Maybe you just purchased a used vehicle. Maybe you’re selling your car and looking to get the most value for it. Or, maybe you just want to keep your engine in tip-top shape!
No matter the reason, degreasing your engine can be very beneficial.
For the sake of time, we’re only going to be talking about degreasing the exterior of your engine.
Since you probably don’t want to take apart your entire engine and deep clean every crevice, we’re not even going to touch on our easy Chem-Dip® parts cleaner that’s known for removing gum, varnish, and fuel residue.
We’re also going to skip over the discussion of our simple pour-in Berryman® Total Engine Tune-Up fuel injector cleaner that disperses moisture and provides smoother top-engine performance from within the fuel tank.
Right now we’re all about tackling the outside of your engine — getting rid of that built-up oil, grease, and dirt!
Here’s WHY you should degrease your engine:
Shine
Your car may look squeaky clean from the outside, but under the hood tells all.
Every buyer wants a clean car, inside and out! A quick 15-minute degreasing session could be the ticket to getting more money for your vehicle; we suggest improving the resale value with a pristine machine.
Performance
While the proper engine degreaser will shine up your engine, it will also remove road grime to improve your engine’s performance.
The more dirt you remove from the exterior of your engine, the more you reduce the chance of debris making way into your filter.
Maintenance
If you have an old car, it’s especially important to grab a bottle of our Berryman B-33 Engine Degreaser, because you may find a fluid leak (or two) that you didn’t know about!
In removing the old gunk, you can locate exactly where those potential leaks are hiding. Uncovering these deficiencies is the next step to deciding whether or not you need to replace parts — such as your head gasket or a hose.
It’s Easy!
Many degreasers on the market are tedious and take too much time to scrub off the buildup, but we’ve made it easy with our fast spray on/rinse off cycle! With the Berryman® B-33 Engine Degreaser, you’ll save time and conserve water, too! The proprietary blend of high-performance detergents and emulsifiers also penetrates grease on small engine parts, lawn mowers, hand tools, machinery, fleet, farm, and marine equipment. So it’s quite handy to keep around the house.
Here’s WHEN you should degrease your engine:
Since there really isn’t a set time frame on when you should degrease your engine, it typically depends on how often you drive your vehicle and the road conditions.
We would recommend degreasing your engine whenever you see grease, dirt or grime start to build up, or as a part of your maintenance every 6,000 to 10,000 miles—at the same time as your oil changes.
Some TIPS for degreasing:
First off, watch the weather channel and choose a warm day! This will help the engine dry quicker after you’re done cleaning it.
Secondly, do not degrease your engine when it’s still hot from use. Leave your car off for at least 15 minutes before degreasing your engine; this should keep you from burning yourself!
Next, make sure to remove the negative terminal to the battery. You can keep from major damage by ensuring this does not become wet in the cleaning process. We suggest you also remove any plastic pieces under the hood as these materials can be cleaned separately.
And finally, make sure to cover any other electronic components! It’s recommended to use an old towel or a spare piece of plastic to prevent any cleaning substances from getting into unwanted areas.
If you can avoid the few potential (costly) errors, you’ll likely find that degreasing is an easy, rewarding process! The satisfaction of having a nice, shiny engine is totally worth the effort.
For more good habits and vehicle maintenance tips, check out The Ultimate Vehicle Maintenance Schedule on our blog.
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