Jakpro1

Mines an 03 and I just noticed, of course when the guys at the dyno shop popped the hood and had wood to take pics.....then kinda smiled and walked away, that I had a dirty AMG motor....they snapped one pic to be kind.

Anyway, you can't just take this to the local car wash and hit the motor with the pressue washer.....can you?

Worry bout wet parts, electronics, Kleemann belt etc.

Any info would be appreciated.

J

lbE55

I'd like some information on this as well. I don't remember anything in the owner's manual, but it has been a while since I've read it.

Mine's an 04 with 20k miles. I recently had it in for service and the tech said it was "one of the cleanest" that he's seen. Here's what I've done:

I've had the "undercarriage wash" done at the carwash about a year ago because I was at a horse show and the road was pretty muddy. I've seen the underbelly of the beast since then and it is pretty clean.

About once every two or three months, I take a shop rag and "polish" everything in the engine compartment that I can reach. I don't use any product on the rag, just hot water (and I ring out the rag before I "polish" -- just enough to have the rag damp). I usually go through two or three rags before I'm done (trying to keep the rag as clean as possible).

Other than that, I'm like you. I can't see spraying it with anything (water included).

MB Fanatic

I had my dealer steam clean that engine for about $50. Got a nice little discount on it. Beast still looks new from teh radiator to the firewall.

E55AMG99

One Touch Tire Care and if it is really bad, steam clean. One warning about steam cleaning, if the operator is not careful, he can remove paint and cause other damage under the hood.

AMGE

A while ago we had my wifes MB engine "steam cleaned" at the dealer and when we got it back it was running rough so it went in for service. The cleaning caused moisture in the ignition and they had to replace a module of some kind.

Steam cleaning is just hot water under pressure and not all that good an idea for cleaning an engine in my opinion.

I use compressed air to get the dust off my engine then I put gloves on and take a wet rag like lbe55 says and wet wipe what I can, looks pretty good.

Jakpro1

Looks like that is gonna be it.....old fashioned elbow grease.

Thanks for the info.

E55AMG99

Before you go and strain yourself, try the One Touch Tire Care. It really does work and disolves the grease and grime. You can lay it on as heavy as you like and it evaporates. No need to rinse at all.

Jakpro1

Hey thanks....is this the stuff?

E55AMG99

No. Look for the original product.

pas

Castrol super clean and a hose is all you need, you can dilute it if you are afraid of going full strength. A semi stiff paint brush can be used to loosen stubborn dirt. Its best to do it on a warm (not hot) motor and be sure to hose the whole front end of the car down before applying the super clean. You might lose a sticker or two if you do it regularly but it won't damage anything. If for some reason your car runs rough afterwards water has gotten somewhere it shouldn't and on newer cars that should not happen so take it in for service. It will dry out and run normal within a day anyway. I worked as a lot boy/detailer from the age of 16 all the way through college and I pressure washed hundreds of cars (1600 psi hot water) and only the old hunks run poorly after and even they are fine the next day.

dtxmob

1. Let the engine run for a minute or two to warm it up. Grease and other gunk is easier to remove when the engine is warm (NOT HOT).

2. Cover any exposed electrical components and anything else you do not want to get a bunch of water on with aluminum foil.

3. Get a can of engine degreaser from your local auto store...they used GUNK Engine Degreaser. Spray it liberally on everything! Don't be shy...they used the entire can. Let is sit for 10-15mins so it can breakdown and loosen all that grime.

4. Get the hose out and spray down everything to remove all the degreaser and dirt and grime. Do not use a nozzle...just the hose is enough pressure. You do not want to blast water into all the engine components...especially on newer cars.

5. Let the water run off for a few mins and start the engine and let is run for 30 seconds to help dry some of the water.

6. Here's the final step that SHOCKED the hell out of me. They sprayed the entire engine bay down with WD-40. They used an entire can and sparyed it on EVERYTHING! After they were done; the engine looked BRAND NEW. I was told this is how many car dealers get the used cars to look brand new under the hood. Some substitute Pledge furniture spray instead of WD-40 (believing WD-40 attracts dust).(Details from Vinnymac @E46fanatics)

machz990

I have used Castrol Super Clean for years to clean exhaust oil residue off of snowmobiles. Snowmobiles have a lot of aluminum and I never allow the Castrol Super Clean to touch the aluminum as it etches and dulls the aluminum. I would assume that since our E55 motors are aluminum as well as other underhood components, I would use Castrol Super Clean with careful diligence.

