greenbackz

my mechanic was out of town so i went to one of those quick oil change places to get a simple oil change. I usually avoid those places because i've heard plenty of horror stories about them..

anyways long story short they changed my oil and then after he was cleaning the top of my engine with a rag i guess to get a little bit of oil that may have spilled.. then he gets a hose and sprayed a bunch of water on my engine it was still hot so it was steaming like crazy.. wtf?!

now i'm not a mechanic or anything, but in my head i was like WTF ARE U DOING? i don't think i've ever seen that before so though it was a bit odd..

should i be worried about possible block damage or something or u think it will be fine? i didn't see any cracks and everything is running fine but damn.. didn't seem like something you should be doing..

anyone else have any similar experiences?

Reverb2005

That is messed up.....

First of all, you should keep water away from the engine at all costs. If you really have to, just wipe it down with some engine de-greaser. Actually, I would wipe my engine down WITH some sort of lubricant just to keep water from causing any possible oxidation.

Did you get a pic or video of this idiocy?

The main problem here is usually electrical. Water can get into all sorts of places and either cause oxidation of electrical contacts or short things out completely. Sees like a common problem after washing your engine is getting water into the spark plug area. The coils do have a bit of sealing capability but sometimes water can get right down into the plug area. I would pull the coils off and try your best to dry in there with some compressed air, just don't remove the plugs!

Also, check around your alternator, maybe try to gently blow any water out of it too. Besides the fuse box (check that too...), the alternator is one of the most sensitive components with respect to water since this is where all the electricity comes from to power your electronics!

I would have stepped out of my car and demanded to speak to the manager at that point. Also, this guy apparently doesn't know that you can't clean oil with water, lol....

greenbackz

ya.. i was half awake and in a rush to get to work didn't really feel like making a scene at the time.. wish i did now tho . i've driven quite a bit it's been a few days since then and no issues so far. I was worried it could get into the coil packs or short out something.

i left a bad review. If any problems arise you bet i'll be going back there to tear him a new *******.

ezone

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Most of everything in the engine compartment is water resistant.

Rain and deep puddles can get the engine and everything in the engine compartment just as wet.

Steam? That's what happens when you spray water on anything HOT.
Not a problem in and of itself.



If it runs ok now, it will probably be fine.
As long as nobody tried to wash around the spark plug tubes or hit any wire connectors with a hard direct spray.....

I have no problem washing an engine (or even using a power washer) after dousing it in degreaser. Or without degreaser.
I used to do it as part of a major service sometimes if the engine was super dirty.

But I know what I'm doing, and I can handle anything that might go wrong during the process.

mikey1

i worked at one of those places when i was a teenager, i could tell you all kinds of horror stories, but i have never heard of or seen anything like you are describing, what was the point of this?.....did you ask why he was doing it?

but to get to the point, the only thing i would be concerned about is if he was using a really high pressure power washer, those things can literally cut right through wires and hoses, or any type of rubber or plastic,

greenbackz

yah it seems to be fine no problems so far just thought it was a pretty stupid thing to do.. When i checked under the hood it looks like he spilled some oil so was probably trying to clean it.. but using water to clean oil is just.. i dunno.. retarded? haha.

and yes ezone, i know the steam was not a big deal but it's what caught my attention, and you may say it's fine you do it on your own vehicle but these lube shop employees aren't as educated or experienced as you. a rag and a little bit of brake cleaner or de-greaser would have done the trick with little to no-risk compared to cold water from a hose.

in the end, my car runs fine but i just found it pretty weird and never seen anything like it. thought maybe he was trying to sabotage my car or something. paranoia is a b!tch lol

ezone

Be glad the person took a few minutes to clean up a mess instead of just saying F-it and letting it go.



If I spill oil, I sure don't want the cars owner to go home park in the garage and then find puddles of oil under the car.On their nice BRAND NEW concrete garage floor.
I will wash it off with whatever means I feel necessary (or have handy).

You don't know how much oil was spilled. Rags and wiping can only go so far....not far enough.
Brake cleaner is extremely flammable (most of it is anyway) and dousing a hot engine or exhaust with it could cause a flash fire.

Brake cleaner is also expensive. Water is almost free.


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Some people would have a cow if they actually saw a lot of the stuff that goes on in a real shop. Fixing cars not all about gently turning wrenches, there's sometimes outright violence with hammers and stuff...and swear words that would break some peoples ears. LOL