Cleaning bugs *safely* out of your radiators??

[vfrooom]

Ever since getting my F32 in 2014, I've been going on a LOT of drives out in the country. I'll set off at 5-6am and get home about 12 hours later, happy as can be.

During that time, I'll put on 500-800 miles, and go through SWARMS of crickets, frogs, and other bugs that only seem to hit the front bumper and lower (windshield can be perfectly clean, but the radiators and lower parts of the front bumper look like I drove through a field).

So I get home and start washing. I'm meticulous on how I wash, and generally my process takes 2-3 hours.

Then I push the car into the garage...

The next day, it smells like a fish factory in my garage due to all the bug protein breaking down.

So - my question is - how are you all cleaning your radiators, without damaging the cooling fins? I need to get these bugs out better - the smell is really getting awful.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Here is an example from my 435 last year... Now that I've upgraded to my F82, I'm going on even longer/more intense drives, and I really don't want to have my garage smell so awful.

[AtlantisF80]

soap and water? that looks pretty gross BTW

[vfrooom]

You have no idea how gross it is. And the smell is horrible - I don't want it to permeate the new car smell!

I pressure wash everything, but can't seem to get the bugs off the actual radiator grills - they just sit there.

I wonder if a hot water pressure wash would work better? Or is there something I can add to my pressure washer output that would help break this stuff down?

[XsltAnalyst]

If it's easy to remove that plastic mesh, then I'd take it off, and use a proper attachement to a good sucking vacuum. Or if you can't take off the mesh easily, just tape a long thin plastic pipe into a vacuum hose and carefully vacuum. Also, can you spray the water from the back side of the small radiators?

Then also consider getting mesh grill, even thou it looks ricer. You can DIY with the stuff available from your local home improvement store or search online if anyone sells them.

[Zing]

I haven't tried this yet so I can't confirm how well it works but I have similar concerns and my research turned up this product. Apparently it dries the bugs so much they just fall out. And for the few that don't, you can also use a fin comb like this.

[SMC23]

I don't think vacuuming that stuff will completely help.

If you can take off the grill you would need vacuum and use a brush of some kind and scrub it off

[danniexi]

holy shit wtf

[JoeFromPA]

Nasty dude

I hate to say it like this but I think unless you physically remove the bumper/covers, they seem to be "dissolved" or at least softened dramatically. Think of it like soaking dishes in the sink.

I would recommend spraying them with a waterless car wash spray like griots or whatever - the point is to soak them in a liquid that doesn't evaporate quickly like a quick detail spray would. Then soak them again, then soak them again - maybe 3-4 times over the course of 30-40 minutes. THEN pressure wash them.

If that doesn't work many bug and tar removers use clear coat safe solvents that are based off a white mineral spirit. Might be a good next step to softening them up to goo so they can safely be washed away.

[vfrooom]

I like the idea of pre-soaking them to see if they will dissolve a bit better. I went on two 500+ mile drives on Saturday and Sunday - washing the car tonight when I get home from work, so I'll give it a shot.

It wasn't as bad this time as it was last fall - just want to get my procedure all dialed in before the fall rides start, and the bugs get really bad...

I thought for sure pressure washing would take care of them all. I did dial back the pressure when I got the M4 - maybe I need to bump it back up when I'm dealing with the radiators - I just don't want to bend any of the cooling fins...

[hatepotholez]

Would a Steam cleaner remove them? Man that looks really bad, makes me want to get a rental for long road trips.

[mrmoua2u]

That is gross.....with all the bugs, it seems like bugs were flying at every inch. I am anal and that is one thing I can stand, BUGS all over the front bumper. Call me crazy, but I don't even bother driving out to the country area because of this.

[vfrooom]

So last night I was able to pressure wash everything, which took care of about 80% of the what appears to be crickets/grasshoppers in the radiators.

I found that using the regular hose with a stream nozzle on it on one side would basically flush out the bug guts out the other corner (out the front).

That got me to about 90% clean. This morning the garage didn't reek to all high heaven, either, which is a vast improvement over the last weekend.



Today I had my free CF rear spoiler installed (dealer forgot my moonroof on my order - I know, I know - M cars aren't supposed to have them, but I love them - oh well), and was talking to the manager at the body shop - he recommended trying compressed air.

I have an engine cleaning wand from Harbor Freight that might fit the bill perfectly. I think the wand would fit in between the front grills, and allow me to get the rest of the large carcasses out.

Going to try that this evening to see if it'll fit in or not.

I've tried using one of those little grabber wands - basically a flexible wand with a claw at the end that can grab things - I got a few carcasses out using that, but it's a huge pain, takes forever, and I'm concerned with damaging things with them.

[KevinGS]

That's some serious buggage right there, almost makes me gagggggg....

I will stop complaining about my east coast bugs from now on. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess...

[vfrooom]

Originally Posted by KevinGS

That's some serious buggage right there, almost makes me gagggggg....

The first time I hit a big swarm of grasshoppers, some of them didn't get 100% killed on impact, and ended up making their way out of the undercarriage of the car and across my floor in the garage overnight, leaving a streak of goo behind them from their busted legs and stuff. Pretty nasty.

The smell is by far the worst tho.

But then you get to places like this, and suddenly it's all worth while...

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by vfrooom

The first time I hit a big swarm of grasshoppers, some of them didn't get 100% killed on impact, and ended up making their way out of the undercarriage of the car and across my floor in the garage overnight, leaving a streak of goo behind them from their busted legs and stuff. Pretty nasty.

The smell is by far the worst tho.

But then you get to places like this, and suddenly it's all worth while...

Oh God, your posts are getting even more gross. LOL

But the payoff, that is sweeeeeeeet, I agree, worthwhile.

[vfrooom]

So I think I have it figured out...

Went on a 700 mile drive on Sunday - got home around 10pm, so no time to wash anything. After work yesterday I got it all cleaned up...


First - most of these bastards appear to be crickets or grasshoppers. I tagged one monarch butterfly as well, which made me a little sad. The body ripped in half and just his upper part and wings floated into my back seat through the open passenger window.


Anyway - here is how I'm cleaning now...

Step 1 - power wash everything

Step 2 - wash as you usually do (2 buckets of course)

Step 3 - use a regular hose to flush the lower radiators - this part was nasty - I'd say at least 20-30 carcasses came out of the lower parts of the grills. This is beyond all the crap the power washer flushed out, which was a LOT.

Step 4 - continue to use the hose to flush as many body parts into one corner as possible, knowing the rest probably won't come out without help.

Step 5 - dry

Step 6 - get one of those plunger grabbers, and start pulling all the crap out by hand (see attached image)

I bet I pulled another 20 full carcasses out, even after I flushed everything.


However, this morning, my garage only had a slight whiff of gross protein deterioration - great success!


The only change I'll make now is do another flush after I pick all the crap out with the grabbers. Couldn't do it last night because it got dark (and I put my hose away/had already pushed the car back into the garage). Hopefully that'll end this once and for all.

[danniexi]

ewww.

i would just burn the car and buy a new one.

[ChuMpion3]

Wow. Your license plate should be "reaper." I think someone in Austrailia has a car with a spider in it. You guys should trade.