Jakpro1

Thanks!

lbE55

I've been pretty lucky so far. Not much in the way of grease, gunk, or grime; the engine has remained pretty clean except for, basically, dust. The thought about spraying stuff on that engine freaks me out a bit. I think that I will stick with my current technique, but will add the compressed air suggestion offered by AMGE.

vrus

I havent had time to detail my E55 engine but when I used to do it on my other cars this is what I did:

I use the compressed air method to blow out loose dirt and dust.

I then idle the car for 5 or 10min to build up heat in the motor.

I then spray windex all over the place and just let it soak in. Sounds funny I know, but windex actually does a very good job of disolving the dirt and grime. I let everything dry then I wipe down quickly with a rag.

Last step is to spray Black magic tire dressing all over the place. Let that dry on its own and everything will look sparkling new!!

VelocitE55

You gotta stay on it man! I clean mine once every 2-3 weeks. I have never had to use anything other than a damp rag as I keep up with it but you can try some Simple Green with a Toothbrush for the hard to clean areas like the Intake Plenums and the Supercharger. Then you can wipe with a wet rag to rinse. The rest like the core support, firewall, sides of the bay, plastic engine covers is fine with a damp rag. Stay on it and it will always be beautiful! To me, keeping the engine clean and pretty is just as important as keeping the outside clean.

pas

obviously there are many ways to get the job done and some of us have much more time on our hands then others. As far as using Castrol super clean on aluminum I've never had any problems with it, i've used it on motorcycles, boats, cars, and I use it for my wheel cleaner 50/50 with water in a pump sprayer it works great and has never damaged anything i have used it on. It does not work well on chrome wheels for some reason, but great on alloys.

AmenMercedesGo

Most self spray wash sites have a selection of spot-free rinse. If you dust 1x a month with this setting and raise your hood when you get home and wipe off the excess and wipe the upper cross member of with meguiar's spray and wipe detailer your car engine compartment it will look brand new. Mine still runs low 12's after said treatment. If you have build up since you have never cleaned before dust the engine compartment with simple green and rinse as stated.

MBE55AMG

I know this is a long overdue reply, but, I just finished hosing my engine bay and the steps I took were the following:

1. WD-40d all components
2. Poured Formula 88 in a spray bottle and sprayed liberally around engine and engine itself
3. Scrubbed around with an old toothbrush to loosen tough grime and dirt
4. Hosed down and wiped with terry towels

I wasn't sure to use tire dressing because I'm paranoid about the "Extremely Flammabale Content" label. Can you tell me it's safe to use?

a_ok2me

I agree. I've used it for at least 8 years without problems. No elbow grease invloved and it's the easiest thing to do to keep everything look new. It removes oil and grease effortlessly.

MB Fanatic

Do you just hose down the engine after using that stuff?

Bernanke

forget ALL that.... the absolute BEST engine cleaner... Meguires leather wipes (yes leather wipes)... TRUST ME. its a little secret from the detail junkies, it lasts for months and it makes your engine bay look BRAND new. and the best part is you can use it on everything, plastic, the body paint (inside engine bay), etc etc. i did it on my car and it stays clean year round, just once every few months gotta wipe some more.

a_ok2me

Yeap. They have a new orange clean smell product. Post #11 by dtxmob is a very clear and simple instruction. If you're using a pressure gun like in car washes, stand back a distance and don't pull the trigger because it will be too strong and could break something.

I also spray everywhere under and around the engine because you can have oil spills there, salt, etc. Again, in the 8 years I've used it, I've sprayed everywhere, but I try not to spray electronics and hoses unless I have to. Even when I do, the hoses are still good. I use no pressure when spraying electronics. So far no problems there either. Finally, stay away from the paint job. That's all I can think of.

a_ok2me

I tried that several weeks ago on the plastics. It's not a cleaner, but just a shiner for after the cleaning. But after awhile, the heat just burns the shine away. "Engine Brite Gunk" is the best "cleaning" product I've used. There's literally no elbow grease involved.

Edit: I just read the instructions on the new Engine Brite orange citrus product and it states to spray on a cool engine. I did it while the engine was warm and it worked fine. The regular engine brite stuff states to do it on a warm engine.

MB Fanatic

It wont short out anything will it. If so Im gonna try this on my Odyssey. It needs it badly. :-D