Do you like an engine to look good and a clean engine bay?

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Have you got any " after " photographs?.

 

[Teego]

It's a well - known fact that dirty cars and trucks perform worse and break down more often.

 

[Wheelnut58]

I’m not as OCD as some but I do like a clean engine bay, and I do polish inside the exhaust tips

 

[MCFastybloke]

Autosol ordered,looking well Paul.

 

[Wheelnut58]

Autosol is the top choice Martin, as recommended by the OCD people on here

 

[Mattns]

By contrast, I bought a Boxster S and I took great delight when inspecting the engine (buried deep in the middle of the car) it had a lovely coating of dry even dust everywhere with finger prints on the air and oil filters, after three years it was sold on with the same dry dust and additional finger prints from three services and no brake down.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Given the choice of identical cars but one having a spotless engine bay, which would you choose?
Sure the engine will still run perfectly with filth on the outside of it, but to me it shows the sign of an owner who doesn't care for his car and possibly ignores other issues.

That ^^ or....someone who likes the appearance of a clean engine etc and thrashes the hell out of it when he drives it. Many YT videos of idiots leaving car shows / get togethers.

 

[MercedesDriver]

For a weekend cars or a garage queens I would expect to see a shiny clean engine bays but for a daily cars I don't. What I want to see is that it is dry without any leak marks, a bit of dust doesn't bother me.

 

[Cherrypd]

As above. Daily’s I’d prefer dusty and dry. But weekend cars or classics need to be spotless.

 

[Bellow]

Given the choice of identical cars but one having a spotless engine bay, which would you choose?

The one with the engine in best health.

Sure the engine will still run perfectly with filth on the outside of it, but to me it shows the sign of an owner who doesn't care for his car and possibly ignores other issues.

Or an owner that devotes their efforts to maintenance not primping.

Cleaning an engine does nothing for its well being or cure any internal ills any more than washing your face will rid you of cancer.

 

[Wheelnut58]

For a weekend cars or a garage queens I would expect to see a shiny clean engine bays but for a daily cars I don't. What I want to see is that it is dry without any leak marks, a bit of dust doesn't bother me.

My car as only become a garage queen during the present situation, it will be going back to a daily when wife is back at work, it will get get washed at least once a week and receive the same attention every time, once it’s clean it’s easy to keep that way Even my last car when it slept outside could be kept that way

 

[Headhurts]

Mine is kept clean but looks very plain against some others on here

 

[E55BOF]

My cars are for driving. I usually drive with the bonnet closed...

 

[SmartAmg]

My car is not a garage queen and is my daily driver, and my car is very well maintained, and very clean most of the time, including the engine bay.
You can have both if that's what you want.
And comparing a clean engine bay with Cancer, is quite frankly a bit silly.

 

[Bellow]

And comparing a clean engine bay with Cancer, is quite frankly a bit silly.

Not what I said.

 

[Will]

Nope - only a preference.
Engines run fine whether clean or dirty on the outside. They really don't care.

The above is obviously true, but a clean engine bay makes any fluid leaks (oil/coolant etc) easier to spot, is nicer to work around come service time (or when topping up oil/screenwash, changing a battery or fitting bulbs for example) and good attention to detail is often appreciated by enthusiasts - I reckon most people would agree an as-new looking engine bay looks better than one covered in dirt/leaves/excess dust etc

And back to my point about attention to detail. Spending a few minutes wiping down the engine bay now and then is the perfect chance to spot anything untoward - a fraying drive belt, leaking oil or coolant, maybe a power steering pump that’s weeping or a water pump that’s starting to leak, loose fasteners etc.

There’s a difference between clean and ‘OCD’ mind, even if you just wipe the bonnet shuts and the main touch areas down it takes literally seconds, looks a lot tidier and saves getting your fingers dirty topping your oil or screenwash etc. New cars come with clean engine bays (and decorative covers, complete with badges etc!) what’s the harm in keeping them that way?

I don’t understand your negativity towards people wanting to do this? It’s almost as though their choice to maintain their car in this way is bugging you - what is the problem?

 

[Bellow]

I don’t understand your negativity towards people wanting to do this? It’s almost as though their choice to maintain their car in this way is bugging you - what is the problem?

I haven't expressed any 'negativity towards people wanting to do this' - merely that it is of no interest to me and serves no purpose in proper maintenance - for which I am a stickler.
Not in the least 'bugged'. Perhaps others are at my response but don't ask questions you might not like the answers to.

 

[SmartAmg]

To be honest with you Bellow, I've not really understood any of your posts on this thread,
I like a clean engine bay, that's my choice, if somebody else doesn't, great no problems it's there choice. That's it really, simple's.

 

[Bellow]

To be honest with you Bellow, I've not really understood any of your posts on this thread,
I like a clean engine bay, that's my choice, if somebody else doesn't, great no problems it's there choice. That's it really, simple's.

You asked - I answered - as did others.

How you cannot understand my posts will remain a mystery. Clear as day to anyone else.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I love a sparkling clean engine bay. But after having bought very many cheapish old cars in my time, I’d be a bit apprehensive about buying one with a pristine engine bay. I’d need to question whether it’s clean because the owner looked after it well, or had it just been cleaned to remove all the oil-stained dust and dirt resulting from various small leaks?

Anyway, this was the engine bay on my 22 year old Porsche 944 S2 when I sold it - without any leaks!