Used to hose down my engine bay every spring, now I just wipe it with a damp rag

Cameron Thompson · 2026-09-15T02:50:05.147847+00:00

Back around 2010 I would pull the garden hose out every April and blast the whole engine bay on my old Civic, then let it drip dry in the driveway. That worked fine until it didn't, and one day in 2016 the thing started misfiring after a wash, which cost me $180 at a shop in Richmond to sort out. These days I keep a spray bottle of diluted APC and a stack of microfiber rags, and it takes me maybe 20 minutes with the hood up. I also tape off the alternator and fuse box now, which I never bothered with back then. Anyone else made the switch to waterless, or are you still team hose?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

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Used to hose down my engine bay every spring, now I just wipe it with a damp rag | Auto Detailing - Pinecone Attack