Im going to enter my bimmer for its first show in July and I wanna make sure I know what I need to do when the time comes to show it? What kinda stuff should i look for and what are some tips on cleaning/polishing, parts?

is ur engine bay stock? if it is, use some sort of degreaser and clean everything off. then coat the engine bay with a engine bay detailing spray, it adds a shiney coat to all the rubbers and plastics.

Yea its all stock. Ive been trien to figure out what I can buy or do to the car to make it stand out a little better. Some guys gave me the idea of sand blasting/ Polishing the valve cover. Im just wondering if theres anything else I could do. I wish there was som kinda intake I could get or make.

I always use an engine degreaser and then a gloss spray on the plastic parts to make them shine. looks great in the end.

I thought you weren't supposed to wash the engine bay of a BMW???? :help

I thought you weren't supposed to wash the engine bay of a BMW???? :help

It's fine just keep the water away from the electrical stuff. I usually take a bucket filled with water and pour it on the spots I'm trying to clean.

So pretty much clean the hell out of the engine bay :)

So pretty much clean the hell out of the engine bay :)


yup remember if you've ever driven in a rainstorm a lot of water can get thrown up into there the parts are made to be able to withstand it.

Which sections of the bay can't get wet? I' ve been wanting to clean mine but not sure how to start.

I like to keep the water away from the battery terminal and the fuse box. I also try and keep it away from the back of the headlights. Usually some water splashes on these areas but it's no big deal since they're covered anyway, but if you're really worried cover them with some plastic shopping bags.

What I do is first make sure your engine is cold...not warm, cold. Then I spray the compartment with Simple Green, not degreaser. I allow it to stand for about an hour. Then I rince using a mister nozzle that puts out a light mist of water. Avoiding all electrical, Battery terms, alternator, plugs, etc. Once the Simple Green has rinced off I follow up by hand cleaning everything slowly, as to not knock anything loose, etc. This may need to be done 1-3 times, depending how much you do or DON'T take care of your engine compartment. When all is dry, I follow up with a rubber preserver...armor all, 3M, Meguirs, etc. I've done this to all my BMWs, old and new. All my engines look new.

I have yet to have any electrical problems with components in my engine bay. That said, I still would be careful. The only time I've seen water affect anything is in my friends E46 M3 with DDE's. I think the majority of his problem is due to a crappy connection (i.e. lack of a good seal against water). Based on what I've picked up through my own experience, and time working at two different detail shops, is to spray your cold engine compartment with degreaser. I've been using Castrol Super Cleaner/Degreaser with much success. Spray in on, liberally in the greasiest areas, and then spray it off with a hose. If you have a heated pressure washer they work wonders. A standard hose works fine too, but add's a bit of manual work to get the most stubborn areas clean.

While the degreaser get's a lot of the grit and grime off, I still find that it needs to be gone over with soap/water and a brush or mitt to get some of the dirt off. After you have it all clean, dry it and add some sort of rubber protectant for an extra touch. This might be left for show prep time, or at least touched up again since you will accumulate some dust. A lot of guys find that a good coat of protectant followed by a drive to heat up the engine helps to soak in the protectant. I use Meguirs but have heard the 303 aerospace protectant is the best for rubber and plastic.

The main electrical areas that I'd be cautious of are headlights, fuse box, and any add-ons like DDE's/HID's. Also, you should always make sure not to get the air filter wet (mostly a problem for debaffled air boxes and intakes).

Good luck with the show and feel free to post before/after pics of the engine bay!
Seth

Nice right up guys. Cant wait to get my car out and clean her all up.