Engine Bay Wash in Los Angeles, Steam-Cleaned at Your Home or Office
MNG's engine bay wash comes to your home, office, parking garage or the street where you park, across Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. Our engine steam cleaning starts with the alternator, air intake and exposed electronics covered; low-pressure steam and a water-based degreaser lift the grime, then we dry every surface and dress the plastics, with nothing into the gutter. From $129.
- Photos before and after every job
- Electronics covered, low-pressure steam
- Not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge.
- Last updated September 15, 2026
Engine steam cleaning and engine detailing prices for the top side of the bay: covered, degreased and steamed, wiped, dried and dressed, on its own visit or added to a wash or detail.
| Vehicle | Price |
|---|---|
| Sedan, coupe, SUV or crossover | $129 |
| Truck, van or 3-row SUVA bigger bay, with more to cover | $149 |
| Heavy greaseAn oil-soaked bay once the leak is fixed, or before a mechanic's leak check | $219 |
| Rear- or mid-engine and exotic carsA rear-engine sports car or a mid-engine supercar, for example | Quote from photos |
What changes the price: the vehicle's size and how crowded the bay is (a V8 truck against a four-cylinder sedan); how long since the last cleaning, since caked oil and road film take longer; and a rear- or mid-engine layout. Adding it to a full detail? Same price, same visit. All our prices: car detailing cost in Los Angeles. Book engine bay cleaning.
Where the greasy water goes
- In the City of LA, untreated wastewater from steam cleaning and other mobile commercial work may not go into the storm drain, and neither may untreated runoff carrying grease, oil or antifreeze from motor vehicles (LAMC 64.70.02 B.1 and B.2). The code's car-washing exemption covers only "Non commercial car washing by residents or by non-profit organizations" (64.70.03 A.2(f)).
- California's stormwater handbook says the same for steam cleaning: "Do not permit steam cleaning wash water to enter the storm drain system" (CASQA SC-21).
- So we catch it on a water-capture mat under the car and take it with us. Other cities in the county have their own stormwater rules; we use the same method everywhere, the street included.
- Our degreaser is within California's VOC limit for engine degreasers (17 CCR 94509) and contains none of the chlorinated solvents CARB bars in them (17 CCR 93111).
Not legal advice.
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What LA leaves under the hood
- Trees: leaves, jacaranda blossoms and pine needles pile up in the cowl on cars parked on the street or under trees. We remove them dry, first.
- Rodents: UC Cooperative Extension notes that rodent gnawing causes "costly damage to vehicles" (UCCE). If we find chewed wiring, we stop, photograph it and tell you: a mechanic checks the wiring.
- Hard water: in the City of LA, LADWP's zone averages run from 8.6 to 16.3 grains per gallon, and above 7 counts as hard (LADWP). So we dry the bay and the covers with towels and compressed air instead of letting them spot.
What's included in our engine bay detailing
- 01
Look first, photograph everything
We open the hood with the engine cool to the touch, the same rule CRC, a degreaser maker, gives (CRC). We photograph the bay and note leaks, chewed wiring or a loose connector before we touch anything, and check your owner's manual for a no-water warning.
- 02
Dry debris out
Leaves, blossoms and pine needles come out of the cowl and the corners by hand, vacuum and compressed air before any moisture goes in.
- 03
Cover what water must not reach
The alternator, the air intake, the fuse and relay box, exposed connectors and the battery are bagged and taped; CRC lists the same parts to seal.
- 04
Degrease and steam
A water-based degreaser is sprayed on greasy surfaces and worked in with soft detailing brushes, and low-pressure steam lifts it off. Never a pressure washer: CRC also warns against high pressure near sensitive parts.
- 05
Wipe, capture, dry
Residue is wiped off with microfiber towels, water that drips is caught on the water-capture mat under the front of the car, and the bay is dried with towels and compressed air, not left to air-dry.
- 06
Dress
Plastics and rubber get a water-based, non-greasy dressing, never on belts or pulleys. The hood liner is brushed and wiped, not soaked.
- 07
Uncover, start, hand over
Every cover comes off and we start the engine to check the dash for warning lights. You get the before and after photos. Plan on about an hour on site.
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Car engine cleaning done as a method: covered, steamed, dried and photographed.
Our engine steam cleaning, step by step
What's included, and what isn't
| Included | Not included, and where to go |
|---|---|
| The top of the engine, covers and hoses | Under the engine and the undercarriage: that needs a lift, so it's a shop job |
| Inner fenders, strut towers and firewall you can reach from above | Cleaning over an active leak to make the bay look dry: the leak is fixed first, or the oil comes back |
| The underside of the hood and the hood liner, brushed, not soaked | Wiring, hoses or parts damaged by rodents: a mechanic |
| The cowl and hood jambs, with the debris removed | Engine or transmission internals: an "engine flush" is a mechanic's service |
| Plastics and rubber dressed | Paint chips or corrosion in the bay: a body shop |
Buying or selling a car and want the bay photographed clean? Ask for the photo set.
