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Many of us (if not all) know that it is quite dangerous to sprinkle water on an electrical device or cable; it could lead to short-circuiting or other dangerous hazards.
With such a mentality, is it safe to spray your engine with water, knowing that there are naked electric cables in the engine bay? Well, if you must wash your engine, there’s apparently no other way to do that except you use water together with some important cleaners.
That said, it is generally safe to spray your engine with water, but there are things you should have in mind while doing this.
Does Water Affect The Electrical Components in The Engine Bay?
You aren’t the only one scared about spraying your engine bay with water. Cleaning the engine area is one of the most feared actions most car owners are careful to avoid. It is generally advisable to work on your car with apt carefulness; cleaning the engine requires a similar approach.
Not all components in the engine bay are allergic to water. In fact, it’s just a few of them that are allergic to water. So, whenever you are going to apply water to the engine bay, you should watch out for those components that do not need water to touch or penetrate them.
If you carelessly spray water on all the components in your car engine area, it could result in serious problems that may cost you a huge sum.
There are electrical components and possibly naked cables (if you’ve worked on the car before at a mechanic workshop) that you should protect against water.
Is It Safe To Spray Your Engine With Water?
As long as you would do it cautiously, it is totally safe to wet the engine bay. However, depending on the type of car your drive, there might be a need to cover up many components.
Some modern cars do not require you to cover anything before spraying water; mostly, the battery terminals are already covered, and you’ll hardly see a naked cable.
The most components you should cover before spraying include the battery, air intake, and alternator. Other components can accept water splashes; however, do not spray directly on belts and cables.
Instead, sprinkle the engine itself and let the splashes get into other corners and clean up the dust and dirt in there.
Read Also: How to Know When Oil Filter Needs Changing
How To Spray Water On Your Car Engine
It is safe to use a pressure washer to rinse your car engine; however, do not use the pressure at its highest psi.
Spray 200 psi of water to your engine at a close distance (about an inch away) can be very dangerous is not recommended. Always maintain a reasonable distance and use the pressure washer in a light setting.
On the contrary, a standard hose will work perfectly. You can use your garden hose to spray water on your car engine – it’s totally safe if you covered the electrical components properly.
However, before you spray your engine, there are things you should do – like applying a cleaner to soften the grimes and dirt so that the engine could appear neat after the spray.
What To Do Before Spraying Your Engine
Get a cleaner or degreaser (you may need to mix it in water) and apply it on the engine. Make use of a brush to get the cleaner into all corners of the engine and other parts of the engine bay that require cleaning.
Remember to cover an open-air filter, non-original wiring (probably done by a mechanic for a purpose), the alternator, spark plugs, and other electrical components.
When the cleaner has settled on the engine, you could use a microfiber towel to wipe the engine and all the places you applied the cleaning solution. Afterward, spray the engine to rinse the remaining cleaner and leave you with a sparkling engine bay.
If you could still spot dirt and grimes, apply the cleaner to those areas, and rinse again. Remember not to spray directly on belts and the alternator; these components do not actually need water to hit hard on them or penetrate inside.
In general, cautiously spray your engine with water while washing the bay. This doesn’t just make your engine look good, but it also helps to make the engine last longer.
Read Also: Can Synthetic Oil Be Used with Regular Oil?
Conclusion
Hopefully, this concise article answers the question; “is it safe to spray your engine with water?” although some people make it appear like wetting your engine bay is a prohibited action, it is totally safe when you heed to the necessary precautions, as well as use the right cleaning equipment.
There is not stipulated timeframe when you should spray or wash your car engine – you are the one to create a schedule for washing your car engine bay.
Importantly, when using pressure washers, don’t spray at the highest PSI; it can be hazardous and not advisable.