I'm forced to park my 06 Roadster next to a vacant lot where there is perpetual construction going on. It's no problem doing my weekly exterior wash and cleaning the interior, but today I noticed how dusty the engine and surrounding engine components are. No oil or grime, just dust from the construction site. I was tempted to raise the hood and turn the hose on the entire engine and engine parts to rinse off the dust. Has anyone done this, if so, with the engine running or off ? Is there a better way to clean off dust from the engine and components ?

 

I clean my engine compartment regularly. You are perfectly safe in cleaning it with a garden hose, provided you do it with the engine cold or warm. NEVER hot. And you make sure you do not force water into the air intake. If you remove the cover and expose the intake at the rear of the engine, cover it with a plastic bag and secure it with a rubber band, sealing it.

 

I perfer the self wash car wash where you can use the low pressure spot free rinse. Water spots are very hard to remove from the engine compartment.

(for us with hard water )