Hybrids and cars whose manual says no water
Some makers tell owners not to put water in the engine compartment. Toyota's RAV4 manual warns water "may cause the electrical components etc. to catch fire" (manual); Subaru's Impreza manual says water in "the engine air intake, electrical parts or the power steering fluid reservoir" will "cause engine trouble" (manual). On those cars, and any car whose manual says the same, we clean without spraying: steam onto the towel, then wipe.
- Hybrids: high-voltage cables are orange by federal rule (FMVSS 305, S5.4.1.2; the same rule is S6.1.2 in the newer FMVSS 305a). We never spray, scrub or dress them or the parts they connect.
- Electric cars: many have a front trunk, which we clean with the interior (interior car detailing). Others have a motor compartment under the hood with the same orange cables, and we clean it by the hybrid rule: wipe only, around the cables.
Whether water belongs under the hood at all is a question for our car detailing guide; here, the manual decides.
Related services
- The whole car cleaned inside and out, engine bay added: full detail.
- Yellow, hazy headlights cleared at the same visit: headlight restoration.
- Seats, carpets and the EV front trunk: interior car detailing.
- A hand wash where you park, engine bay as an add-on: mobile car wash.
Engine wash near you: areas we serve
Engine bay cleaning near you in West LA, Palms, Mid-City, Koreatown, Downtown, Hollywood and the Valley; Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Culver City; Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena; Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Long Beach; Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. We cover LA County outside the Antelope Valley, plus Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, with no travel fee.
Engine bay cleaning FAQ
How much does engine bay cleaning cost in Los Angeles?
From $129 for a sedan, coupe, SUV or crossover, on its own visit or added to a wash or detail; $149 for a truck, van or 3-row SUV; $219 for a heavily greased bay; exotics are quoted from photos. It includes covering, steam, drying, dressing and photos. All our prices: car detailing cost in Los Angeles.
Where can I get my engine bay cleaned in Los Angeles?
At your home, office, parking garage or the street where you park, across LA County outside the Antelope Valley, plus Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. We bring water, power and a water-capture mat; we need the hood released and room in front of the car, and plan on about an hour on site.
Do you steam clean engines or use a pressure washer?
Low-pressure steam with a water-based degreaser, brushes and towels, and never a pressure washer; where the owner's manual says no water, the steam goes onto a towel. How steam and pressure washing compare: is steam cleaning an engine safer than pressure washing it?
How do you protect the electronics, the air intake and hybrid parts?
The engine is cool, and the alternator, intake, fuse box and exposed connectors are bagged. We check the owner's manual for a no-water warning (Toyota and Subaru manuals carry one), never spray a hybrid's orange high-voltage cables, dry everything with towels and compressed air, and check the dash after the start.
What happens if a warning light comes on after the cleaning?
Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge. The before photos show the starting state of the bay. That is also why we cover the connectors and follow the manual rather than promise that nothing can happen.
Can you clean the engine before a leak check or before I sell the car?
Before a leak check, yes: ask your mechanic when they want it done, since the timing is theirs to set. Before a sale, a clean, dry bay photographs well, but buyers are told to be wary of oil splattered about (Consumer Reports), so fix leaks first; we never clean to hide one. A heavily greased bay is $219.
Do you clean under the engine or the undercarriage?
No: that needs a lift, so it's a shop job. We clean the top of the engine, the inner fenders, firewall and cowl you can reach from above, and the underside of the hood. Oil soaking from an active leak needs the repair first.
Can I add engine bay cleaning to a full detail?
Yes, at the same visit, from $129. It pairs well with headlight restoration before a sale or a lease return; book it with a full detail or a mobile car wash.
More about Engine Bay Cleaning
Why book your engine cleaning service with MNG
- We come to you: home, office or the street where you park.
- We read your owner's manual first, and clean without spraying where it says no water; hybrid orange cables are never sprayed.
- Nothing into the gutter or the storm drain: a water-capture mat under the car and our own water.
- A California-compliant, water-based degreaser and a non-greasy dressing.
- Photos before and after every job.
- Honest scope: the top side only, and we tell you if we see a leak or chewed wiring.
- Not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge.
Professional engine cleaning as a method, not a hose: about MNG.
MNG Mobile Car Detailing Beverly Hills
A clean bay, and nothing in the gutter.
Send the make, model and year (so we can check the manual first), and a photo of the bay if you have one. The price comes back before you book, and nothing is charged until you accept it.
Not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge.
Calls 8 am–10 pm daily