayed and kept it mostly to the front of the engine bay around the radiator that already gets wet in rain.
I've done this thousands of times, crazy how everyone is so afraid in here. Just don't hold it an inch away from wires, and use compressed air to blow everything off when done, before restarting. Never a single issue.
Never said that. But years ago owners manuals used to tell you how to fix some of your vehicle. Now they tell you not to drink brake fluid. We have not become smarter. Most people cant even change a tire these days. I watched a tow truck operator change a tire yesterday while 5 adult males stood on the side of the road watching. Its pretty pathetic
I’d also unhook electrical connectors and hit them with some compressed air. The ones that are visible and easy to access are probably the same ones that got blasted with the pressure washer.
Stop trying to start the car, the engine bay needs to dry off. If you have access to an airline or a leaf blower this will speed things up considerably.
If you've sprayed the fusebox or CEM Module (I'm not sure where it's located on an Aygo) then you may be causing more damage.
Yes, there are tons of YouTube videos of people using a pressure washer on their engine bay to clean it. The problem that I’ve seen is that no one talks about the actual pressure. I wonder how many people who do this at home grab their 5000 psi washer with a very narrow angled nozzle, and go bonkers. That’s asking for problems. If you’re going to do it, you need very low pressure (as far as pressure washers go), and a wide angle nozzle. You need to soften the impact. Also, don’t no blasting oil spots with just water and expect that to do the trick. You need to apply degreasers and such. And yes, you absolutely need to protect all of the electronics.
exactly this. I wanted to clean up my engine bay, so i watched a ton of youtube videos to make sure i understood the proper way to do it. wide nozzle, spray from a couple feet away. then use simple green, scrub things a bit, then rinse off and wipe down.
the engine bay is meant to get wet, it's not water tight. it's just not meant to have a jet force of water pushed into every corner.
At my dealership they have the detail guys do this to every car. They also put a bag over computer modules and the battery before they do it but leave most electrical connectors exposed.
It is "safe" to use a pressure washer on an engine bay to clean it IF you are doing it correctly and not concentrating the stream on any one area and getting the nozzle too close. Pretty much every modern call has all electrical connections sealed or "potted" which means they are sealed against water intrusion. This guy probably held the nozzle super close and forced water in to areas it shouldn't be and it could be untold amounts of damage depending on where.
Nope, even as a tech I pressure wash my personal engine bay a few times a year and I pressure wash some customer ones depending on the work done and how dirty it was. Pressure washing shouldn't harm the engine assuming you dont try to ram water through exposed tubing like the intake into the engine or on exposed module wiring. Ive never had an issue pressure washing them and I dont even put plastic coverings or anything over it
Most times the people doing this job seem to really care less about potential long term effects and I get a feeling they wouldn't clean them the same way if it was their own car.
Always seemed really stupid to me, and I would much rather buy a car with a non washed engine.
Pressure washing an engine bay is a common, everyday thing. Maintaining appropriate distance and protecting certain items in the engine bay go along with that though.
I power wash everyone of my trucks/cars engines. I use a lower pressure nozzle. I do it with the engine running and I skim it. Never had an issue. Washing it isn’t the issue, it’s how you do it.
i've done it many times. you don't blast high pressure directly at it. you use a wide nozzle and spray from a couple feet away.
and if you have fuses and things that aren't covered, you cover them.
i'm sure OP just used whatever nozzle he had, and sprayed at very close range.
the engine bay is designed to take on some water. it's not a water tight environment. what you don't want to do is high pressure force water into every area.
Running the pressure washer on the lowest setting shouldn’t be an issue for most cars.
Would still cover major electronic components such as battery, alternator and ECU though.
It's the tip, but to be clear there are two parts to that: the fan spread (e.g. 15 vs 40 degrees) and the orifice size (e.g. 2.5 vs 4.0). In my experience cheap pressure washers only come with tips at the minimum orifice size that pressure washer can handle. so if it's a 2gpm machine rated to 3500psi it came with only 2.0 orifice tips. If you stick a 4.0 tip on there it will be 800psi even if the spread is 15 degrees.
A lot of those self-service car washes have an engine cleaner setting that sprays using low power. However I bet OP then proceeded to use the high-pressure rinse afterwards instead of the spot-free rinse that's also low pressure.
If the engine has an oil leak, the oil can degrade the rubber components of other items under hood. So needs to be cleaned to prevent further damage. Also can be used as a diagnostic method to locate leaks. As several people have mentioned, don't go full blast on electronic components. This poor soul will likely just have wait until everything dries then try to start it.
Leave the hood popped so it can try to dry out. If you have an air compressor you can try to blow out any and all electrical components you and see. Wd40 is another viable alternative. Just for peace of mind, though, I would unhook the negative terminal on the battery.
It really depends on how you washed it.
When i wash it, I make absolutely sure the car is running already. And i keep the powerwash as far away so that by the time the water reaches the engine its more of a gentle rain/mist. Never point it straight at connectors trying to cut through them with the pressure.
But for the problem at hand, push the car into the sun if its warm with the hood open. (or put it in a spray booth with the heat turned on) to hopefully evaporate any water in the connectors.
Disconnect the battery for a couple of days.
Check for any codes and check the connectors affiliated with the codes.
I have routinely used a pressure on all my vehicles washer from a reasonable distance making quick swipes and not blasting electrical areas. I always feel like the volume of water from a hose is more risky than a lower volume spray. Engine bays expect some amount of water from weather. Ive done them running or not never had an issue. Roast me now
I’ll never understand why people do this other than for the engine bay to look nice. I’d rather have a little bit of dust and dirt and know that I have a running car then take a chance and for something like this to happen.
