I F***** Up Bad!!! Help!!

[fordman]

Ok Guys. Cleaned Engine today with Simple Green and hose. Let dry for about an hour after blowing it all off. IT WILL NOT START!!!!! Just blows smoke when it turns over. It will sound like its turning over and then dies with a puff of smoke. I need help!

[Blk Mamba]

Probably water in the spark plug holes, shorting the electrical.

[jdando]

pull the coil covers and blow out with compressed air

let dry for a while and try again

[bigbillybbs]

Was it running fine before you cleaned it.??
Probably water in the spark plug holes ..What he said..

[Blackmobile]

I'd take the time to remove the coil covers and see if water made it's way down the the spark plugs. Next time start it up as soon as you finish, that way the heat will help evaporate any pooled water.

[fordman]

OK Thanks. I did take the covers off and blow them out, but I'll do it again right now! Any other ideas? Im not getting a Check Engine light code, but the light is on.

[mmssdriver]

how long does it crank for? and if and when it turns over how long does run for before it dies? and does the smoke smell like burning simple green? :shake:

[Blk Mamba]

how long does it crank for? and if and when it turns over how long does run for before it dies? and does the smoke smell like burning simple green? :shake:

You don't think he got SG in the intake do you? If he did he should pull the plugs and ventilate the engine.

[fordman]

Alright Guys. I got her running after some real intense drying off with the air compressor. Let her get warm, but now she has a high idle. I let her run for about 20 min. then drove it around. Idle wont fall below 1000 rpm's. Should I just continue blowing off IACV or let time do a complete dry off?

[ChiTownMaraud3r]

Disconnect battery for 10 min or so, then restart car. I'd say it will eventually come back to normal.

[finster101]

Alright Guys. I got her running after some real intense drying off with the air compressor. Let her get warm, but now she has a high idle. I let her run for about 20 min. then drove it around. Idle wont fall below 1000 rpm's. Should I just continue blowing off IACV or let time do a complete dry off?


Depending on how "intense" you got with the air compressor, I would be looking for a vac. hose off somewhere.

[SC Cheesehead]

I'd take the time to remove the coil covers and see if water made it's way down the the spark plugs. Next time start it up as soon as you finish, that way the heat will help evaporate any pooled water.

^^^^^+1^^^^

Also, I don't use the jet stream setting. I typcially use the fan spray, and then just pass over the engine to rinse off rather than focus the spray in any one spot for too long. As soon as I have it rinsed off, I fire up the engine and let it run for a couple minutes, that does it for me.

SCCH

[fordman]

Alright! Now it wont start again. Cranks, no turn over.

[fordman]

I took off IACV and TPS to make sure they where clean and dry after I seen it had a high idle. now it wont start.

[LCSO34]

MAF unplugged maybe?

[CRUZTAKER]

Wow...

I wash all of our cars motors and never had a problem.

However, I NEVER blast the motor/fuse boxes with water.
I spray windex on a cold motor and rinse with a gentle wide spray from a garden hose (with the motor running) during the rinse.

[fordman]

Thanks guys for helping me with my earlier freakout post. Well, for those of you who may not know, I washed my motor today. Wouldnt start, then it did with a high idle, then it wouldnt restart until about an hour ago. Then end result for today is:

1) Still has high idle

2) No cooling fans, car almost overheated.

3) Couldnt possibly be anymore humid today in Chicago.

I put a house fan facing the motor tonight in the garage. Unplugged the fans at the top of the shield, hope it was just wet. Any advise from my wonderful friends here would be more than appreciated.

[justbob]

It sure sounds like something got bumped/disconnected. recheck all vacuum lines and elct. connectors. i've never had an issue washing an engine and i don't cover anything, i just start it up and let it run for about 30 minutes and then take it out for a drive to air it out.

[fordman]

which fuse is the cooling fan fuse? I dont have an owners manual.

[justbob]

give me two minutes

[justbob]

location# 102 50amp in your under hood distribution box

[usabodyguard]

WD 40 is your answer....


it will work... like a charm

[fordman]

My cars is still idling high after giving the engine a cleaning yestarday. Also fans only come on if A/C is on, otherwise car will overheat. Im thinking its the Temperature Control Sensor not working or something close to it. Any ideas guys?

[FordNut]

Check the wiring connections at the two temperature sensors in the coolant crossover tube.

[Blk Mamba]

WD 40 is your answer....


it will work... like a charm

Thats a fact, great for protecting electrical connections, spark plug wires, and also instead of starting fluid, (has oil in it, and won't dry out cylinders, while attempting to start an engine) known as water displacement formula 40.

[fordman]

Where should I spray this WD 40 though??

[rayjay]

Where should I spray this WD 40 though??

All electrical connection points. Its going to make a mess, but if it works :beer:

[jgc61sr2002]

My cars is still idling high after giving the engine a cleaning yestarday. Also fans only come on if A/C is on, otherwise car will overheat. Im thinking its the Temperature Control Sensor not working or something close to it. Any ideas guys?



I tend to concur, but the connection may be wet since you had no prior problems.

[Aren Jay]

This is ironic because he caused the problem trying to clean the engine. Now he will have a running but messy wd'ed up engine.

[fordman]

OK guys. She started up twice for me know. Idle back to normal, got check engine light. p1289 - Cylinder Head Temp. Sensor High Output. My fans stay on from startup now.

[Tom Doan]

Very common problem, If you are going to hose down a motor with a cleaner like Simple Green it will creep into every connection some are no problem, some will short out, some relays will just melt. I have had the same problems and getting the engine started and warming everything up does not get rid of the water, each COP must be removed and the plug connector cleaned and dried otherwise you will boil all the crud onto the plug and COP and have a real mess to blow it all out to keep it from falling into the head when you pull the plugs to clean off the corrosion you just caused, I have learned the hard way that I must get the water out of things like fan relays. Maf connectors, COPs etc. or I'm going to have no start, rough idle,no fans.....think of it as a way to learn all the parts under the hood or learn to do the weekly wipe down to save the grief.

[finster101]

I think the real problem was the blow dry with the air compressor.

[ts-pa]

I just did mine on Thursday night, thank GOD without any incident.
I first covered the fuse box at the battery, the ECM, a box near the the ECM, and a large electical connector under the brake master cylinder with aluminum foil before the cleaning.
Sprayed Simple Green concentrate, let sit for 5-10 mins. rinsed with a hose that had a very gentle spray setting.
I did this twice since my car was real bad under the hood.
I immediately started it up after removing the foil. Then blew dry it on the interstate at 70 mph for about a twenty min round trip errand.

I feel for you, you are living through what I feared would happen to me when I did mine.

BTW, is there any difference in the "Simple Green Concentrate" gallon jug found at Lowes vs. the "Simple Green Max" found at Autozone?