When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
ya know, i try to keep up in a few of the forums around here, but this is something that i haven't seen yet. could i do a search? sure. probably turn something up too. but i like chatting with you all.
what do you use to clean your rims ... and tires for that matter? i was using zaino stuff, but i wasn't entirely impressed by it. on my rims, i've been washing them with zaino soap, then after they dry, remove the water spots with windex and a paper towel.
for the engine ... how the heck do they pretty them up so well for car shows? i can't imagine running a hose on one of those suckers would be very wise.
I use Eimann Fabrik Hi-Intensity general purpose cleaner on the wheels - looks great and is super easy. Says you can use it on your engine as well, but wanabe probably has the best answer for that - I have yet to clean out the engine bay altho it's getting to be time to do so.
Everytime I wash my car, I clean the engine bay. I just get a moist microfiber cloth and wipe everything down. I will even wax the side walls.
I only drive the car on the weekends, so it is never really that dirty. I don't really trust products that say to spray them all over the engine, maybe that is just me. I would much rather spend an hour or so doing it all by hand.
Being a neat freak I guess is a good quality when it comes down to cleaning an engine!
thanks catfish-
wortham- my thoughts:
for the wheels, cleaners are all the way from very acidic to non-acidic... for really stubborn stains, an acidic cleaner might be required (although i have never used one, as i prefer to put my own elbow grease into the formula and to try to preserve the wheels a bit more). but for most wheel cleaning, a very mild to non-acidic cleaner will usually do fine. those cleaners are my preference for clear-coated wheels (such as ours). examples of cleaners that i like are p21s wheel cleaner and the one that catfish suggested- eimann's.
after cleaning, dont forget to wax/zaino your wheels!
btw, for a really detailed wheel, you should remove it and do the insides too...
the tires can be cleaned with just about anything- i usually use just a separate bucket of my car shampoo with a tire brush. catfish's eimann product can also be used on the tires, as can many other tire products.
the final step is to dress the tires- and this will depend on how much shine you want... the higher the shine that you want, the more coats and buffing you will want to do. products that i like for tires are vinylex, and 303. i have also used several gels, but dont like the fact that they often last "too long" (they can be harder to remove in the next cleaning). they do a good job and are easy to apply, but its just a preference.
good luck!
woops... got so much into wheels that i forgot engine:
every time i wash the car i end up using a rag that i have used to dry the car with to wipe out the engine compartment- and any parts that are beginning to show any signs of dirt.
if you need to get a dirty engine compartment clean, several good products exist. get one that is citrus based to remove the grease without damaging any rubber. spray it on the dirty places, let it sit as instructed on the bottle and then spray off the engine (gently- do not use force on any sensitive engine parts). i also start the engine immediately and let it run a few minutes... then wipe it clean and dry it off. you can also apply products that will make the engine shine if you like. cars with distributors or carbs require that those parts be covered (plastic bags taped over will work).
follow the instructions on the product that you are using...
and of course, any q- post back here!
great info. i just wanna keep the car looking like this:
zaino's done me good on the shine, but rims and engine are still new territory since i haven't found what i like yet, and well .. i haven't tried cleaning the engine just yet.
vrm, for the advice i just ordered all three of those to test them out for myself from those links. i can only assume you have a part in that company so i hope i did a bit to help the cause.
i'll let you know what i think after i try it all out.
11-15-2003, 09:11 AM
engine and rim cleaning?
