A MECHANIC has revealed how simply washing your car at home could ruin it and leave you paying out hundreds in repairs.
Scotty Kilmer, who boasts over 50 years of motors experience, urged drivers not to make use of a common cleaning method.
While washing the bodywork is fine, many drivers might be tempted to try and get the engine bay gleaming too.
Engines will naturally accumulate dirt and debris over time and can end up looking quite scruffy.
A commonly recommended fix for this is to get in there with a pressure washer and blast off some of the stubborn stains.
However, Scotty explained that this could actually be disastrous for your car, especially newer models.
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In a video on his YouTube channel, he said: "Under the hood of your car, there's all kinds of electronics.
"You can ruin them with water, especially high-pressure water.
"It will get into electrical connections, it can destroy your alternator, it can get on your computer sensors.
"See how dirty my engine is? It runs perfectly fine.
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"I never clean them, it doesn't hurt anything."
Electrical issues in modern cars can be hard to diagnose but devastating to their performance.
You could end up having "one heck of a time" working out the problem and then be forced to shell out hundreds in repairs.
Thankfully, Scotty also shared what you can do if you've already made the major error and catch it before it's too late.
He explained: "Let's say you didn't see this video or you didn't listen to me.
"What you want to do is get a hairdryer and unplug all the electrical connections.
"Dry them with a hairdryer...and often the problem will go away if you get to where the moisture is."
It comes after experts revealed the exact time to avoid filling up your car as petrol station prices change throughout the day.