Electrical connectors in cars are splash resistant but not, I repeat NOT, pressurized water proof. You probably just wrecked you car's entire electrical system. Better disconnect the battery before something catches on fire and have it hauled to a shop. (Yes, this could well be that big of a mistake.)
Second of all what made you think this would be and ok idea forcing pressured water at how many thousand psi into all of the components of your engine?
And finally I know we drive through puddles but that sure as hell isn’t the same as pressure washing your engine bay.
My father was a mechanic for over 30 years. He used brake cleaner to clean off oil in the engine bay. Also old rags. He would never use a power washer.
Well you did just blast all the electrical components under the hood with water, what did you expect? Pray it dries, if dirty engine components bother you, go to town with a can of brake cleaner and a rag.
Qualifications IMI Level 3 light vehicle maintenance and repair
Reddit being afraid of pressure washer is hilarious. Almost all pro detailers use them, engine bay included. Its literally as simple as cover alternator and keep tip at a distance of 2 feet.
js open hood and let it dry out and pray the best you can do is hope theres little to no water damage after that if theres any get it diagnosed at a trustworthy shop and get a quite and go from there
I heard that washing while the engine is running risks warping the aluminum head on your engine cover. And how do you avoid sucking in water through the intake if it is running? Or causing the serpentine to slip?
Electrical connectors on modern cars are weather "resistant" not proof. Any pressure washing or hosing will significantly increase the chances of degrading circuit boards and wire harnesses.
A hose rinse/shower would be much safer, but still take some pains to cover the most sensitive electronics.
OP Im sorry but this is an extremely bad situation, especially if you pressure washed with hard water.
Always wonder how people do this. Im a diesel mechanic for Ford so i have to wash out engine bays all the time after repairing oil and fuel leaks. Just keep a wide spray and keep away from. Electrical connections, colis on gas cars, starters and your alternator and you'll be fine.
Assuming you are somewhere where the temp is above freezing, it should dry out before long. You could also try using something like a leaf blower to help the process along.
Power washing the engine bay is how dealerships, and detailers clean them, BUT use nozzles and power washers that output a safe (for cars) pressure. Not a 5k psi paint removing pressure. On top of that you leave the engine running while you do it, so if water does find its way through the intake the engine will 99.99% of the time pass the little bit of water right through. If you have the engine off then any water that makes it into the intake will just pool in any of the cylinders that happen to have their valves cracked open. The cardinal rules of auto detailing include not use pressure washers you don’t know are 100% safe for cars, and don’t use chemicals on things you aren’t 100% aware of their interactions.
You've got power, just no ignition. Stop trying to start it (you're just risking a catastropic short at this point), disconnect your battery, try to get some airflow into that engine bay, maybe some compressed air into any electrical contacts, fuseboxes, etc. and give it 24 hrs. Then hook up the battery; if that doesn't work it's time to bring it in.
Hey, maybe give this a watch. ChrisFix makes great videos t that actually explain ways to do things like you're 5 and little techniques to help you. https://youtu.be/ax_OXBCRu_o.
You'll note he discourages his audience from pressure washing his engine bay and encourages the shower hose setting.
Yes if you know what you are doing, you can take shortcuts. But if you don't, don't. Sometimes people think they know what they're doing because they don't know any better.
The issue is the “power” in front of the wash. Just hose pressure at most and a mist would be better. God knows what you shoved water into with the high pressure.
I pressure wash my engine bay all the time and have zero issues.
But I always unplug my battery, put a plastic bag around my cone filter, and a plastic bag over the alternator. I also stand like 6 feet back and use a foam cannon which reduces a lot of the pressure. Let it sit for a few hours before reconnecting battery.
Auto detailer here, there are three things I ALWAYS cover with plastic bags before detailing an engine bay.
Battery, or battery connections if I remove the battery.
Alternator
Fuse box (some even have pictures saying no pressure washing)
You can use a weak pressure washer (no more than 1800PSI) to safely clean an engine bay, just keep the nozzle at least an arms length away. If spots are extra dirty, just use non diluted degreaser or even dish soap, gently agitate, then safely rinse.
Everything in your engine bay gets pretty wet when it rains. It’s not really a big deal.
It’s when you add pressurized water into the mix working its way past grommets and seals never designed for that kind of PSI that you start to fuck shit up.
This. If the OP does get it started and doesn’t do this the water that was forced into the connectors will eventually corrode the terminals and create all sorts of weird issues in the future. The same as a car that has previously been in a flood. The OP isn’t out of the woods even if they get it going.
There are so many ways you can carefully clean your engine bay…power washing isn’t one of them. I have to agree with the other people and allow it to dry for a few days. Be prepared as you may have electrical faults and require mechanical help. Just hope and pray at this point
People act like your ecu is in the engine bay. The ECU and anything that is seriously fucked if it gets water in it is in the cabin. All the engine bay has is sensors. Trust me, I’m Australian and all I do is take my landcruiser though bonnet high water. Admittedly my car is almost purely mechanical. But still. I doubt you’ve actually used a 3000+ psi pressure washer. Likely just a low pressure Karcher. You shouldn’t have washed the engine bay without experience first. But as an immediate fault let it sit overnight. Can position sensors possibly, wouldn’t be coil packs as that’s just for it a misfire. Possibly check battery terminals as often if you don’t tighten them adequately you’ll get all warning lights but no actual cranking as that requires serious amps. You aren’t fucked, it’s pretty hard to actually kill a car like this. People don’t realise just how much they were designed to go through. It’s pretty bloody hard to tell with no engine bay pics, but yeah, check all sensors, research your engine and what sensors are critical for engine operation (as in what would make it not even crank) but I maintain you’ll find it’s just not getting enough power. Not sure if you did the wash a while ago and how it won’t start, in which case you’ve definitely killed the alternator meaning the battery is now dead and can’t charge. As Toyotas just love to munch alternators.
