3 days ago I washed and detailed my wifes car, including the engine. I covered all electrical components. Today the engine was running ruff and almost stalling. The garage said it was because the engine was only using 2 out of 4 cylinders. They said it was because of washing the engine. Anyone ever heard of something like this?
engine problems from detailing
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Dark Shadow
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- May 9, 2014
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I would start drying the coils or plug wires and replacing the plugs them self. Are you getting a sulfur smell?
jamesboyy
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- Jul 19, 2013
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What kind of vehicle you have, today's modern cars are supposedly water proof to a certain point with that said yeah you can have engine problems if you drown/flood the engine and not use a mist setting another possible cause is if the spark plug wires/coils packs are on the top of the engine water could have gotten in through there but don't let this fall discourage you next time before you wash the engine post a pic up here and ask a few questions that come to mind we all be gladly to help
Calendyr
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- Jun 9, 2013
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Yes it happened to me once.
The seals for the spark plugs were not water tight. So a lot of water went down into the spark plugs wells.
I used compressed air to remove the water from there. Then I applied di-electric grease on the plugs.
It took about 2 days then the problem went away completelly. The fact it took some time tells me water must have gone somewhere else where it was causing problems. But eventually it resolved itself.
The engine was 2002. So I thinking the seals all around the engines must be in bad shape.
And yes I did cover everything electric.
jamesboyy
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Calendyr and for everyone a trick to lessen the potential water in spark plug area is if there exposed then place some tape around the spark plug boot then place a few of those general use microfiber towels around and on top if the plugscthat way you can focus on that area later with water filled spray bottle and cleaner
evob
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- Dec 1, 2013
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Just going to throw this in here too. Check your engine oil too. Last thing you want is water in your oil. I'm not saying that you do, I'm just saying check it for safety. If water got into the cylinder, last thing you want is it to slip past the piston rings and into the oil. Water will just destroy parts in the engine. I've seen water and oil both do it. And I would rather tell you to check it so you are better safe then sorry.
-Brant
-Brant
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So it appears that the seal was gone on the coil pack and some water got in. The garage said it was probably do to all the rain splashing up o it and not because of washing the engine, because I covered it when I washed it.
Thanks everyone for your input.
Thanks everyone for your input.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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Sounds like you got lucky....
For everyone reading this into the future... creating an engine problem can be a big headache. What I recommend is do a little research on your car and your car's engine before doing an engine detail. If you're lucky, you can find a friendly discussion forum for your car's make and model with nice people that have been there and done that and will help you avoid problems.
The hard part is finding a friendly discussion forum with gurus for your topic that take the time to write well-written articles with pictures that actually show you what to do or what not to do but hey... it's worth a try...
How to use a Discussion Forum to Detail an Engine
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Jaretr1
New member
- Jan 29, 2011
- 2,391
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Sounds like you got lucky....
For everyone reading this into the future... creating an engine problem can be a big headache. What I recommend is do a little research on your car and your car's engine before doing an engine detail. If you're lucky, you can find a friendly discussion forum for your car's make and model with nice people that have been there and done that and will help you avoid problems.
The hard part is finding a friendly discussion forum with gurus for your topic that take the time to write well-written articles with pictures that actually show you what to do or what not to do but hey... it's worth a try...
How to use a Discussion Forum to Detail an Engine
Problem is, one would be hard pressed to find a friendlier discussion forum than AG! Especially with someone like Mike on board!!!