Washed my engine now it runs like crap

[outrun]

I got water in between my DIS coils and the ignition modules.

It misfired stupid for 24hrs at idle.

Then it went away.

I should have followed online instructions and put plastic wrap on top of them.

Now i simply spray then engine and try my darndest avoid hitting the alternator or DIS with direct HP water.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by outrun:
I got water in between my DIS coils and the ignition modules.

It misfired stupid for 24hrs at idle.

Then it went away.

I should have followed online instructions and put plastic wrap on top of them.

Now I simply spray the engine and try my darndest avoid hitting the alternator or DIS with direct HP water.

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The real problem isn't the minor inconvenience of your car not running right for a day. It's the potential later problems from corrosion that starts inside the connectors when you get them wet with soapy or deterganty (is that a word

)water.

In general, modern car electrical connectors are better sealed than old connectors. Unfortunately, modern cars have lots of low signal level connections that are much more susceptable to corrosion problems than old cars had.

You are doing the right thing by avoiding the use of high presssure spray in a modern engine compartment.

New engines stay cleaner because they don't leak as much as older engines so don't require the high pressure blasts that older engines did to get them clean.

Pledge furnature polish was recently mentioned in another thread. Wiping the engine compartment down with that makes it look better than new and it makes it harder for dirt to stick.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sparkman:

quote:

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Originally posted by ekpolk:
You'll need to give me more than the "someone I know who fixed cars _____ years ago told me so" argument to convince me that I shouldn't keep my engine room spotless.

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And you'll need an equally strong argument to convince me that washing engines is of any benefit. I've never had a problem by not washing an engine, and I've had several cars that had electrical problems when it rained. Presumably not washing an engine is a lot safer.

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You are, of course, both welcome and entitled, to indulge in that presumption if you wish. But consider for a moment just what a "presumption" is. It's an assumption you make to support a conclusion when you lack actual evidence to prove the conclusion.

Off the cuff, I can think of several concrete benefits from having a clean engine:

1) It is far easier to spot leaks or other visibly detectable problems when they are not disguised or hidden by a layer of grime. It's also easier to evaluate the health of such things as hoses and gaskets when they are not coated with grease and grime.

2) It's easier and cleaner to work underhood when something does require maintenance or repair.

3) I don't have to worry about contamination entering my engine (or fluid reservoirs) when I pull the dipstick, open the oil filler, check the PS fluid, etc. In my engine room, there simply is no crud around to contaminate anything.

4) it sends an unmistakable message to all who look under my hood (mechanics, prospective buyers, insurance people, etc.) that this is a car that is and always has been maintained with the greatest care.

5) I like my engines clean.

Well, there are five (OK, maybe four) items that easily fall within the scope of "any benefit". Do I believe that your engine is doomed to an early death because you don't clean it? Probably not. But if you and I both get the same oil leak at the same time, I'm going to see it long before you do.

 

[kenw]

"Unfortunately, modern cars have lots of low signal level connections that are much more susceptable to corrosion problems than old cars had."

having been involved in design and lots of corrective action dealing with connectors over the years, if these "low signal level connectors" were designed by anyone with brains (not all are) they are gold and fairly immume to corrosion.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by kenw:
"Unfortunately, modern cars have lots of low signal level connections that are much more susceptable to corrosion problems than old cars had."

having been involved in design and lots of corrective action dealing with connectors over the years, if these "low signal level connectors" were designed by anyone with brains (not all are) they are gold and fairly immume to corrosion.

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The difficulty is figuring out if the connectors on our induhvidual vehicles were designed by someone with brains or not.