Ingredients:• P21S Total Auto Wash
• Fire Hose Nozzle
• Boar’s Hair Brush
• Swissvax Wheel Brushes
• Einszett Tiefenpfleger
• Menzerna FMJ
• Adam’s Detail Spray
• Swissvax Pneu
• Microfiber Towels
• Microfiber Applicator Pad
• Detail Sponges
• Leaf Blower or equivalent
• Adam’s Clay Bar, Paint Cleaner, & choice of Wax (only if you have any carbon fiber or clear-coated appointments)
Before:
You are going to be shooting the engine bay with water in this step. If you have a SRI or CAI, now would be a good time to cover it up with a plastic bag. Alternatively, you can remove the cone filter and cover the opening with a surgical glove or a condom (yeah, I said condom). If you are using the stock air box (as pictured), stuff a microfiber cloth in the snorkel (don’t forget to remove it when you’re finished!!!) or remove it all together. No other components of the engine really need to be covered – modern engines such as the 4B11 (and most engines made after about 1990) are sealed quite well…even the electrical components & wire harnesses. That being said; exercise good judgment and don’t send a tsunami of water straight into the alternator. Now let’s get started!
Start by using the fire hose nozzle to lightly mist the hood and engine bay (the engine bay should look like it has been rained on but not be completely soaked):
Spray P21S TAW around the engine bay – keeping away from the accessory belt – until the bay and underside of the hood have a nice coating. Don’t forget to get into all the crevices and tight spots, too! Now close the hood and take a lunch break – we’re going to let the P21S do the hard work by letting it sit for about 10-15 minutes:
Once the P21S has had time to work, open up the hood and get your brushes ready. Moisten both brushes (don’t soak them) and then, using the Boar’s Hair Brush, agitate the larger areas of the engine bay (starting with the underside of the hood). Use the smaller Swissvax Wheel Brush to reach into the tighter, smaller spots. Periodically rinse off both brushes with water:
Boar's Hair Brush on Engine:
Swissvax Wheel Brush:
Boar's Hair Brush on the Underside of the Hood:
Now that we’ve scrubbed the engine bay, it’s time to rinse! For the rinse, we’re going to be using a stronger setting on the fire hose nozzle. Begin rinsing with the hood. Be quick with the hose and keep it moving – think of it like applying spray paint or pissing on a toilet seat– you want to use light strokes, keep the stream moving, and not spend too much time in one spot. Go around the bay until you’re sure all of the P21S TAW has been rinsed off:
With the engine bay cleaned, we need to dry it out before dressing it up. Using a leaf blower (or microfiber drying towels), dry the engine bay as thoroughly as possible. Turning on the car and letting it idle for 2 or 3 minutes will help speed up drying time, too:
With the engine bay nice and dry, we can now apply the dressings. Start by using Einszett Tiefenpfleger and a microfiber towel to dress the plastic & rubber components, reservoirs, radiator cowling, hoses, and seals. Do not use it on the accessory belt! If you still have the stock air hose like I do, use a dry Swissvax Wheel Brush with Swissvax Pneu instead of the Einszett.
Finally, using your microfiber applicator pad, apply Menzerna FMJ to the underside of the hood and also to the strut towers. Let the FMJ sit for a minute or two then buff it off using a soft, clean microfiber towel. FMJ is a very strong, long lasting paint sealant that repels dirt & grease and will also leave you with a great shine. It is also the sealant of choice for every German car manufacturer (If you bought an SLR McLaren, it would roll off the showroom floor sealed in FMJ).
If you have any clear-coated dress-up items like a custom engine cover, these need to be dressed as well. Start by lightly misting them with Adam’s detail spray and quickly going over them with a clay bar to remove any baked in gunk. Remove the clay residue with a soft microfiber cloth. Then, apply your paint cleaner and lightly buff it off with a microfiber cloth. Once the paint cleaner is buffed, apply your choice of wax (I’ll be using Lusso Oro for these parts as well as on the rest of the car) with either a wax applicator pad or your CLEAN bare hands. Let the wax cure (time varies depending on the wax used) and then buff off with a clean, soft microfiber towel.
There you have it: The engine bay looks better than the day you bought the car!
After Shots:
You can really see how the Lusso Oro Wax gives a lot more depth to the carbon fiber:
To keep the bay clean and sexy, spend a few minutes wiping it down with the Einszett and a microfiber towel about once a week (when you’re checking the oil level is a good time) and also after it rains. A full engine detail like we just did should be performed 2 or 3 times a year.
KB: Maintenance