Why on earth did you power wash the engine bay?? I’m thinking multiple fuses shorted out, sensor connectors damaged, some of those connectors may have disconnected, bare wires shorted out, battery terminals shorted, main computer damage oh my goodness the list goes on… as others have stated, lift the hood up and pray for 2 ~ 3 warm, dry days to dry that bay out. Then be prepared to pay a mechanic a lot of money to find all the electrical faults you’re almost certainly going to have.
Holy hell. Not a single mechanic or detailer in the comments. Pretty sure you shorted your battery, throw jumper cables on it and you’ll be fine. Next time throw a plastic bag over the battery so the terminals don’t get wet.
I've never actually covered my battery and generally pressure wash it. The only thing I cover is my intake when aftermarket. Or the fuse box if the cover is cracked. Hell, I've driven many cars in the rain without hoods. I really think op got water in his fuse box and popped a fuse. Or blew out a connection with carelessness.
It’s not possible to diagnose much from what you’re showing. Did the engine crank at all, even once, after you washed it? The reason I’m asking is that if water made it into one of the cylinders and the piston tried to compress it, the engine is probably shot, or at least the head needs rebuilt.
It looks like the starter is pulling power when you turn the key because the dash lights that stay on get dimmer. Maybe the battery is weak. Maybe the starter is bad. Maybe there’s a bad ground. Hopefully it’s not trying hard to turn over an engine that has water in it.
Probably water got to the ignition coils and sparkplugs.
Should work with cleaning it out.
Normally there is not much reason why it wouldn't start after water exposure.
All vital electric components are sealed.
Test the fuses one by one in the engine bay and then in the footwell. You’re bound to have blown a few.
Once theyr all replaced, it might still not start. That means the main relay which sits within the walls of the fusebox is blown and you’ll need to cut a window into the side of the fusebox to replace
Check that your starter gets power, and that your engine still has good ground.
Read the manual or google it to find out where starter relay and fuse(s) are.
Edit: looks like your dash lights dim when you try to crank, so your starter probably pulls some power.
Relay and fuses should be fine, starter itself may be bad
Well did you prep anything before POWER WASHING? I’ve washed my engine bay before. I wrap anything and everything with wires in trash bags. Fuse box, battery, alternator etc. If you didn’t wrap shit, you should’ve waited till it dried completely before applying power. It could be something simple or you completely fried something. Good luck.
when i made this mistake i had to remove all electrical connectors and blow them out with an air compressor til i got it to run on 2 cylindees long enough to heat up and dry out. check fuses for sure first hopefully ecu or another electrical component isnt fried.
Take engine out, get a big ziplock bag and put it there with rice for a few days.
Nah but on the serious side, there’s many things that you could have messed up, there’s no start so I’ll check the connections to the starter, check any fuses or relay boxes for water or shorts. Cables and connectors in general.
If you're lucky, it will dry and you're good to go, if you're not lucky and disturbed a wire connection, you'll likely need a mechanic or someone mechanically incline, the one thing you can try is looking around the battery and alternator, like I mean look at the wires and push in at the connectors a little. BTW, I'm not mechanically inclined, just saying what I'd do.
I detailed for a decade back in my late teens and early twenties. This was in the 90s. We would power wash every used vehicle when we received it in on a trade or from an auction. We'd hit the bay with some tire degreaser, let it sit for a couple of seconds, then hit it with the power washer. We'd do this WHILE the vehicle was running, after it was at operating temperature. This helped evaporate water more quickly. We also had the power washer on the lowest volume setting. After it was mostly dry, we'd then spray the entire compartment with a spray like tire shine to make it look clean. We even did this with our personal vehicles. Out of the hundreds, or possibly thousands, of vehicles we did this to, I am only aware of 2 or 3 that either shut off while doing it, or had a starting issue later (that eventually resolved itself as the engine compartment dried out).
Let the engine dry out, throw a fan on it if you want extra drying power. Best of luck.
1) Why would you power wash an engine bay
2) Don’t do that again
3) Hopefully it’s just electrical gremlins and not permanent damage. Leave it for a few days to dry.
It's the one part of that YouTube guy Te Videos I can't understand. He works at a Honda dealership that actually power washers their customers cars after service. Like how have they not been sued yet?
Let it dry to start. Next, pull the ignition leads and spray them with WD40. If this doesn't work, check the fuses. After that, call a mechanic as it's likely a worse problem
I have a dedicated peanut sponge for this. 1/2 cup of dawn in a full bucket and go for it. Takes 10 min once or twice a year to hit the things I can reach. Hose it off, done. My mechanic loves me for keeping the worst of it off.
WHY does it need to look brand new under there?!? You're not going to Pebble Beach or anything.
Take a video of your engine bay, maybe someone can spot a connector or wire that you blasted off… hard to really know what kind of carnage you caused when power washing your engine bay. Really not a smart move on your part. Mistakes have a cost: time, money, health, etc…
Even if you’re not religious I’d swallow my pride and pray to God that you didn’t manage to get water into the ECM/ECU. (Computer.) An easy $500 to $1500 bill if I had to pull a price out of my butt.
Someone mentioned that engine bays are meant to withstand getting wet. What they’re not engineered for are being completely submerged and/or the extreme pressure and velocity of a pressure washer. There’s no telling what it’s all gotten into. In my experience being an electrical technician at a factory for almost 20 years, the biggest eye screwings on breakdowns by far are when you have two or more issues at once. The more issues compounding one another the more exponentially harder it is to troubleshoot.
