How to Protect Electronics When Replacing a Blown Head Gasket

Protecting the electronics in your vehicle's engine compartment is extremely important during any car maintenance. This is especially true when you are doing a valve cover replacement as you are disconnecting and reconnecting many components along the way.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Know which electronic components to protect when cleaning your engine, whether it is at home or at the local car wash. This should include the distributor and the main fuse box. If your engine has any other electrical components under the hood, you will want to protect them also. Check your vehicle repair manual for this information.

2. Take a plastic bag and flip it over the distributor, making sure the cap is covered and no water or chemicals can get into it. Use tape to seal off access to the distributor cap. The chemicals at the car wash and home use are the same, but damaging nonetheless. Such damage could cause your car to misfire or not start at all.

3. Use another bag to tightly cover the main fuse box. This is the other component you want to make sure not to get any water or chemicals in. Avoid pointing the sprayer directly at these components and they should be well protected.

4. Spray the entire engine with engine degreaser. Let it sit for a few moments, then spray off with water. This is an important step when replacing blown head gaskets as it allows to check for leaks that may be otherwise undetected from the oil and grease.

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