Cleaning under hood of 04 XLR?

[OH!4XLR]

Hi i was looking for suggestions to clean under hood. Of my 04 XLR that was sitting for a couple months and also during the florida hurricane which blew alot of dust n dirt everywhere and also since then when i start it after sitting for a week when i was Out if town for hurricane it has a very rough idle n check engine light came on n is still on. Will hav towed to shop but since it sits under a semi open covered area alot of dirt blows on it n i want to clean under hood first. HOW DO ALL OF YOU CLEAN UNDER THE HOOD OF AN XLR? I would like to just gently hose/rinse it all off to clean but am leary of anything that shouldnt get wet. What cleaners do u all use? All suggestions grestly appreciated.

 

[pure zen]

Good luck,,,

I'd start with high pressure air to blow off much of the dust and dirt... Next comes the labor portion > several rags, spray water bottle, and a mild Simple Green and water mixture in another spray bottle..... when done, apply some 'PIG SPIT' on the rubber and plastic items
.
.

Pig Spit – The Swine that Shines

 

[lextoy]

from my research online and personal experience, YMMV
ok to wash engine bay with regular garden hose with whatever nozzle you have. i like this style in plastic for variability.

i prefer to go a bit sparingly with the water, i dont hose around for 30 minutes...
safer with a cooled off engine, if its steaming when you spray its too hot!!!
initial spray with just water, to remove 75% of dust grime etc
pump spray or aerosol or with a rag, spray/slosh on simple green or similar degreaser/soap
rag wipe down any surfaces that still look grimy and loosen up whatevers left.
final rinse with hose again. can redo spot clean any areas that didnt turn out nice.
like i said i dont spray around like a maniac for 30 minutes, but rinse, wash, and rinse again.
trying not too use tons of water, the adjustability of the nozzle helps.
as its not a pressure washer pushing water in where it doesnt belong is unlikely. and its unlikely to run in just on its own.
follow up with leaf blower to do a quik dry, works like a charm to remove 95% of the water.
after that i will typically go for a long enough drive at high enough speeds to heat up engine and dry out engine bay 100%
i do this about once every year on any of my vehicles.
if it needs a more expert cleaning, or you want it showroom ready, dealer will steam clean it for you for around $100.
and if you think they take great care with the steam cleaner, HAHA. they dont.
they blast that thing all over the place...
my method comes out nice enough that i am satisfied. no problems with any of my cars in the last 20 yrs.
clk 535i 4runner prius xlr lexus cressida(bonus points if you know that one!) and others

 

[lextoy]

also i have used a pressure washer at one of those do it yourself car wash bays.
convenient, and cheap
i just stand alot farther back than normal so i'm not blasting anything too closely.
they use less water which is good...
but high pressure which is bad...
keep at least 3 feet away from any parts and its fine, also it should be a fan type spray not a pin point jet.

i prefer garden hose at home.

 

[lextoy]

Engine Detailing, car engine cleaning, engine cleaner, engine detailing how to, how to clean an engine,

not my choice of products, but gives quite the detailed description, pardon the pun

and another excellent article , even desrcibes covering up electric components,
which i never do...
How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional

 

[OH!4XLR]

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS

Thankyiu so much. You all offered some great tips n techniques n ideas. I forgot about the drying with the leaf blower. Used to do that to vette n camaro for a no spot dry. And to drive to heat engine up to dry i like that. N yup i do remember a Cressida. A toyota is it?
I will try that blowing dust off first too as thats part of problem. Im leary of a hose in these xlrs but maybe real gentle. Is there any area in particular to totally avoid that may house more electronics? I should keep it parked in my shop instead of carport but i liked to use it often until it started with the bumpy rough idle after sitting for a week. And the engine light came on then briefly blinked while i was running a couple closeby errands. So i Came home n parked n its sat ever since. :/. Will Tow to shop monday but due for cleaning. Black gets dirty too fast. Any experience with rough idle? Coils?
Thanks again will be tackling this on sunday