Depending on how thorough you were in pressure washing it you could have gotten water into sealed connectors and/or severed wires, gotten water into and/or damaged sensors, and destroyed super expensive parts like control modules.
Definitely a learning experience and most likely will be so expensive you’ll remember this one until your dying day, give or take if/when you develop Alzheimer’s anyway.
Edit: Being a 1.0L engine it may just be the fact that it’s so small it can’t even manage to overcome the friction of the bearings, bushings, piston rings, and valve springs on a good day.
You probably don't want to. If you fire it up, and cause a massive misfire, raw gas will get to your cats and fry them. I'd be going over that thing with a bunch of dry shop rags, go get some of that new WD40 electric parts cleaner spray, and drying it out one rag at a time. Unplug EVERYTHING that plugs together, make sure there is no water in between the connections, give it a short spray of the WD 40 electric parts cleaner spray, and put it back together. You can not just spray down a modern engine, could have done it in 1976, but not today.
This was incredibly dumb. Use a semi-damp cloth if you must clean under the engine. But unless you're going to a car show? Doubt it. What were you thinking? Your engine bay is full of electronics and sensors that can withstand damp environments but direct contact with water like that? What a stupid move. And did you disconnect the battery terminals before attempting such a "clean"?
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Let it dry, you probably blasted some electrical too much.
Hard to put it in rice… so just give it time.
Instructions unclear
Rice in the cylinders now.
It is imperative that the cylinders are not harmed…
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Richrebuilds riced an entire car, it worked!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I got you bro, I’m like negative 21 karma. People on Reddit are sensitive lately
brodie got downvoted for dropping emojis
Yeah next time don't use something that can take off your toe to clean things that have exposed wires.
You can use a power washer, just don’t use the 3000psi blast setting 😂 and put a grocery bag over your air filter and your ecu/fuse box
I've washed every single car multiple times and never had an issue. I just don't use a power washer just the hose. Sometime I'll use spray foam if it's really bad but I spray all over. My spark plugs have plenty of dielectric grease on them and I don't spray directly on the fuse boxes or anything like that. They're not dirty anyway.
The only time I had an issue was doing my son's 1978 ranchero. It had bad wires bad everything. When we sprayed it the car didn't start. We ended up replacing the wires and plugs and rotors and caps which it needed anyway. There were dead rat bones in the engine bay and mice...
Dead rat bones in the engine bay? 🤣😭 poor little guy. At least he didn’t get into anything important
At least they weren't live rat bones.
True 🤣 I’ve pulled a live chipmunk from an air filter box before
You’ve washed every single car? In the world? Going back how far?
Before the dinosaur has roamed the Earth...
I borrowed my inlaws semitruck diesel powered hot water powerwash to wash my mini cooper. It took off a fair bit of the clearcoat…
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Shit even a hose scares me. All my engines are nasty but it’s a small price to pay
its supposed to be dirty!!
It's rust proofing.
Speaking of menthol. I’m living off cough drops 😂
I've done it once...and was quite stressful. But I'd had a radiator cap blew coolant all over the engine bay and had to clean the white residue off so I could tell if I was still leaking anything. Tried to minimize how much I sprayed and kept it mostly to the front of the engine bay around the radiator that already gets wet in rain.
I've done this thousands of times, crazy how everyone is so afraid in here. Just don't hold it an inch away from wires, and use compressed air to blow everything off when done, before restarting. Never a single issue.
Also use the wide angle fan tip, not the turbo jet nozzle.
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Did op have a question. All I have to say is yeah it will do that.
E2a, wait, is that a press clutch to start?
googles how to clean engine bay
Hmmm. But I really want to find out that im right.
Well, im gonna do it anyways
Will a hand held leaf blower work helping it dry?
This
Depends on what the underlying issue is.
my dad did that once. Luckily only took the alternator 😂
I’m glad my motor only has 5 wires, I just spray soap let it sit then wash it off with a hose
Ive been pressure washing engines for 30 years. Its called common sense and people dont have it anymore.
Yeah, ignorance didn't exist in the past.
Never said that. But years ago owners manuals used to tell you how to fix some of your vehicle. Now they tell you not to drink brake fluid. We have not become smarter. Most people cant even change a tire these days. I watched a tow truck operator change a tire yesterday while 5 adult males stood on the side of the road watching. Its pretty pathetic
You fucked up.
If its mine im leaving the hood open for a few days and praying it dries out.
I'd probably get a box fan and have it blasting on the engine bay... also praying it dries out..
I’d also unhook electrical connectors and hit them with some compressed air. The ones that are visible and easy to access are probably the same ones that got blasted with the pressure washer.
Disconnect the battery first lol
Probably be a smart move
Put it in rice. 😁
Face down though, and buried to make sure to get the maximum rice power
That requires adding a fart muffler and a huge ass wing.
You’ll need about 800 pounds of rice…
In this economy??
Just make a nice Toyota Risotto when you're done.
I mean, ya don't just throw it out when you're done.
Adds a little something to the dish if you've used it to fix an engine first.
Wait, 800lb or £800?
Well, I mean £800 of rice is like what? Three grains? Not gonna cut it here. /s
Stop trying to start the car, the engine bay needs to dry off. If you have access to an airline or a leaf blower this will speed things up considerably.
If you've sprayed the fusebox or CEM Module (I'm not sure where it's located on an Aygo) then you may be causing more damage.
I’m trying to imagine what goes on in somebody’s mind that makes them think that this is a good idea to power wash the inside of The engine bay.
I mean I’m not being a jerk I’m just asking is there YouTube videos on there suggesting this this idea ?? it could just not pop into somebody’s head.
“Hey, let’s stick the nozzle up the tail pipe and clean out the muffler and catalytic converter, etc..”
