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Can you pressure wash an engine?
I have an old beat-up car I’m trying to get up and running again. The entire engine is caked in about twenty years of grim though. I was wondering if I could just take a pressure washer to the whole thing. Or would that cause problems?
Patrick Price · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Yes—you can pressure wash an engine. However, unless you take very specific precautions, you could cause serious damage. If you’re going to pressure wash an engine, do so very carefully and make sure to do the following:
- Tightly wrap any electrical components (distributor, fuse box, alternator, etc) with waterproof plastic and fasten it down securely with waterproof tape.
- Remove the air filter and other components that could be damaged by water saturation.
- Use only water or double-check that whatever cleaning solvent you use is safe for engines.
If you follow those steps, you should be fine. In reality, though, there’s always a chance that you’ll do more harm than good using a pressure washer on your engine. It really is better to have a professional detail and clean the engine for you.
You can cover the cost of the detailing by saving money on the car’s insurance—which is easy to do when you use
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