GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

well my wife has been driving my vibe and seems like she hasn't changed the oil in awhile and guy at the shop say next oil change bring a engine cleaner so they can put it in and clean it. so what's the best engine cleaner or which ones are recommended.

I use nothing but simple green full strength on the engine bay. I delute it as per the instructions for cleaning the inside of the carEDIT:My bad.. though you ment the the outside of the engine... not internal.

scvibe30 are you looking for an internal engine flush or external engine shampoo?

I think he wants something inside the engine. I have never done that, just keep oil changed regular. Now, on the outside, yes, Simple Green is very good. Once it is clean just water on a regular basis. I keep my engine compartments as clean as the outside of the vehicle. Someone else will have to help you with the inside. My wife also drives the Vibe but I keep a check on the oil.

Not to interrupt the post, but for cleaning the engine bay can you just spray water on it with that simple green stuff? I always heard something about having to cover up all wires and such.

Pop the hood and get a plastic baggy to cover your intake filter or pipe opening. Also tape over your battery terminals to prevent corrosion build up. If you wanna go crazy, pull off the sound proofing material under the hood.Now soak the engine with simple green, liberally spray everywhere. Get a small brush for small spaces and a large brush for the bigger spots. Use soft birstles with a handle your hands will thank you. If need be continue to spray the areas you are working to get them all gunk free.Now using a shower mode on your hose spray it all off and down. Dry off with a regular cotton/terry towel.To dress it up I use Meguiar's #40 but you can use their "Shine" product for rubber/vinyl/plastic. Use this on a rag and wipe over the engine cover, hoses, underside of the vents (where the wipers are).Get yourself some wax (what you use on your car as a final step), and throw some on the underside of the hood, strut towers, engine top, etc. Final Result!MatrixMy old 94 Saturn

Hi scvibe,Might want to look into the Gunk line of products. I used the MF3 engine flush on my old Ranger when I switched from Dino-oil to Synth. Not sure I needed to do it but it seemed safe enough. Had no problems after 70,000+ miles after the flush (113,000 total miles)http://www.gunk.com/menu_EO.asp http://www.gunk.com/menu_EO.asp This product can be found at any auto parts store or even some hardware stores that sell auto stuff. Dave

Quote, originally posted by scvibe30 » seems like she hasn't changed the oil in awhile how many miles did the car go between oil changes?some people change their oil every 3000 miles, some people go by the owenr's manual long trip schedule and change it around 7500 miles. Some of the 3000 mile camp would think that not changing it for 7500 miles once would require using an internal engine cleaning chemical. I'd be more inclined to just change the oil and get back on a regular schedule.

Simple green on the outsideBK-44 for the inside.

Watch out for places that try to sell engine and/or transmission "power flushes". That can be VERY bad for your car. Note the link below as to why they are bad.http://autotechrepair.suite101...40206Back in the day, we used to just use kerosene or diesel fuel to "degunk" motors. But don't think I would try that on a modern motor. There are products out there that do similar things, but are much less harsh and "degunk" the motor over time. One that I know of is called Sea Foam. Link below.http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpTechGas.htm

http://www.auto-rx.com/ Is what gets talked about on BITOG or Bob Is The Oil Guy.... So far BITOG is the holy grail of oil info... i have it posted in a few different places here it is again... http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

Auto-RX is the stuff of legends. It works great.

Def. think you meant the internals now, I would get the AutoRX I am actually picking up a bottle very soon. Almost at 50k.