Yes, there are tons of YouTube videos of people using a pressure washer on their engine bay to clean it. The problem that I’ve seen is that no one talks about the actual pressure. I wonder how many people who do this at home grab their 5000 psi washer with a very narrow angled nozzle, and go bonkers. That’s asking for problems. If you’re going to do it, you need very low pressure (as far as pressure washers go), and a wide angle nozzle. You need to soften the impact. Also, don’t no blasting oil spots with just water and expect that to do the trick. You need to apply degreasers and such. And yes, you absolutely need to protect all of the electronics.
exactly this. I wanted to clean up my engine bay, so i watched a ton of youtube videos to make sure i understood the proper way to do it. wide nozzle, spray from a couple feet away. then use simple green, scrub things a bit, then rinse off and wipe down.
the engine bay is meant to get wet, it's not water tight. it's just not meant to have a jet force of water pushed into every corner.
I just remove the nozzle tip from my pressure washer- eliminates the pressure bit and works great.
100% agree water is supposed to be used to rinse off degreaser, not remove dirt.
I don’t really bother covering electrical components- they’ll get wet one way or another, just don’t spray it directly and it will probably be fine.
At my dealership they have the detail guys do this to every car. They also put a bag over computer modules and the battery before they do it but leave most electrical connectors exposed.
Power washing is different to a normal hose, I imagine your guys just use a regular hose so there isn’t super high pressures?
It is "safe" to use a pressure washer on an engine bay to clean it IF you are doing it correctly and not concentrating the stream on any one area and getting the nozzle too close. Pretty much every modern call has all electrical connections sealed or "potted" which means they are sealed against water intrusion. This guy probably held the nozzle super close and forced water in to areas it shouldn't be and it could be untold amounts of damage depending on where.
~ source professional detailer.
Nope, even as a tech I pressure wash my personal engine bay a few times a year and I pressure wash some customer ones depending on the work done and how dirty it was. Pressure washing shouldn't harm the engine assuming you dont try to ram water through exposed tubing like the intake into the engine or on exposed module wiring. Ive never had an issue pressure washing them and I dont even put plastic coverings or anything over it
It's safe if you know where to wash.
No, they definitely use power washers.
Most times the people doing this job seem to really care less about potential long term effects and I get a feeling they wouldn't clean them the same way if it was their own car.
Always seemed really stupid to me, and I would much rather buy a car with a non washed engine.
Pressure washing an engine bay is a common, everyday thing. Maintaining appropriate distance and protecting certain items in the engine bay go along with that though.
I power wash everyone of my trucks/cars engines. I use a lower pressure nozzle. I do it with the engine running and I skim it. Never had an issue. Washing it isn’t the issue, it’s how you do it.
i've done it many times. you don't blast high pressure directly at it. you use a wide nozzle and spray from a couple feet away.
and if you have fuses and things that aren't covered, you cover them.
i'm sure OP just used whatever nozzle he had, and sprayed at very close range.
the engine bay is designed to take on some water. it's not a water tight environment. what you don't want to do is high pressure force water into every area.
Running the pressure washer on the lowest setting shouldn’t be an issue for most cars. Would still cover major electronic components such as battery, alternator and ECU though.
Your pressure washer has power settings? Mine has two, off and on, and I think it's rather typical for the cheap ones most people buy.
It's the tip, but to be clear there are two parts to that: the fan spread (e.g. 15 vs 40 degrees) and the orifice size (e.g. 2.5 vs 4.0). In my experience cheap pressure washers only come with tips at the minimum orifice size that pressure washer can handle. so if it's a 2gpm machine rated to 3500psi it came with only 2.0 orifice tips. If you stick a 4.0 tip on there it will be 800psi even if the spread is 15 degrees.
The tip setting. Wider the less pressure out of the nozzle.
Oh, that makes more sense.
A lot of those self-service car washes have an engine cleaner setting that sprays using low power. However I bet OP then proceeded to use the high-pressure rinse afterwards instead of the spot-free rinse that's also low pressure.
If the engine has an oil leak, the oil can degrade the rubber components of other items under hood. So needs to be cleaned to prevent further damage. Also can be used as a diagnostic method to locate leaks. As several people have mentioned, don't go full blast on electronic components. This poor soul will likely just have wait until everything dries then try to start it.
Leave the hood popped so it can try to dry out. If you have an air compressor you can try to blow out any and all electrical components you and see. Wd40 is another viable alternative. Just for peace of mind, though, I would unhook the negative terminal on the battery.
I would never use WD40 on anything electrical.
If you are trying to dry out electrical connections, 91% isopropyl alcohol.
Or contact cleaner
It really depends on how you washed it. When i wash it, I make absolutely sure the car is running already. And i keep the powerwash as far away so that by the time the water reaches the engine its more of a gentle rain/mist. Never point it straight at connectors trying to cut through them with the pressure.
But for the problem at hand, push the car into the sun if its warm with the hood open. (or put it in a spray booth with the heat turned on) to hopefully evaporate any water in the connectors. Disconnect the battery for a couple of days.
Check for any codes and check the connectors affiliated with the codes.
And hope that the damage is not too severe.
I have routinely used a pressure on all my vehicles washer from a reasonable distance making quick swipes and not blasting electrical areas. I always feel like the volume of water from a hose is more risky than a lower volume spray. Engine bays expect some amount of water from weather. Ive done them running or not never had an issue. Roast me now
Disconnect the battery, check coil pack connectors, etc. for moisture inside. WD40 these spots. Then pray.
Actually you shouldn’t use WD-40 because The WD actually stands for... oh wait
I’ll never understand why people do this other than for the engine bay to look nice. I’d rather have a little bit of dust and dirt and know that I have a running car then take a chance and for something like this to happen.
