So after driving my car like 700mi over x-mas break, I decided the 3/4" of dirt colored paint needed to go. No problem..wash the car. Well, There was a good bit of dust under the hood too. Once again, no biggie, just open the hood with the car running and give a light spray with the hose on the low-pressure "shower" setting. But this time I didn't leave the car running. Well get everything all cleaned up, discover that my paint actually has a nice metallic texture to it, wash the brown wheels off and go out for some beers.

Well everything went fine until I went into boost and power went flat and the exhaust went to the sound of a busted Subaru. I figured it had to be water in the plugs eventhough i've never actually accomplished such a feat. Upon pulling plug #1 and finding it decently wet, the problem was obvious. Out came all of the plugs and in went a rag and long screw driver and out came the water.

D'oh.

 

to you sir.

 

Good brain fart. We all have them from time to time. Some more than others <------

 

I was afraid Id so something like this when washing mine, so I used a pressure washer. so far so good

 

Has anyone noticed that if you use your Miata as a daily it's almost impossible to keep the engine bay clean.

 

I dunno..... I DD mine and here is is before I washed it....

 

My daily driver:



The guy who sold it to me had it detailed, which was about five years ago. I've never really "washed" it per se, but whenever I'm working on a particular area and have some parts off, I do tend to wipe said region with a rag. Last time that happened was ~6 months ago.

Most grimy engines I see are that way because of oil (or other oil-based fluid) leakage. Keep that under control, and you have no worries.

 

My sister has this fucked up OCD cleaning disorder. He car is painfully clean...I'm not embellishing when I say its possibly cleaner than when she bought it from the dealer. Basically I just bribe her into cleaning mine.

I had a slight leak on the 1.6:


I painted my bock silver so I could see leaks:


I was tempted to paint everything under the hood white to see leaks, but tasteful restraint overcame utility.

 

My engine bay is awful. Absolutely horrible. It was dirty when I got it and driving it in the snow and slush all winter makes it worse. I've hosed it out a couple times, but that doesn't seem to help much. Any suggestions for making it shiny again?

 

Hustler, why is your car the color of a bass boat?

 

wait....WTF just happened..Hustler just posted a picture of a Miata engine bay containing a TURBO. It is the end of the world....

 

Yes and he posted talking about it moving on its own power also. No wonder the weather been so f**ked up lately. I never put two and two together until now.

 

I know, right. The flash and the pearl don't compliment each other, holmes.

 

You guys with the clean and pretty engine bays don't DD you cars where it rains 200 days a year! Without the undertray and wheel well liners mine gets pretty filthy. I've gotta find another set of wheel liners and fab up a tray/splitter combo.

I learned years ago with my DSM that cleaning an engine bay = electrical gremlins. Like Joe I just towel things off when I can. Water is not a friend of your engines electrical connections, switches, selenoids and circuits.

 

this thread is now about your daily drivers engine bays

 

You know the rules.

When I build an engine, it will all be white. Everything.

+1 I'll get some pics tomorrow.

 

Same car I swears it!

DD engine bay to come later.

 

oh **** I need to paint my subframe and suspension silver.

 

Thread jacked!! Well I do live in Columbia SC, its the sandy like the beach here.



Sorry for the shitty cell pic.

 

Miata (summertime DD):



DD



Ok ok the BMW pic is not my car but its too cold to go out and take a pic dammit.