No Rusty Bolts Etc - Impressed!

[ninanina]

My Jazz Advance was registered July 2023 so is nearly 18 months old

When I pop the bonnet to check the oil etc I’m always impressed how good the under bonnet looks

There are no rusty bolts and everything still looks brand new

[Lord Voltermore]

I agree.  The only exception is the Bright alloy used for the  big 'lump' of stuff to the right of the engine. 

 My 6 month old car  has white powdery deposits which I assume is  aluminium oxide corrosion  (Al₂O₃)  . This might become more pronounced over time ,although my  previous Mk4 had it too and was no worse at 3 years old.

I'm not particularly bothered by it   (out of sight out of mind  ) but could possibly polish it up and apply some sort of protective coating if it doesnt get too hot.   
Mostly laziness but when I try to judge a car by the cleanliness of its engine bay  I prefer some honest dust  and signs of age, rather than newly valeted.

[ninanina]

I agree.  The only exception is the Bright alloy used for the  big 'lump' of stuff to the right of the engine. 

 My 6 month old car  has white powdery deposits which I assume is  aluminium oxide corrosion  (Al₂O₃)  . This might become more pronounced over time ,although my  previous Mk4 had it too and was no worse at 3 years old.

I'm not particularly bothered by it   (out of sight out of mind  ) but could possibly polish it up and apply some sort of protective coating if it doesnt get too hot.   
Mostly laziness but when I try to judge a car by the cleanliness of its engine bay  I prefer some honest dust  and signs of age, rather than newly valeted.

LV mine also has some very slight oxidation in that area but I’m not worried by it. I’m guessing it’s got something to do with the hybrid system (inverter etc!) and I’ve decided to leave it well alone; It looks great at the moment and pretty much like brand new

On a side note I also love the bonnet release mechanism under the bonnet; it’s quite a complex affair and it’s also quite beefy!

[Lord Voltermore]

On a side note I also love the bonnet release mechanism under the bonnet; it’s quite a complex affair and it’s also quite beefy!

Another opportunity to inform new mk 4 owners something that was raised some time ago.

On some cars the bonnet will  not always fully latch  closed if you just press down on it. Its quite obvious it hasnt fully closed ,although it will still be retained by the safety catch .

It  latches properly if you just let the bonnet slam shut by dropping it from a bit of a height. (maybe 30 cm)  If you find dropping unacceptable I think the latch can be adjusted ,but getting it exactly right is fiddly.  I never bothered.

[Tombola]

I spray the "lump" with GT85 or WD40 and give it a wipe over, the engine bay in the Jazz seems well sealed and insulated from road debris and water spray, much better than some cars I have owned, I always use the "let it drop" method for closing the bonnet and watch the indicators flash to ensure it's properly closed   

[Nicksey]

After 28000 miles, my 22 plate still looks pretty fresh under the bonnet. I do occasionally give it a 'dust' wipe after a bodywork clean and polish, but this is because I also check the fluid levels and make sure everything is tight. The only area that does gather detritus (generally leaves) is the plastic recess area below the windscreen and wipers. This can be fiddly at times, so the Hoover nozzle comes out to help.

[ninanina]

It latches properly if you just let the bonnet slam shut by dropping it from a bit of a height. (maybe 30 cm)

That’s how I close my bonnet; by dropping it from 10-12 inches, it works every time

I also dust off under the bonnet each time I open it just to keep it looking like new but to be honest the under bonnet still looks great @ 13,000 odd miles!

I’ll be having my car washed every couple of weeks or so now that I’ve found a very good local hand car wash place that does a great job quite cheaply. I will never ask them to jet wash/steam clean under the bonnet though as it just doesn’t need it

On my last long motorway journey a couple of weeks ago we had horrendous weather and the car was filthy dirty at the end but the under bonnet still remained looking like brand new which I’m pleased with. A quick dust off under the bonnet was all it needed

[Lord Voltermore]

I think I have mentioned this  before but as its kind of related chat ......   

. On my 2021 car  I started to spray  under bonnet wiring with anti Marten spray.   (ie Pine Marten/Beech Marten -aka Stone Marten) 

On a previous car I had some wiring chewed by Rodents  (or possibly a beech marten)  . I had foolishly assumed the spray would be some sort of smelly or bitter tasting deterrent    but was actually like spray glue that never sets.    . The little blighters dont like getting it on their fur and paws.   

I stopped spraying  immediately I realised. The thought of perpetually  sticky wiring attracting dirt, and auto electricians refusing to work on the car means I certainly wont use this spray  it on my 2024 car.
If rodents or mustelids chew on the high voltage wiring maybe I will get a ready cooked snack, like the dormice eaten in ancient Rome 

[Kremmen]

What I do like is that the bonnet is fully sealed with a rubber strip when closed

My 9G Civic bonnet had side rubber strips but had about 3ft of no rubber so all sorts of muck got into the engine compartment

Honda changed this for the facelift 9G so I got the extra rubber and that made a huge difference

[ninanina]

What I do like is that the bonnet is fully sealed with a rubber strip when closed

Yes I’ve noticed that Kremmen so maybe that’s helping to keep the engine bay looking good

My previous Prius Mk4 had only covered 34,000 miles but the engine bay was filthy dirty and looked like it had covered hundreds of thousands of miles and had rusty bolts and fittings all over it

[Jazzik]

Today I looked under the bonnet of our 3½ year old Jazz and this big aluminum lump still looks like new, without that white snow (or is it corrosion?).

Maybe a more aluminum-friendly climate here in Poland?

[Lord Voltermore]

Today I looked under the bonnet of our 3½ year old Jazz and this big aluminum lump still looks like new, without that white snow (or is it corrosion?).

Maybe a more aluminum-friendly climate here in Poland?

Its white powder. It doesnt taste salty    .I've rubbed a small section with a wet finger and  the finish changes from bright shiny aluminium with a  bit of 'snow'  to a   more typical dull grey aluminium.    As the 'snow' looks a bit strange and  could be mistaken for unsightly  road salt/deicer  deposits maybe  some dealers  clean up the affected area  during the  pre delivery inspection or a service. A single clean might resolve it for ever.  Maybe  I'll put it on my 'to do' list.   

[Nicksey]

The 'white snow' is just the aluminium oxidising. As a restorer and rider of classic motorcycles, it is a constant companion.

[Lincolnshire Rambler]

In reply to LV s comment about previous rodents chewing the wiring loom , i had the same issue on my jazz last year.. several months off the road until honda uk could obtain the engine bay wiring loom . Then many hours to fit -in factory loom goes in first ahead of engine drivectrain sub frame . So to replace drive shafts etc are removed to allow loom to be fitted .  Almost £3000 the insurance company paid ( phew ) to have my honda dealer sort it . New loom has additional wrapping and i spray on a regukar basis -believe me its not an easy fix otherwise !!

[Kremmen]

I did read that some cars wiring has Soy in it which the rodents may be attracted to

https://www.motorverso.com/which-cars-have-soy-based-wiring/