What is the proper way to clean the engine compartment without totally fryin somthing.

Also, to those who have shaved there front plate, how did you patch the two holes for the mounting of the plate frame?

 

Can"t say "bout the engine compartment.
But I have shaved the front plate. The ideal way is to do it with a plastic welder.
ME? Originally I simply stuffed all the loose plastic back in the holes and used several layers of touch-up paint.
My second attempt, the one I"m still using, involved clear epoxy.

 

For cleaning the engine, I myself you the spray on Scrubbing Bubbles, warm the engine, do not get ithot, spray on and let soak for about 5 minutes or so and rinse off with the hose, do not spray directly at the Coils and before starting blow all the water out of the Spark Plug holes. Remember ever thing under the hood is supposed to be water proof, but I do blow out the spark plug hole so you do not short out a Coil.
As for the holes, on my 07 I put the bolts back into it and found some little chrome caps to go onto them, on the 08 I got the car coming off the truck, the license plate bracket was still in the back of the car and I tossed it into the 07 so it had one [8D]

 

Try to do it with the engine as cool as possible is my 2 cents. The idea of spraying water on super hot metal is something to be avoided in my humble opinion.

With the substantial lower splash shield that the 3 has, I don't find the engine gets a whole lot of road grime on it. A simple garden hose rinsing in your driveway - no detergent, with engine cold - removes most of the dirt in the case of my 3. I let my car sit and drip dry for 10 minutes of so before I start it up. You can spot treat bad areas with any grime removing cleaner that is safe for aluminum.

If your engine is really dirty, many wand wash car washes have an engine cleaner choice. In order to prevent dealing with a super hot engine, try to find one a short drive from your home if possible. When I get there, I pop the hood and let the engine cool down for 10-15 minutes before proceeding (3-4 songs). Rinse the cleaner off using a low pressure rinse to avoid damaging delicate wiring and connections.

 

I live and work in farm country, so my engine gets alot of Corn/Bean dust, pods, leaves, etc. I wouldnt think it would leak so easy, but, it is what it is.