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The Ultimate "Driver's" Road Trip
- Thread starter Cole2999
- Start date
Joe_Mama
Autocross Champion
He apparently covers his intake filter with a plastic bag when he hits the car wash for fear of saturating the filter and blowing up his engine I guess. He forgot the bag on and drove out of the car wash for a block until he realized
I dont really feel like going into why this isnt physically possible but it should be said it isnt and no one should cover their intake with a bag for a car wash.
Joe_Mama
Autocross Champion
Oh, I was gonna say
Well being 'too bad' is relative right? The point here is the integrity of the filter has been compromised. Doesnt really matter whether it is by 10% or 90%. Running that crumpled filter might be ok for a few miles but youre talking about what, like 3-4k miles left on your trip? Knowing that I would just go buy a new one ASAP.
Being crumpled like that, pieces of the filter (inside the cone) may start to break off. You dont want those little bits of metal and foam flaking off and hitting your turbo vanes. Plus, being crumpled like that, there is a 99% chance there is now a hole or several in the filter which will allow anything and everything in the air, from dust to sand into your intake system.
Cole2999
Autocross Champion
It's a pressure washer manual car wash, and I was shooting water directly behind the wheel and straight into the grille into where the air intake was to clean the mud out. Same reason you cover the intake when you're washing your engine bay. With the grille, high pressure water would be coming in direct contact with my filter. Thanks but no thanks. I'll still cover my filter any time I'm spraying water directly into the bay because I'd rather buy a new filter than saturate my filter and risk hydrolocking it.
New one looks better anyway. Hair shorter, but otherwise we're good to go.
I've decided I hate open filters anyway, about 4000 miles ago in Colorado when I drove through flooded interstates afraid I was gonna hydrolock
Joe_Mama
Autocross Champion
You cant hydrolock your engine by spraying the filter with water. I dont know who told you this but it isnt possible.
Joe_Mama
Autocross Champion
In fact, i would say you are MORE likely to hydrolock your engine with a plastic bag on it like you did because you can easily tear the bag with the pressurized water, then unknowingly fill the bag surrounding your filter with water, then you forget to take the bag off (like you just did) and you start it off and you actually DO hydrolock your engine.
Joe_Mama
Autocross Champion
Again... this isnt possible...the water line of these flooded interstates would literally have to be above your engine bay...
I suggest you research what hydrolocking is and how it occurs before you go and mess up your car again with un needed interventions like a bag on the intake.
alpha3
Go Kart Champion
Yea, I have those swivel units on mine too, love them too.
Like I said, he is certainly entertaining! But I think its the same filter, hopefully he's just pointing at similarity.Im so confused now... this is the SECOND time you have done this?
Edit: Yes, I see he already said that, I missed it.
alpha3
Go Kart Champion
Let me offer a real-world counter-point. Take this as you will, I'm not criticizing or arguing with anyone, just saying that
this is what I do. Understandably, a lot of people are wary of water in engine bays, especially under force. My experience is that's nonsense, I've done this for many years. But that's me.
As a matter of practical application, let me say: I have, and still do, clean the engine bay in my cars regularly. About every 10k miles. For a cleaner, I used to use Gunk in a can, but in the interest of the environment I use Simple Green now. Anyway, first and foremost, I ALWAYS do this on a fully warmed-up engine. I soak the engine with cleaner, both above and BELOW, I let it sit 15mins or so. Then, out comes the garden hose. I blast the engine with water, everywhere, to remove the cleaner. then, I immediately start the vehicle and let it idle for a few minutes before shutdown. I don't now, and never have, covered ANYTHING. I've had Chevy's, Fords, Hondas, Audis, VW's. I have never had a problem, guys, with water or cleaner causing no-start, misfires, shutdowns, codes, nothing. Now......I certainly wouldn't use a pressure washer. Remember, I said I use a garden-hose type pressure. But it works for me.
Joe_Mama
Autocross Champion
It works for everyone, because car engines are designed to withstand water droplets without exploding.
Cole2999
Autocross Champion
See, and I don't expect much would happen, even with a pressure washer. But it's that little bit of uncertainty that's enough to make me shrug and go "better safe than sorry."
I cover my alternator, coils, and battery, and I pull my intake to clean in a bucket and cover the intake pipe. Then I hit it with degreaser, rinse, soap, rinse.
Worst case... Well nothing. I never forget to remove the covers when I'm washing the bay. This was a complete fluke because I wasn't washing the bay. Best case I have peace of mind.
And it's not like my cleaning methods are going to harm anyone but myself. That's why I'm not sure why it's such a big deal.
brat_burner
Autocross Champion
Maybe next time we should not drive off the freeway at 50 miles an hour into the unpaved area. Then we wouldn't need to be washing 30lbs of mud off, or bagging anything, or arguing about how to wash an engine. Carry on