Help!! Washed My Engine
I washed my engine and shortly after i started it. I saw smoke coming up from the back of the motor and it smelled weird. I looked into my dash and saw the battery light was on. I went and pulled the power cable of the battery and it stalled out.
Im thinking that i killed the alternator. What do yall think?? Could it be because its wet??
Uh yeah.
When you wash a motor, you keep it running, cover up any electricals (ALTERNATOR IS A MUST) and keep the water away from anything electrical. You also do it in short bursts as to keep away from anything electrical.
Notice how many times I said electrical?
Your alternator probably took a shit.
lol also, naturally, when you disconnect your battery cable, your car isnt gonna wanna run very well, anyway! lol
i usually wash all my cars like that i never had a problem!! I guess ill go get one now
why dont you just let it sit for a while and see if it run better when everything dries
"I remember the first time I had sex – I kept the receipt."
lol at you!! The car will run normal. Go try it!!!
Originally Posted by collins
Yea im gona wait it out!! If nothing happens then ill just go get a new one!!
the only way you would have hurt something is because you cranked it with out leaving time for the connections to dry out. Anything electrical can get wet as long as you dont have power running to it.
"I remember the first time I had sex – I kept the receipt."
i'll be rinsing mine out tonight... even my engine bay was covered in pollen lol...
^^Mine too. Ive been wanting too , but don't feel like going through any problems.
Did you soak the alternator. How long did you spray it?
people have this thing thinking that it is necessary to cover electrical components, when it isnt necessary. as long as the car is turned on when you are cleaning the engine and you dont sit there and run the water on the electrical components constantly, you will be fine. i have cleaned my mothers volvo, accord, my brothers accord, my integra and my trucks engine bay and have never covered any electrical components and the only problem i have is because of the distributor cap. the one on my truck doesnt seal all the way allowing moisture to seep in. so the only thing i had to do was to take off the cap, wipe out the inside, and it started right back up.
i think i did soak it. I never had a problem before though!!!
you dont soak, you rinse it
its like you spray it for a little while then rinse the rest of the engine down, spray it again, then let it do its thing. you dont sit there and hold it on the electrical components for a period of time. thats a no no
yea i kno i never covered any of my motors and never had a problem!!
Yea i kno!! Do you think it could have been the purple power?? Thats what i used
the alternator keeps the car going
FUCK B&D COMMUNICATIONS!
I kno???
nope ive used purple power, simple green, gunk engine degreaser(will never use again, that mess stinks) and never had a problem like what you are. i think you may have sprayed the alternator a little too long. was the car on when you were cleaning the engine??
nah i wasnt
theres your other no no.
always while you are cleaning your engine, leave it turned on, cranked, whatever you want to call it.
it maybe your alternator, or cap...psssh i dont know man.
your fucked lol
i kno lol
which car wasit?
Not necessary, but helpful.
ive covered my components when i first started washing cars, and you know the result, the same, still had to take off the distributor cap. so thats why I say that its not necessary to do.
So what was the outcome?
Well if your Alternator is good when you disconnect the battery it wont shut off, but when the alt is bad it will shut off. The car will run well as for my advice.
I use the Black Magic engine cleaner stuff and it works fine...of course, it's my dad's car and he never cleans it, so it's still gross, but it's an improvement. I don't run the engine when I do spray it or rinse it, though...why would you?
Helps to dry things quicker. I worked at a dealer, washed the engine bay on a jetta once, left it running. Moved it out the door, shut it down. Brought it back in for another diagnosis, and it had started fine. Another guy washed the engine bay on it afterwards. Didn't leave the car running. Tried to fire it off to pull it out, wouldn't start. Waited til the shift was over, still didnt start. Next day came in at 7 am. Had my first break at 9:30 went out with a jump box b/c they cranked it til the battery died. Hit the key, fired right up.
90% of teens say "oh shit" before a wreck. The other 10% are from Pennsylvania, they say " hold my beer and watch this shit."
EvasiveEF9: Just fill me in...if it's black, I'm all over it...
Ah...so as long as it dries before trying to start it, you're pretty much golden?
ive never washed a engine while running, i detailed cars at honda for 2 years. Cold water and hot engine parts are no good. Your just asking for a cracked manifold or somthing. I cover the dizzy and air filter and never had a problem with the car not starting back up.
I've never seen/dealt with an issue other tahn that time. I wash my engine bay all the time. Never have a problem with it. I also have a tach spliced in, and a few other things going on in my compartment that are needing dealt with. All the connectors and plugs for the B16 swap too. No Issues.
90% of teens say "oh shit" before a wreck. The other 10% are from Pennsylvania, they say " hold my beer and watch this shit."
EvasiveEF9: Just fill me in...if it's black, I'm all over it...
yea no shit about the gunk citris degreaser smelling but i spray my motor and the only thing i cover up is the intake filter.
i would plug the plug wires and blow it out with air, same with the dist. cap, see if that makes a difference, if not pull the alt and have it checked at advanced or autozone, but i wouldnt think it would have hurt the alt, shyt ive sprayed acid on my engine to get the block and things to shine, even on the aly and it never hurt anything before, so i know purple power would damage anything as well lol
Anyone that has ever bought a used from a dealer, especially a certified used car has had a wash done under the hood.
#1 thing is don't use high pressure, you can but it's not advised. If you have to only do it on the firewall, block, and wherever electrical is not present. Things that are electrical shouldn't be dirty enough to require high pressure anyways. Spray everything down with a mild degreaser or spray engine cleaner (being careful with it on aluminum or paint), scrub with a soft brush as necessary on metal parts, just use a soft rag on painted areas...then rinse with mild pressure or even just the hose without a nozzle.
no, LOL at you! A car can run without an alternator but NOT without a battery...it will, for just long enough to switch batteries if you don't have any jumper cables but that's it. Where do you suppose the alternator gets the power from to then send it to the coil pack(s) or distributor to generate thousands of volts for the spark plugs if there is no battery connected? Is it blue tooth technology, like magically send power wirelessly to the alternator?
important point thats made. thats why i either wait until the engine is warm(best time to do it) or have the engine cold. then i start the engine cleaning process
Why do you guys run the motor when washing the motor?
I just spray everything down with diluted Simple Green, let that soak then spray it all off. Coat all lines/hoses with armor all so they stay glossy black. Simple green can discolor some aluminum so check your engine before you start spraying.
02 WRX Sport Wagon
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