Self wash in London, with oil separator (Leaking engine)

[Conor]

Hello,

My car has an engine leak which I am going to start diagnosing, but first I need to clean it all down with degreaser and scrubbing etc. Along with the engine having heavy oil coverage, the engine cover is also absolutely sopping with oil.

Ideal situation is that I get a self serve wash area where I can have the time to prep, spray degreaser, scrub and rinse down the engine (very carefully). There must be an oil separator also to care for the environment.

Any idea? I a happy to travel a little bit for this also. A slight catch 22 is that I will need to wait for the engine too cool before working on it..but I guess that is inevitable.

Thanks

 

[Blobcat]

Quite a few of the ARC / IMO car washes used to have self service jet washes - they also have oil separators for the waste water

Alternatively I use a Shell station jet wash after serious off roading in my Land Rover - they're silt tanks fill up in no time...

You'll probably find one local

 

[Conor]

Ok, do you reckon that most of the filling stations would have separators fitted..

I do know of one alright.. I'll find one with a bit of space and pick a non busy time. I can roll up and prep, spray, clean and rinse the engine without annoying anybody

When people mention jet wash, is that simply just the power hose washer?

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Make sure you protect all electrical connections before applying liberal amounts of water

 

[Conor]

Make sure you protect all electrical connections before applying liberal amounts of water

Absolutely, I am going to do plenty of research on the various parts to protect and will probably go over board with cling film, tape etc..

I am going to be very cautious on this and take my time. If I use a power wash I will keep it far away.

 

[JBell]

If I use a power wash I will keep it far away.

You don't need to use a pressure wash, degreaser sprayed liberally and agitated with detailing brushes or one of these will suffice

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002TUORV2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Then rinse with a gentle spray attachment on a hose

 

[Blobcat]

Ok, do you reckon that most of the filling stations would have separators fitted..

I do know of one alright.. I'll find one with a bit of space and pick a non busy time. I can roll up and prep, spray, clean and rinse the engine without annoying anybody

When people mention jet wash, is that simply just the power hose washer?

They will do if they meet the regulations, I expect all of the big name filling stations to have one.

Jet wash is cold water, usually has a detergent option and sometimes a brush as well

 

[Conor]

Thanks lads.

Quick one here.. I was going to mix some degreaser into a spray bottle and spray then brush down the engine.

After having a look today, i'm not sure I will be able to safely rinse down the engine after as there is a load of wiring all over. Mainly wiring harness to each of the 6 plugs.

I don't know what to do.. for me, I think the safest bet would be to unplug all the connections that are around the areas to clean, then plug and cover with plastic and cable tie each connector. Following that I can then degrease, scrub and rinse down, before drying and re-connecting.

That said, I noticed a small little drop of oil on the ground today and it looked very much like it was the breather box. I could probably get away with changing that and then assessing but I would feel much more comfortable cleaning down and removing all current oil and then being able to inspect for more leaks later on.

Given the mileage of the engine I wouldn't be surprised if there is more than one leak.

My mate has said I am making a big deal out of this, and to just spray the oily areas with brake cleaner and it will effectively self clean, what do you guys think?

 

[LostKiwi]

Don't get any water in the large circular bit at the back of the engine (with a gauze filter in it). Also avoid water near the large silver unit on top of the engine.

To be honest I don't see a lot of oil in that photo.

Simplest safe way to wash it is a biodegradable engine cleaner sprayed or brushed on then scrubbed and washed off with one of these:
CjwKCAjwza_mBRBTEiwASDWVvvu7eoom6ZHC8Gd8m_X5vUraZ4omVk4ju41DOm4uh1HbBzubewcJhRoCcacQAvD_BwE

 

[Conor]

Don't get any water in the large circular bit at the back of the engine (with a gauze filter in it). Also avoid water near the large silver unit on top of the engine.

To be honest I don't see a lot of oil in that photo.

Simplest safe way to wash it is a biodegradable engine cleaner sprayed or brushed on then scrubbed and washed off with one of these:
CjwKCAjwza_mBRBTEiwASDWVvvu7eoom6ZHC8Gd8m_X5vUraZ4omVk4ju41DOm4uh1HbBzubewcJhRoCcacQAvD_BwE

Yea, actually, I guess that all things considered there could be a lot more. I was just surprised at the covered area, I thought it would be a lot more localised than that.

By the way, what you posted there was meaningless, did you copy an image or link? Looks like only a partial.

What about a power hose from afar? Might be the easiest thing I can get my hands on.

 

[JBell]

If you are that worried about it then get a professional to do it for you, at least if they cock it up they will be insured

 

[Conor]

If you are that worried about it then get a professional to do it for you, at least if they cock it up they will be insured

Im not that worried. Just trying to tease out the bitty gritty of doing the job really.

 

[noonboots]

For oily engines I use WD40/duck oil in a hand sprayer to loosen it all up then blast it off with brake cleaner in a paraffin wash gun. It cleans it up perfectly with no worries about electrics etc and is dry within minutes. Downside is you need a little compressor for the paraffin gun.

 

[LostKiwi]

By the way, what you posted there was meaningless, did you copy an image or link? Looks like only a partial.

This what I posted:
https://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/...xCkprqPvI4MBR3MontdJYgjW_LEHvKSxoCgogQAvD_BwE

 

[rorywquin]

Quite a few of the ARC / IMO car washes used to have self service jet washes - they also have oil separators for the waste water

Alternatively I use a Shell station jet wash after serious off roading in my Land Rover - they're silt tanks fill up in no time...

You'll probably find one local

I once used that stuff that you paint on (a bit like white glue) to protect the bodywork of my Landcruiser 200 (before a trip to the outback) when I first got it. it did a really good job of preventing the long scratches down the side but seriously clogged the self service carwash when I went to pressure wash it off. We snuck out of the place like thieves in the night as we'd clogged all the drains......never used it again - too much hassle.

 

[LostKiwi]

You could also try one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WORX-WG629E-Cordless-Hydroshot-Portable/dp/B0747MVFVJ