Hybrid engine cleaning

[GeorgiaHybrid]

OK guys and gals,

This is not one for a customer but my own ride. It only has 10,000 miles on it and even though I wipe down the engine compartment at every wash, there are some remote areas that are hard to reach and are starting to get a little dusty. Most people would not notice but then again, I'm anal about my cars (sound familar?).

The other cars that I clean wash up just fine with APC, a little scrubbing and a rinse with an easy water flow followed by drying and CD2. My problem with this Camry hybrid is all of the blaze orange "touch me and you die" cables running everywhere along with the inverters, Motor/generators, etc.

Has anyone been brave enough to wash one of these yet? If not, next weekend might find me in a rubber suit doing a lot of praying..... I wonder if the insurance company (life and car) covers stupidity???

 

[richy]

Touching the cables themselves should be alright...bzzzzzzzzzt..damn, I was wrong about that!! Good question there. I would stay away from connections, but the cables, I would take a terry towel or something (don't need to use good mf on it) and spray some ONR onto the towel and wipe down what you can, avoiding connections. Hope that helps.

 

[Meghan]

Has anyone been brave enough to wash one of these yet? If not, next weekend might find me in a rubber suit doing a lot of praying..... I wonder if the insurance company (life and car) covers stupidity???

Very interesting question.... and I am curious to hear if you will end up with curly hair on your head anything this engine wash.
Did the dealership not give you any pointers when you bought it?

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Meghan,

The dealership was VERY helpful. They asked me to let them know how it turned out....

If I was still alive that is....

 

[Meghan]

Meghan,

The dealership was VERY helpful. They asked me to let them know how it turned out....

If I was still alive that is....

That sounds like something the dealership would say...they are so helpful!

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Oh well,

I will post how it comes out (assuming I'm not dead or in the hospital). Some things to watch out for, the AC unit is high voltage, the invertor, the two motor/generator units and the brake boost system (yeh, it's electric too). At least I don't have to worry about an alternator. Other than that, it shouldn't be too hard.....

Now I just need to find my rubber waders......

 

[antekaudi]

I know that in my dads work they fix flooded cars.

And what they do with flooded hybrids when they work on them, is disconnect the main power source or something like that. Its like a huge cable that cuts off the power when plugged out.

Idk if that help but good luck

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

OK all,

I finally got the chance to try and kill myself cleaning the engine on the hybrid. Overall it is just like any other engine (at least for Toyota’s). Everything appeared to be sealed nice, no sparks, no need for rubber boots, paramedics or the county coroner. My wife and kids were a little disappointed that they couldn’t collect on the life insurance though…. I just soaked with a 1:1 mix of APC, let dwell a few minutes, scrub with brushes and rinse. Then blow off with compressed air, make sure it still booted up (yep, this thing is more computer than car…), let it finish drying and then reached for the CD2. I do buff the CD2 down to a matt finish instead of a glossy one.

While working on mine, I also decided to clean my younger daughter’s Civic. This is starting to become a mental sickness. Is AG a certified asylum for people like us?

 

[AjNavo61490]

nice job... i do like the matte look better also

 

[Jimmie]

Those look terrific. Good job.