Steam-clean underneath, my car is dirty! Options

[Cairo94507]

I live in the San Ramon Valley and want to steam-clean the underneath of my car to remove all of the oil, grease, dirt, etc.

The car has a pretty good leak on the driver's side and the PO never did anything with it. I want to clean it so I can repair it.

Looking for something hopefully within the San Ramon Valley or reasonable close to it where you put the car up on a lift and steam clean it until satisfied?

OR... how the heck do you clean the underside of these? I don't know if jack stands at the coin carwash would do it.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

[Mike Bellis]

I don't think Cal EPA allows steam cleaning any more at car washes. Your best bet is to hire a mobile staem cleaner to come to you. Put it on jack stands in the driveway. Worst case, come over and borrow my power washer, take it home and do it with cold water.

[orange914]

a cool trick i learned to clean oily areas is to soak it with WD40, but not too long as to dry. pressure wash/steam clean it off. it helps lift the oil, removes oxidation and rejuvinates the plastic and rubber very nicely. works great on detailing underhood especially

[charliew]

I think I read where the 914 tranny has a wax type of preservative coating on it, when you clean this off the tranny will corrode faster.

[elmonte]

You could use a pressure washer hooked up to your water heater (turned way up) Spray engine degreaser on the affected areas and then hit it with the washer,But that could make your neighbors a little mad at the mess The only other thing i can think of is jackstands, tarp, degeaser, and a lot of elbow grease


Cheers

[campbellcj]

I don't let my cars get super nasty, generally, but that FLAPS engine degreaser paired with a pressure washer does the trick on most engine grime and road sludge. I just did this a week or so ago in fact and did not even use hot water although it was at least 90F ambient that day.

BE SURE to cover up the electronics such as they are - dizzy and coil and so forth - as well as FI or carb intakes and anything else that should not get wet!

[EdwardBlume]

Cleaning the underside of a 914 is an awful job... and even when its all out of the car...

[underthetire]

Use the purple stuff. That damn Gunk stuff stinks and leaves white evidence down the gutter.

[Cairo94507]

Sorry; I did not mean "steam" clean; I meant high pressure self-washers like the 25 cent car washes, though they are now $2 car washes here.

I can't do this at home because the neighbors would flip out. I guess I will have to go to the self-wash car wash and try it that way. I will talk to the owner first to make sure he is OK with it though.

I plan on using some kind of degreaser first to loosen everything up before I hit it with water.

Before I wash it I will definitely take pictures so you will all see the before/after. Probably about 6 weeks away though.

[Mike Bellis]

Sorry; I did not mean "steam" clean; I meant high pressure self-washers like the 25 cent car washes, though they are now $2 car washes here.

I can't do this at home because the neighbors would flip out. I guess I will have to go to the self-wash car wash and try it that way. I will talk to the owner first to make sure he is OK with it though.

I plan on using some kind of degreaser first to loosen everything up before I hit it with water.

Before I wash it I will definitely take pictures so you will all see the before/after. Probably about 6 weeks away though.

I think I'm in the only neiborhood in San Ramon without a Home Owners Association. I can get away with almost anything at my house. My CCR's do point out that I cannot install a toilet without plumbing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) Someone must have tried it or it wouldn't be a rule (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Cairo94507]

Yeah, where I live, the neighbors (and my wife) would have a cow if I started to wash greasy water down the driveway and street. I will find someplace that will allow me to clean it.

The problem is there is so much dirt and oil caked on the bottom from the PO driving it with the leak, that just trying to wipe it clean is not possible. Plus I really want to see what the heck is under all that stuff.

[elmonte]

Found this in San Jose

http://www.sanjoseautosteamcleaning.com/

[Cairo94507]

Wow, that may be the ticket! I will give them a call to check on pricing and post it. Thanks- Michael

[EdwardBlume]

Found this in San Jose

http://www.sanjoseautosteamcleaning.com/

Nice. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[pcar916]

Whichever method you use make sure you seal the vent above the diff and avoid rubber seals, i.e. the axle-flanges. Otherwise you're injecting water into your trany fluid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[Cairo94507]

FYI everyone, I had this steam cleaning done in San Jose and it cost $225 and they bottom of the car came out very nice. San Jose Auto Steam Cleaning, 32 Stockton Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126 408.288.7440.




My car had a ton of oil and crap under it. Now it will be much easier and nicer to work on :0)

[windforfun]

How much of the car did they clean?

[PanelBilly]

I had the creamcycle done by a pro and it cost me $175. The driveline was out and he did the engine bay too. I'll need to touch up the undercoat that got knocked off, but it will be a lot nicer tto climb under the car.

Still doesn't match the gulf blue car, but its so clean, I could turn that car over and serve a meal on it.

[Cairo94507]

How much of the car did they clean?

They steamed the entire bottom and the longs with the rockers off. They spent over 1 hour steaming it. They would steam and then stop and look and steam some more. I am very happy with the work.

[windforfun]

Great!!! I've been going to them for 30 years. I think the owner is named Robert. His mom used to run things.