Cleaning engine compartment scare

Hatteras-surfer

New member
I cleaned engine on Friday pretty scary situation arised I'll get to that after some background info on my toy.

1996 Limited 4X4 3.4.
181 thousand miles.
Timing belt has 20 thousand miles on it,
Body & paint mint condition zero rust.

It remained stationary for years not driven much due to my epilepsy health condition.
I let maintenance go during those bad years it needed work so it became my summer project.
Its always been in great working order never had issue but a very very slight tic sound coming from left top side of engine nothing alarming though.

Work that was done this summer,

Interior:
Major cleaning & detail / Shampooed carpet & overhead
Paint - customization to center console & door switch covers flat black in color getting rid of wood look.
Added front seat covers due to leather wear.
Fixed Driver side window that kept coming off track on roll down.
New cloth floor mats - Black.

Exterior/suspension
Wash , waxed & detailed paint looks fantastic Cleaned stock rims look like new.
New front / rear springs & shocks rear sag is no more.
Daystar 1.5 suspension lift.
Front end alignment New tires stock spec.
Front / rear differential & transfer case fluid change.
New tires at spec.

Engine maintenance:
Radiator flush - Red 50/50
Oil Change - Switched to Synthetic oil - 10-30 Mobile 1 high millage & M1 filter.
Denso Double Platinum Spark Plug, Denso Ignition Wire Set and Toyota OEM air filter.
Whinn Power charge fuel treatment < 17.00 at dealer :eek: but well worth.
Cleaned MAF & Intake.


Now to Friday scare :ybrick:
Engine compartment wasn't ugly dirty but had grime from oil changes metals and plastics needed cleaning so I sprayed SuperClean washed down with water hose.
Everything looked great except for plastics.
Plastics had dry water specks all over looked terrible so I payed visit to pepboys picked up some 2in1 cleaner.
I went ahead cleaned compartment again everything shinned like new.
An hour later I took her for ride hit 35mph and it felt like rear tires were falling off engine vibration was blasting.
I pulled over idol was tacking low barley running check engine light turns on then I'm freaking lol
I get her home putting along check things out making sure fuse box is dry electrical connections are in tack.
Everything looked great until I pulled coil packs, #5 boot was soaked in water the other 2 had minor moister.
I dried boots popped them back in cleared #5 mis code took it for a long ride finding acceleration to be pretty ruff tacking close to 0 at idol so I revved engine pretty hard a couple times tacking 3 - 4 hopped on interstate everything smoothed out sounding good.
A few hours later I started her up finding engine running ruff so I pulled packs again finding #5 holding lots of moisture. I pulled boots off packs water was dripping out so I dried them thoroughly with blow dryer took it for another ride...a very smooth ride.
The slight ticking sound on left top side of engine is no longer present I'm guessing revving engine hard cleaned things up hasn't sounded this good in years.

Lesson learned
Before cleaning engine cover coil pack with plastic water tight.
 
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were you using a pressure washer or something? sounds like alot of water and something that really shouldnt be much of an issue unless you got something else going on? i mean we can drive through rivers and deep puddles and have little issues a standard cleaning should have no ill effect...
 
were you using a pressure washer or something? sounds like alot of water and something that really shouldnt be much of an issue unless you got something else going on? i mean we can drive through rivers and deep puddles and have little issues a standard cleaning should have no ill effect...
I used garden hose with sharp spray nozzle hitting area around #5 pack pretty hard on both cleans.
Pack next to it had a couple tiny water drops on boot nothing like 5.
I'm thinking 2in1 cleaner might of got in there as well ,Spray pressure was pretty strong & direct as well.
 

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