Anyone have thoughts on using a hose to spray into the engine bay to clean it? I have the V-6, which, I believe (and this may be false) is a little more crampt than the Turbo engine bay. So, it is good/bad to spray the bay with a garden hose when washing?<p>TIA<br>Jon<br>'96 A4qs

...never had a day or trouble. I've even used a pressure washer (gasp!), engine degreaser and finishing spray. I always try to cover the alternator with a plastic bag to keep it from getting too wet. <p>I've done this on brand new cars and car that were 12 years old. Never a glitch. Just make sure your oil cap is on nice and snug.<p>Go for it.

<br>nt

-Use simple green (undiluted) as a degreaser, works great and doesn't have that awful caustic smell of the engine degreasers (and won't stip the skin off your hand like they do). <br>-Suff a rag in the air intake (above the radiator) to prevent water from getting in there. <br>-Make sure the engine is not hot...I worry that cold water on hot parts may make them crack.<br>-Lightly hose down the engine, then spray on Simple Green<br>-Scrub the engine with a rag, and use a tooth brush to get the hard to reach spots.<br>-Dont forget to clean the under side of you hood (i've even waxed mine before...talk about obsessive compulsive)<br>-Rinse off the engine, and remove the rag in the intake passage.<br>-go for a little drive to burn off all the water in the engine bay.<br>-Use Amor All on all the rubber hoses, engine covers and hood seals. If you see any rubber parts that are turning gray, shoot them with generous amounts of Armor All.<p>At 25,000 miles, my engine bay is spotless, I wash the engine bay about every month or 2, when ever I wax the car.<p>Christian J. Long