Besides a clean exterior of the car, it’s import to clean your engine as well. It’s important to clean the engine’s exterior and even more important to clean the engine’s interior. Dirt that gets stuck in the internal parts can cause lower performance of your engine, higher fuel consumption and higher emission levels.

Engine exterior cleaning

For general cleaning of the outside of the engine, a sponge, brush and soapy water will go a long way. This step by step guide will tell you how to clean you engine exterior.

Step 1: Plan the day

Choose a warm day for cleaning your engine. Warm weather with low humidity and some wind helps the engine and other components dry quickly after you clean the engine. You can do it at home or at the carwash.

Step 2: Cold engine

Make sure you work with a cold engine. If you have just used it, wait at least 15 minutes. You can burn yourself on the hot parts, but you can also damage the engine with the cold water.

Step 3: Remove parts

Remove plastic caps. You can clean these separately. To protect electrical components when they get wet, remove the negative terminal of the battery. If you want, you can also choose to remove the complete battery.

Step 4: Protecting components

If you decide to leave the battery in place, you can also cover it with a plastic bag. Do this for the ignition cable and engine control unit as well. Also cover the exposed engine air intake.

Step 5: Degreasing

Use our Rapid Brake & Parts Cleaner to degrease the engine parts. Spray the entire engine with it.

Step 6: Scrubbing the engine

Parts like the valve cover need some extra elbow grease. These parts are often full of stuck oil and dirt. A small brush with synthetic bristles will do the trick.

Step 7: Rinse off the engine

After you’ve degreased and polished it’s time to rinse. The easiest way to do this is with a high pressure hose on the lowest setting. But a garden hose also works fine. This will flush all the degreaser away. Try to avoid all electronics and places that are difficult to get dry. Tip: work from back to front.

Step 8: Drying

If you have an air compressor nearby, get one. With it you can easily blow air into all the corners to remove the remaining water. If you do not have an air compressor nearby, an old towel or rag will also work. This will not only remove the water, but also the remaining grime.

Step 9: Replace parts

Now that the exterior of the engine is clean, you can put back the parts you removed in step 3. And remove any plastic bags that you may have used to protect it.

Cleaning the inside of the engine

Contaminated internals of the engine results in lower performance of your engine, higher fuel consumption and higher emission. Ardina Car Care offers additives for fuel, engine oil and the cooling system. Those can clean your engine on the inside. These additives can be used to clean the engine or to prevent the engine get contaminated with dirt and grime.

Fuel system treatments

The Ardina fuel system additives clean the parts of the engine where the fuel runs through. Parts get contaminated which lead to decreased engine performance, poor starting, increased fuel consumption, or extraordinary smoke generation. Fuel system additives clean and protect these parts of the engine.

Advantages of using fuel system treatments to clean the engine:

  • longer engine life
  • less wear
  • more engine power
  • lower repair costs
  • lower fuel and oil consumption
  • lower emissions

Oil system treatments

Oil system additives also clean your engine. It cleans the parts of the engine where oil flows through.

Problems with these components arise from use of lower quality oil, excessive use of oil or unfavorable driving conditions. With the Ardina Oil system additives you can clean and protect your engine.

Cooling system treatments

Cooling system additives clean the parts of the cooling system. The cooling system is designed to keep the engine on the correct (operating) temperature. Parts of the cooling system can get contaminated as well. How does a cooling system treatment help to clean the engine? These additives help to get rid of any deposits that form barriers to heat exchange, thermostatic valves and control mechanisms. If the engine temperature gets to low, your fuel consumption will increase, if the engine temperature gets too high, the engine will work uneconomically, with high wear and high risk of damage. The Ardina additives will help to clean your engine and prevent it from problems.

Now you know how to clean your engine on the in- and outside.