Have you tried parking it in rice?
Electrical connectors in cars are splash resistant but not, I repeat NOT, pressurized water proof. You probably just wrecked you car's entire electrical system. Better disconnect the battery before something catches on fire and have it hauled to a shop. (Yes, this could well be that big of a mistake.)
Pour one out for homie! Get a new car for Christmas! Merry Christmas! Be sure to apply for a flood title with your DMV.
First of all who told you this was a good idea?
Second of all what made you think this would be and ok idea forcing pressured water at how many thousand psi into all of the components of your engine?
And finally I know we drive through puddles but that sure as hell isn’t the same as pressure washing your engine bay.
My father was a mechanic for over 30 years. He used brake cleaner to clean off oil in the engine bay. Also old rags. He would never use a power washer.
Why the fuck?
Now use a compressor to blow excess water out.
Next time spray bottle and rag the stuff you can see and reach only
Does this car require you to press the brake peddle (and/or clutch if it's manual) to start it?
Make sure you're not just being a dummy.
Power washing the engine is crazy work. Maybe check your house circuit breaker and see if it needs some next.
Well you did just blast all the electrical components under the hood with water, what did you expect? Pray it dries, if dirty engine components bother you, go to town with a can of brake cleaner and a rag.
Qualifications IMI Level 3 light vehicle maintenance and repair
If you have an air compressor you can blow the bay out and all the nooks,crannies, wires and battery. Otherwise it has to dry
Reddit being afraid of pressure washer is hilarious. Almost all pro detailers use them, engine bay included. Its literally as simple as cover alternator and keep tip at a distance of 2 feet.
Imagine that
Why? Cars don't actually need that.
Pull the battery and let it dry out for a day or two.
Then reinstall the battery and see if that helps.
If it doesn't, have it towed to a mechanic you like and tell them your tale of woe.
js open hood and let it dry out and pray the best you can do is hope theres little to no water damage after that if theres any get it diagnosed at a trustworthy shop and get a quite and go from there
Check the battery terminal you may have dislodged with pressure
Wait an hour or 2, maybe dry some connections, then try again
I heard that washing while the engine is running risks warping the aluminum head on your engine cover. And how do you avoid sucking in water through the intake if it is running? Or causing the serpentine to slip?
Electrical connectors on modern cars are weather "resistant" not proof. Any pressure washing or hosing will significantly increase the chances of degrading circuit boards and wire harnesses.
A hose rinse/shower would be much safer, but still take some pains to cover the most sensitive electronics.
OP Im sorry but this is an extremely bad situation, especially if you pressure washed with hard water.
part out
Always wonder how people do this. Im a diesel mechanic for Ford so i have to wash out engine bays all the time after repairing oil and fuel leaks. Just keep a wide spray and keep away from. Electrical connections, colis on gas cars, starters and your alternator and you'll be fine.
Looks like it’s turning on to me. Just not starting…
Assuming you are somewhere where the temp is above freezing, it should dry out before long. You could also try using something like a leaf blower to help the process along.
I mean why would u do that 🤦♂️
Have you tried putting it in rice?
Uh yeah, you shouldn’t have done this. Use compressed air next time.
that looks like a battery problem or you somehow fxked up your alternator. it should start with some jumper cables
Power washing the engine bay is how dealerships, and detailers clean them, BUT use nozzles and power washers that output a safe (for cars) pressure. Not a 5k psi paint removing pressure. On top of that you leave the engine running while you do it, so if water does find its way through the intake the engine will 99.99% of the time pass the little bit of water right through. If you have the engine off then any water that makes it into the intake will just pool in any of the cylinders that happen to have their valves cracked open. The cardinal rules of auto detailing include not use pressure washers you don’t know are 100% safe for cars, and don’t use chemicals on things you aren’t 100% aware of their interactions.
You've got power, just no ignition. Stop trying to start it (you're just risking a catastropic short at this point), disconnect your battery, try to get some airflow into that engine bay, maybe some compressed air into any electrical contacts, fuseboxes, etc. and give it 24 hrs. Then hook up the battery; if that doesn't work it's time to bring it in.
Hey, maybe give this a watch. ChrisFix makes great videos t that actually explain ways to do things like you're 5 and little techniques to help you. https://youtu.be/ax_OXBCRu_o.
You'll note he discourages his audience from pressure washing his engine bay and encourages the shower hose setting.
Yes if you know what you are doing, you can take shortcuts. But if you don't, don't. Sometimes people think they know what they're doing because they don't know any better.
My Grandad gave me this bit of advice, I have never forgotten his words. He said, 'Boy, don't be a dickhead.' Wise words.
What were you thinking dude? Lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The issue is the “power” in front of the wash. Just hose pressure at most and a mist would be better. God knows what you shoved water into with the high pressure.
No clicks, possibly somehow got water in the starter solenoid.
I pressure wash my engine bay all the time and have zero issues.
But I always unplug my battery, put a plastic bag around my cone filter, and a plastic bag over the alternator. I also stand like 6 feet back and use a foam cannon which reduces a lot of the pressure. Let it sit for a few hours before reconnecting battery.
Auto detailer here, there are three things I ALWAYS cover with plastic bags before detailing an engine bay.
Battery, or battery connections if I remove the battery.
Alternator
Fuse box (some even have pictures saying no pressure washing)
You can use a weak pressure washer (no more than 1800PSI) to safely clean an engine bay, just keep the nozzle at least an arms length away. If spots are extra dirty, just use non diluted degreaser or even dish soap, gently agitate, then safely rinse.
Bag of rice
Why would you power wash your engine bay?
This must be ai it’s a Toyota they never die.
You ever wonder why the engine is protected from rain?
Everything in your engine bay gets pretty wet when it rains. It’s not really a big deal.
