PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

Jeremy5848 · #12 02-25-2009, 01:06 AM

I've heard that you should not use any high-pressure spray close to areas where two different pieces are joined. Apparently the high-pressure spray can get through the sealant or gasket. No personal experience, just what I've always heard. May be true, may be an old husband's tale. YMMV.

In my experience, spray of any kind just gets dirt spread all over. If oil/dirt/soot is really thick, I scrape it off with a small putty knife (plastic is nice, doesn't scratch) and then follow up with gentle solvents, brushes, rags, and very hot water from a hose or bucket. Biodiesel is a great solvent and is biodegradable (although the stuff it solves off of the engine isn't). Be careful using it around rubber parts and wash everything with soap and hot water.

I did a little at a time and over a couple of years got the whole engine compartment cleaned up. Whenever I worked on one part of the car, I did some cleaning in that area. That spread the job around and made it less onerous.