Electrics covered
Alternator, fuse box, ECU, exposed connectors and the air intake are bagged or capped. Battery terminals are checked and covered. Nothing gets wet that should stay dry.
Service 05 · Under the bonnet
Clean enough to show a buyer.
Sand, oil mist and dried leaves collect under the bonnet faster here than almost anywhere. We cover the electrics, lift the grease by hand and dress the plastics, so the bay looks looked-after rather than wiped over.
What is included
Covered, degreased, dressed.
The bay is worked cold, by hand, with the sensitive parts covered before a drop of water goes near it.
- Alternator, fuse box, ECU, air intake and exposed connectors covered before any water is used
- Loose sand, leaves and debris brushed and blown out of the scuttle, corners and battery tray
- Citrus degreaser on covers, hoses and the underside of the bonnet, worked in with soft brushes
- Low-pressure rinse only. A jet wash is never aimed into the bay
- Dried with air and microfibre so nothing is left sitting in a recess
- Plastics, hoses and rubber dressed with a water-based finish that stays matte and does not attract dust
- Bonnet underside, slam panel and strut tops given the same attention as the covers
- Engine started and checked before the keys come back to you
Preview photography is illustrative. The owner's own photos of the bay and customer cars replace it before launch.
Send a photo of the bay for a quoteHow it works
Three stages, engine cold.
We never clean a hot engine. If you arrive straight off the road we let the bay cool first, and that wait is built into the time we agree with you.
Grease lifted by hand
Dry debris comes out first. Then a citrus degreaser goes on cover by cover and is worked in with soft brushes, so oil mist and sand release before a low-pressure rinse carries them away.
Dried, dressed, started
Air and microfibre dry every recess. Plastics and hoses get a water-based dressing that stays matte and does not hold dust. We start the car and check it before handing back the keys.
When we say no
When the answer is not yet.
An engine bay clean is safe on almost every modern car. On a few it is not, and we would rather tell you on WhatsApp than find out in the bay.
The engine is hot
Water on hot metal can warp parts and leave mineral marks, and degreaser flashes off before it has done anything. We wait until the bay is cool to the touch. Drop the car early and we time it for you.
Exposed or ageing electrics
Older cars, aftermarket wiring, exposed ignition coils or a distributor cap, and brittle looms get a dry detail only: brushes, air and wipe-down, no water at all. Hybrids and EVs get the same dry approach around the orange high-voltage cabling.
Leaks, warning lights or deep water
An active oil or coolant leak, a live fault light, or a car that has recently been through flood water needs a mechanic first. Cleaning hides the evidence they need. Fix first, clean second.
Pairs well with
Finish the whole car.
Most drivers add the engine bay to a bigger visit. These are the two we suggest most often, especially before a sale.
Good to know
Engine bay questions, answered.
Usually between 45 minutes and an hour and a half once the engine is cool, depending on how much grease and sand has built up. Add cooling time if you arrive straight off the motorway. We confirm a pick-up time when you drop the car.
On a modern car, yes, when the electrics are covered and the water is low pressure. We never use a jet wash in the bay, and older or modified cars get a dry clean instead. If we are not comfortable with a particular car, we say so before we start, not after.
It depends on the car and how much build-up there is. Send us the model and a photo of the bay on WhatsApp and we quote in minutes. If you book The Emperor package, the engine bay is already included.