Have you ever gone to wash your car and wondered how your car can withstand the jet of pressure? Imagine now, leaving the car wash with your car spotless ready to receive all the looks of the world but when you turn the key to start it, nothing happens. It’s not what you expected, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened to a user (who wishes to remain anonymous) who shared his experience in a car wash machine.
And the fact is that, although these machines came to make our lives easier, we must be very careful with them if we don’t want to suffer a disaster. Below we tell you what you should NOT do when you take your car to the car wash.
What should you never do at a car wash?
Although the idea may sound fantastic, stop! You should never, ever wash the engine. It doesn’t matter if your car leaks oil from the top, or if you think it looks nicer by cleaning that off, it’s something that you as a user should never touch. Keep in mind that the engine is located in an area where there are many electrical and very delicate components, and, although they are made to resist water, a downpour is not the same as a high-pressure jet directly hitting it and chemicals can also fall in the wrong areas. In short, you can cause a disaster and even break your car!
What happened to the driver?
This driver we’re talking about shared his experience in a post called “I decided to wash the engine and ruined my car, any idea where to start?” And that’s where this user says that his car leaks a little oil from the top of the engine and that it smelled a little bad too. Normally, he would wipe it with a rag, but this time he wanted the engine to be spotless, so he went to the car wash and used the button that said “engine/tire wash.” MISTAKE!
What happened now could be part of a horror scene for car lovers. The user says that once he pressed that button, a kind of soapy liquid began to come out and he thought that he had to wash it with the high-pressure water jet. At that moment, everything was shiny, but when this person tried to start the car, it wouldn’t start.
A guide to washing your engine (safely)
Do you know what the worst part of this story is? It’s very common for this to happen due to the lack of information we have about washing this area, so we’re going to give you some tips so that what happened to this user never happens to you.
- Before you start pouring water like crazy, cover the alternator and the electrical connectors with plastic bags or aluminium foil, this way you’ll be protecting the most essential parts of your car.
- Use mild descaling agents that are specifically for engines, you don’t need an aggressive product.
- Forget about pressure water! A hose with low-pressure water will be your best friend and you’ll be able to control much better where the water falls.
- Use the air blower or a microfiber towel to make sure the engine is completely dry before starting it.
Oops… What if it’s too late?
If your car doesn’t want to cooperate after you wash the engine… The first thing you’re going to do is relax, make sure you don’t have anything plugged in, drain any excess water, and inspect any fuses that may have blown.
There’s not much else you can do other than wait 24 hours or call an auto electrician who can lend a hand and diagnose your car… hopefully the bill won’t be too expensive, but it will be a lesson you’ll never forget.