Filed under: Maintenance
Be careful where you point that thing: high-pressure washers lead to car problems
Both DIY car washes and hardware superstores have made it easy for motorists to get their hands on high-pressure washers for auto cleaning use. Unfortunately people are messing up their whips with these powerful sprayers by cleaning their engines, which can force water into places where it doesn't belong and short out electrical components. It's important to remember that for the most part, dirt and grime will not harm an engine, but cleaning it the wrong way will. Even incorrectly applying a direct high-pressure stream to a car's exterior can be harmful, as water can be pushed through seals and into the interior. Especially aggressive washers have even been known to shoot water all the way into dash-mounted CD changers, which do not appreciate that one bit.