It’s when you add pressurized water into the mix working its way past grommets and seals never designed for that kind of PSI that you start to fuck shit up.
You could expose your entire engine to rain, it would be fine.
Pressure washers can cut through electrical harnesses, wires, and rubber hoses. All of which are critical to making the engine run normally.
do not ever power wash an engine bay!!
let it dry, and unplug and re-plug the connectors more prominent that you got wet... might be ok... but prepare yourself
This. If the OP does get it started and doesn’t do this the water that was forced into the connectors will eventually corrode the terminals and create all sorts of weird issues in the future. The same as a car that has previously been in a flood. The OP isn’t out of the woods even if they get it going.
There are so many ways you can carefully clean your engine bay…power washing isn’t one of them. I have to agree with the other people and allow it to dry for a few days. Be prepared as you may have electrical faults and require mechanical help. Just hope and pray at this point
semi-pro detailer here; I've pressure washed and steam cleaned more engine bays than i can count and have never once had an issue.
How does that help OP?
People act like your ecu is in the engine bay. The ECU and anything that is seriously fucked if it gets water in it is in the cabin. All the engine bay has is sensors. Trust me, I’m Australian and all I do is take my landcruiser though bonnet high water. Admittedly my car is almost purely mechanical. But still. I doubt you’ve actually used a 3000+ psi pressure washer. Likely just a low pressure Karcher. You shouldn’t have washed the engine bay without experience first. But as an immediate fault let it sit overnight. Can position sensors possibly, wouldn’t be coil packs as that’s just for it a misfire. Possibly check battery terminals as often if you don’t tighten them adequately you’ll get all warning lights but no actual cranking as that requires serious amps. You aren’t fucked, it’s pretty hard to actually kill a car like this. People don’t realise just how much they were designed to go through. It’s pretty bloody hard to tell with no engine bay pics, but yeah, check all sensors, research your engine and what sensors are critical for engine operation (as in what would make it not even crank) but I maintain you’ll find it’s just not getting enough power. Not sure if you did the wash a while ago and how it won’t start, in which case you’ve definitely killed the alternator meaning the battery is now dead and can’t charge. As Toyotas just love to munch alternators.
Bro managed to kill a Toyota, proper goon
Betcha don’t do that again.
Why on earth did you power wash the engine bay?? I’m thinking multiple fuses shorted out, sensor connectors damaged, some of those connectors may have disconnected, bare wires shorted out, battery terminals shorted, main computer damage oh my goodness the list goes on… as others have stated, lift the hood up and pray for 2 ~ 3 warm, dry days to dry that bay out. Then be prepared to pay a mechanic a lot of money to find all the electrical faults you’re almost certainly going to have.
Holy hell. Not a single mechanic or detailer in the comments. Pretty sure you shorted your battery, throw jumper cables on it and you’ll be fine. Next time throw a plastic bag over the battery so the terminals don’t get wet.
I've never actually covered my battery and generally pressure wash it. The only thing I cover is my intake when aftermarket. Or the fuse box if the cover is cracked. Hell, I've driven many cars in the rain without hoods. I really think op got water in his fuse box and popped a fuse. Or blew out a connection with carelessness.
Uuff. No crank. Hopefully a relay
Try another pressure wash - it might blow out all the waterlogged electrical connections.
It’s not possible to diagnose much from what you’re showing. Did the engine crank at all, even once, after you washed it? The reason I’m asking is that if water made it into one of the cylinders and the piston tried to compress it, the engine is probably shot, or at least the head needs rebuilt.
It looks like the starter is pulling power when you turn the key because the dash lights that stay on get dimmer. Maybe the battery is weak. Maybe the starter is bad. Maybe there’s a bad ground. Hopefully it’s not trying hard to turn over an engine that has water in it.
Good luck!
Expensive lesson learned
Disconnect the battery and let it dry
off to the diagnostic clinic you go fella. Never power wash an engine before prepping first
There's obviously some sort of safety feature that's preventing a short circuit. Don't try to start the vehicle right now. Hood open, let it dry out.
Probably water got to the ignition coils and sparkplugs. Should work with cleaning it out. Normally there is not much reason why it wouldn't start after water exposure. All vital electric components are sealed.
power wash is crazy
Sorry but this is some darwinism shit
Probably more litres in the engine now
It's a Toyota, let it dry and you're likely gonna be fine.
Ive had this exact issue in the exact car lol.
You need to let it dry.
Test the fuses one by one in the engine bay and then in the footwell. You’re bound to have blown a few.
Once theyr all replaced, it might still not start. That means the main relay which sits within the walls of the fusebox is blown and you’ll need to cut a window into the side of the fusebox to replace
Looks like someone found out
Check that your starter gets power, and that your engine still has good ground.
Read the manual or google it to find out where starter relay and fuse(s) are.
Edit: looks like your dash lights dim when you try to crank, so your starter probably pulls some power. Relay and fuses should be fine, starter itself may be bad
Checking your ground strap is still a good idea.
Old school cars, dry the inside of the distributor cap. These new things, I have no idea. Age old lesson, don’t spray under the hood.
Ah yes the "obsessive cleaner" archetype
Well did you prep anything before POWER WASHING? I’ve washed my engine bay before. I wrap anything and everything with wires in trash bags. Fuse box, battery, alternator etc. If you didn’t wrap shit, you should’ve waited till it dried completely before applying power. It could be something simple or you completely fried something. Good luck.
lol
You shorted it out. Good luck.
Wd40 everything electrical in the engine bay
Just not a good idea doing this EVER. I use a spray bottle and a bunch of rags
when i made this mistake i had to remove all electrical connectors and blow them out with an air compressor til i got it to run on 2 cylindees long enough to heat up and dry out. check fuses for sure first hopefully ecu or another electrical component isnt fried.
