Most of you have probably heard of Simple Green - its a cleaner concentrate, environmentally friendly, that you can mix with water, and clean almost anything.

Well, I recently used it to clean my engine compartment, and wheel wells. I like to clean the engine after an oil change is done, since oil always gets spilled all over the splash guard. Concentration was one part Simple Green, 10 parts water (approx), sprayed it on, and left it on for less than a couple minutes, rinsed thoroughly with water, engine was cool (did this with a hose in my driveway). Worked very well.

Then I read that some people think Simple Green is a bad thing to use wherever there is aluminum, since some air force test done 10+ years ago showed it can be corrosive to aluminum aircraft parts. The test was an extreme test (aluminum immersed in the undiluted concentrate for a full week, showed significant corrosion, based on before and after weighing).

The Simple Green website says it is fine to use on non-aircraft aluminum, as long as it is properly diluted, not left on the aluminum for a long period, and thorougly rinsed off. But of course they will put out positive messages about their own product.

Question to the forum is, what is your personal experienceusing Simple Green on your car, and/or other opinions and experiences.

 

never used it on my car before[:-]... i use oven cleaner or degreaser for my engine compartment.

 

I used it when an oil filter on my wife's old Subaru decided to split in half and hose down the bottom of the car. I used it undiluted due to how bad everything was coated. It worked great.

 

Well, I'd never use it undiluted on anything (though for your big mess, sst, I can understand the urge to do so). After thinking about it, I don't feel worried at all about using it on the engine a few times a year, as long as the engine is cold and it is diluted with at least 10 parts water (to one part SG). Might evendo it 20:1 going forward, on the theory that the least strong medicine that does the job is the choice to make.

I won't be using it on my rims, thoughit's tempting as rims get coated with road krud and brake pad dust,as I have read about the possibility of it discoloring aluminum. Yes, the rims seems to have a nice glossy treatment on top (its not like the rims are raw aluminum), but even so. Also, I don't want to risk messing up the brakes.

 

i never heard of simple green... how does this stuff work on the car's body? i somehow end up getting hot tar behind my wheels..

 

On the paint? Use a claybar.

 

I second the claybar...it will take anything out and leave your car as smooth as a baby's butt.

 

Ah, yeah, but you knowhow babies butts usually are. They always have something green or yellow, and disgustingcoming out of them.

 

will my car have a diaper rash after i use claybar? lol

 

It mighttt.....? I'd think twice about it, if I wuz U.