By AL on Saturday, June 09, 2001 - 12:17 am: Edit

I went offroading last weekend and got my new disco pretty dirty all over. After 6 washes it looks normal again, engine compartment and under hood has the dried yellowish haze all over it.
Any suggestions on cleaning tips?
I called dealer and asked if they detail engine area and they said "NO,Leave it alone"?
Does that sound right?
THX

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Saturday, June 09, 2001 - 04:16 pm: Edit

For once I agree with dealer - leave it alone. A dirty Rover engine is a happy Rover engine. If you can't sleep at night because the engine bay is dirty, then hand-wash with moist rags. If you must use a hose, then wrap the electronics (connections and especially little black box on the passenger side by windshield washer reservoir) to keep overspray off. I just kneel down in front and hose from below (NOT spraying straight up into engine bay) and then knock off the big pieces in the engine bay from above.

By Gil Stevens (Gil) on Saturday, June 09, 2001 - 05:19 pm: Edit

I also do as Blue does, from underneath...but I have used a high pressure hose into the engine compartment with no problems. At Land Rover University, they use a pressure washer that is powerful enough to blast the letters of the hood of a Range Rover, and they use these firing directly into the engine compartment. I think its the only way that they can remove that red stuff they call mud in MD. If you think about it, that mud had to enter the compartment via water, so the fact that its there in the first place means that it got soaked pretty good. I could be way off base of here, and Ive just been lucky hosing my motor and having no problems, please somebody let me know.

By Rico on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:28 am: Edit

I clean quite often and have no problems.
I have used a pressure washer a couple of times to get clay off.
Cover your air intake and try not hitting wires directly.Also if you are cleaning the underside of your hood be carefull to no damage the heat blanket/fire blanket, on the hood.
Presoak the engine with Castrol Purple.It works great.Just make sure not to get any on you paint as with anyother engine cleaner.Make sure you rinse it real well. Then run the ingine until dry.
Simple Green also works.
A regular water hose works just fine.
The only time I had a problem was the first time I used the pressure washer and my air filter cover wasn't on tight.