Take engine out, get a big ziplock bag and put it there with rice for a few days. Nah but on the serious side, there’s many things that you could have messed up, there’s no start so I’ll check the connections to the starter, check any fuses or relay boxes for water or shorts. Cables and connectors in general.
If you're lucky, it will dry and you're good to go, if you're not lucky and disturbed a wire connection, you'll likely need a mechanic or someone mechanically incline, the one thing you can try is looking around the battery and alternator, like I mean look at the wires and push in at the connectors a little. BTW, I'm not mechanically inclined, just saying what I'd do.
Better get the rice out
I detailed for a decade back in my late teens and early twenties. This was in the 90s. We would power wash every used vehicle when we received it in on a trade or from an auction. We'd hit the bay with some tire degreaser, let it sit for a couple of seconds, then hit it with the power washer. We'd do this WHILE the vehicle was running, after it was at operating temperature. This helped evaporate water more quickly. We also had the power washer on the lowest volume setting. After it was mostly dry, we'd then spray the entire compartment with a spray like tire shine to make it look clean. We even did this with our personal vehicles. Out of the hundreds, or possibly thousands, of vehicles we did this to, I am only aware of 2 or 3 that either shut off while doing it, or had a starting issue later (that eventually resolved itself as the engine compartment dried out).
Let the engine dry out, throw a fan on it if you want extra drying power. Best of luck.
Leave it to the professionals!
1) Why would you power wash an engine bay 2) Don’t do that again 3) Hopefully it’s just electrical gremlins and not permanent damage. Leave it for a few days to dry.
It's the one part of that YouTube guy Te Videos I can't understand. He works at a Honda dealership that actually power washers their customers cars after service. Like how have they not been sued yet?
Disconnect battery. Leaf blower rhe engine bay. Clean ecu connectors. Check fuse box for water. Dry id any. Wait for a day or 2. Then try again.
🤦♂️
Put it in rice
Let it dry to start. Next, pull the ignition leads and spray them with WD40. If this doesn't work, check the fuses. After that, call a mechanic as it's likely a worse problem
Best to leave the engine running if you're going to spray it off. Still not the most advisable thing to do
I have a dedicated peanut sponge for this. 1/2 cup of dawn in a full bucket and go for it. Takes 10 min once or twice a year to hit the things I can reach. Hose it off, done. My mechanic loves me for keeping the worst of it off.
WHY does it need to look brand new under there?!? You're not going to Pebble Beach or anything.
Probably my water in spark plugs
Yep so next time use a sprinkler hose fitting to not let this happen.
That’s why detail guys use a low pressure steamer to clean the bays, lol
My toyota wouodnt turn on unless clitch was fully pressed. Try that out. Sometimes we all make mistakes in the heat of passion jimbo
Who washes under their hood?! LOL
🤣
Lol next you'll post about your phone not starting after running it through the dishwasher.
Get a fan in there and circulate the air around
Take a video of your engine bay, maybe someone can spot a connector or wire that you blasted off… hard to really know what kind of carnage you caused when power washing your engine bay. Really not a smart move on your part. Mistakes have a cost: time, money, health, etc…
Next time cover up your battery, alternator, fusebox, distributors, and air intakes. Also just use a hose next time
You sure you don't need to press the brake for ignition to allow start?
Smh
Yeah my man…. Don’t power wash or wash the engine bay. Unless it’s with something none corrosive/rust inducing and doesn’t conduct electricity
Let it dry out, when pressure washing dont spray fuse box, battery, or alternator directly
A damp rag is all you need to keep engine bay clean
Even if you’re not religious I’d swallow my pride and pray to God that you didn’t manage to get water into the ECM/ECU. (Computer.) An easy $500 to $1500 bill if I had to pull a price out of my butt.
Someone mentioned that engine bays are meant to withstand getting wet. What they’re not engineered for are being completely submerged and/or the extreme pressure and velocity of a pressure washer. There’s no telling what it’s all gotten into. In my experience being an electrical technician at a factory for almost 20 years, the biggest eye screwings on breakdowns by far are when you have two or more issues at once. The more issues compounding one another the more exponentially harder it is to troubleshoot.
Depending on how thorough you were in pressure washing it you could have gotten water into sealed connectors and/or severed wires, gotten water into and/or damaged sensors, and destroyed super expensive parts like control modules.
Definitely a learning experience and most likely will be so expensive you’ll remember this one until your dying day, give or take if/when you develop Alzheimer’s anyway.
Edit: Being a 1.0L engine it may just be the fact that it’s so small it can’t even manage to overcome the friction of the bearings, bushings, piston rings, and valve springs on a good day.
Did you power wash your fuses or air intake?
You probably don't want to. If you fire it up, and cause a massive misfire, raw gas will get to your cats and fry them. I'd be going over that thing with a bunch of dry shop rags, go get some of that new WD40 electric parts cleaner spray, and drying it out one rag at a time. Unplug EVERYTHING that plugs together, make sure there is no water in between the connections, give it a short spray of the WD 40 electric parts cleaner spray, and put it back together. You can not just spray down a modern engine, could have done it in 1976, but not today.
I just grab a engine cleaner spray and wipe what I can
This was incredibly dumb. Use a semi-damp cloth if you must clean under the engine. But unless you're going to a car show? Doubt it. What were you thinking? Your engine bay is full of electronics and sensors that can withstand damp environments but direct contact with water like that? What a stupid move. And did you disconnect the battery terminals before attempting such a "clean"?
Some advice is don't pressure wash the engine bay.
How hard is it to hand wipe an engine bay? Smh
Put car in rice bag.