so.......at approximately 3:44 pm today my heart stopped hahahah. i used some foaming engine cleaner, the hose, shop vac and a non aggressive brush to get the job done. i covered all essential parts with plastic bags (alternator, cold air filter, some of my HID components) and went to work. i foamed the entire engine, agitated some areas with my brush and let it sit for about 10 minutes. i then rinsed it all down. put the shop vac on reverse to get all the water out of each and every crevese. then with a few rags i dried everyting off. i let the car sit in the sun with the hood open for about another 10 min.....said a little prayer and started her up......but that was just it, it wouldnt start.

after almost losing it i opened up the fuse box under the hood to make sure it was dry, it was. i dried off the battery some more and everything else i could think of. i was just about to remove the negative terminal when i decided to try one more time and VOILA it started. i thanked jesus/allah/buddah and cleaned everything up. im assuming something was wet that wasnt supposed to be and was causing a short because i would get this click click click click sound when i turned the key but it wouldnt turn over. needless to say i am very relieved that it started and happy with the results. ill post pictures in just a few minutes. need to catch my breath hahaha

 

 

Run the Engine for a couple of hours to completely dry engine. Some compressed Air or a Leaf Blower on any electrical connections would be a good idea as well. The connections will be less likely to corrode that way.

KC

 

Y'know I wash my engine religously (ever 2nd or 3rd car wash) and I've yet to run into a no-start problem (probably jinxed myself). I wonder what the root problem is? Gunk washed into something preventing an electrical contact - but the fix doesn't seem like thats the problem.

Slip, does the CAI get wet during your engine wash? I always take care to cover mine in an effort to minimize any water soaking into the filter.

 

Water in between the Battery terminal & Cable have caused the Click Click Click to me on numerous occasions.

KC

 

when i opened the fuse box and blew into all the unused ports, a drop of water came out of one. mite have been the source of the problem. had to be some left over water sitting on an electrical lead or something, possibly the battery like 05stangkc said.

my CAI didnt get wet (covered that really well) at all but i did not cover the mass airflow sensor....maybe that was the problem but i doubt it since the "click click click" seemed like a battery issue. regardless shes runnin just fine now and the engine couldnt look better

just so i know for future reference.....i covered the alternator (best i could since its tucked under the intake), air filter, some connectors and fuses on my HID's and that was it. should i have covered anything else?

 

Same here...I wash the engine on both my stangs..SHELBY and SALEEN and have never had any issues. I don't even cover cold air intake or anything else..lol They start right up!

 

Just a thought but I use alum foil on most of the stuff I cover up that there is not a possibility of a short. I've found that water usually somehow comes thru/around plastic.

 

Alum Foil....clever!

 

Good idea...

 

A bit off topic; has anyone figured out how to get rid of the oxidation on the block? Mine looks terrible.

 

Oooo, yes, good question. I'd be interested to here any cleaning solutions

 

on my 2006 gt vert this happened to me. A alternator diode went south.

 

Have washed the engine of several cars throughout the years without ever having a problem except once... a Stealth R/T TT: Water worked its way under the coils and into plugs.

The only part that I ever cover is the open filter on the CAI.

 

I've read that Simple Green works pretty good.... but I don't know if it does anything for the ugly oxidized look on the unfinished cam covers.
Geez Ford, what would you have upcharged us for painted axles and coated cam covers from the factory...