How to Clean an Audi Engine
Keeping the engine bay of your Audi clean has many benefits. First and foremost, it makes the engine look better, but more importantly it makes it much more pleasant to work on the car and perform routine maintenance such as oil changes and spark plug replacement. A clean engine bay can also contribute to your car's reliability by preventing dust, dirt and oil from building up excessively around sensitive mechanical and electrical components.
Things You'll Need
- Hose
- Plastic sheeting
- Citrus-based degreaser
- Scrub brush
- Rags
- Automotive wax
- Simple Green
- Armor All
Instructions
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1
Cover any exposed electrical components with plastic. Also, put plastic or aluminum foil over the spark plug recesses or coils if they are exposed.
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2
Use a hose with a medium pressure setting to rinse off the engine compartment and remove any loose debris, dirt and leaves. Try not to point the stream of water at major electrical components such as fuse boxes.
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3
Spray a mild, citrus-based engine degreaser onto the entire surface of the engine bay. Let the degreaser soak in for a few minutes, particularly on areas where there are oil and grease built up.
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4
Scrub areas that are very dirty with a stiff bristled brush. The fender wells in particular can get very dirty in an engine bay.
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5
Rinse the engine bay with the hose. Wipe the engine down with a rag and a cleaner such as Simple Green after the majority of the degreaser has been removed.
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Apply vinyl and plastic protectant such as Armor All (or your preferred brand) to any plastic components such as the engine cover, fuse box, air box and fresh air ducting. Some newer Audis have plastic fender liners in the engine bay that need to be wiped with the Armor All.
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Apply wax to the insides of the wheel arches. Wipe the wax on and then buff it off with a clean rag. There are also spray-on waxes available that can make getting to areas further down in the engine bay a little easier.
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