K6JRF at the mic K6JRF's Page
formerly W6FZC


My Mercedes Benz
S500 Coupe
 K6JRF's MB S500 Cpe
(Updated: Mar 30, 2007)

Analyze and Troubleshoot "Check Engine" MIL and Electronic Control Units (ECU)!

Engine Detailing with a Common Product!

Description
Most all of us Mercedes owners not only like a clean, polished exterior but a bright, shiny engine as well. So this note shows what I used on my S500 Cpe to 'shine' the engine. You may not believe it!

Warning . . .
I was sent a interesting note from another 140 owner who came across the warning from Berryman Products on the use of 'silicone' under your hood. Here's what they say; Silicone of any variety will contaminate the oxygen sensor. And the amount of silicone needed to do this is minuscule. How minuscule you may ask? A well known example is: Silicone-based RTV gasket sealants. These type of sealers outgas small amounts of silicone when they cure. If you use one of these sealers on an oil pan or valve cover gasket, the silicone vapor will be sucked into the crankcase ventilation system and then into the intake manifold. As a result, the oxygen sensor, once contaminated with Silicone will be inoperative within a day or two. Likewise, do not use Silicone-based lubricants anywhere under the hood, or anywhere forward of the firewall.

In addition, I can now add the warning for the MAF sensor. Silicone will also contaminate this sensor making your car's emission system into a 'polluter'! Little bit strong but be sure to read MENU#4a to see what happened to my MAF due to silicone contamination.

So now you've been doubly warned!

Overall pic of engine after No Touch This picture shows the overall engine after the use of . . . No Touch® Tire Care!

No Touch Tire Care product Yes, that's right. The common product that we all have used at one time or another to shine up the rubber. And it works quite well. I don't like the fact that it takes some time to dry but that drawback aside, it does do a great job on my tires.

But while visiting Pat at his shop, I noticed that he had a few cans of No Touch® hanging around. He next showed what he does with them! To me it was something that I would have never thought about: use it on the engine. He proceeded to 'shine' up a customer's car with it.
Another pic of engine after No Touch Tire Care Well, needless to say, that I couldn't wait to get home and try this myself. Actually, I was a little hesitant at first even though I saw it done on another Mercedes.

So first, I cleaned the engine a bit. My engine has no leaks so there's not a lot of oil film in the compartment, so just blowing and wiping it down was all that was needed.

So I just applied it as recommended: coat the parts to be shined with a good bead of foam. It will start to soak in immediately so make sure the surface is adequately covered. Then simply let it dry. Overnight is best. Then wipe the high spots down with a shop cloth and buff it out.
Another pic of engine after Tire Shine I did all parts shown in the pictures including the air plenum, F23 module box, fuse box and facade covers. Even did the Aux fans and grill work as shown.

The rubber parts shine brightly as do the plastic parts such as the air intake tubes. The air cleaner comes out as a satin finish but all parts have a 'deep' luster.

No Touch® is the only patented product that combines a cleaner (surfactant), dressing (silicone; read warning above) and a drying agent (bonding agent) all in one. It leaves a satin finish and is the only one-step tire care that cleans, shines and protects tires. Well, now it has a new use in my garage!

Don't confuse this with the use of WD40. Sure it may go on quicker but after a few days, it evaporates and so does the shine. Also it's greasy, it attracts and holds dust.

If you do use this type of product, you should let it dry thoroughly (about 8 - 12 hours) before driving. Then wipe it down to remove all 'loose' residue. I wouldn't advise spraying into the air inlets on the front of the car . . . nor the rubber moldings that surround the air inlets. But . . . you can't say you weren't warned about contamination, so be careful . . .

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