As stated in our last blog post, Four Benefits of Keeping Your Car Clean, it is extremely important to keep your car clean and tidy. Since many people mainly focus on keeping the interior and exterior of their cars clean, cleaning underneath the hood seems to be overlooked. Cleaning under the hood of a car, specifically the cowl, has many benefits that go way beyond looks. Essentially, a clean cowl can help extend the life of your car, as well as prevent electronic and mechanical problems or leaks. Fortunately, after reading this article and looking at the photos that were taken of our customers’ cars here at Luke’s Auto Service in Verona, NJ, you will understand all the benefits of keeping your car’s cowl clean and how to do it!
What Is a Cowl and Why Do I Need to Clean It?
A cowl is the panel that covers the gap between your car’s hood and windshield. It supports both the windshield and the dashboard while also protecting the area between the windshield and the hood. It does this by making sure no unwanted elements get into the windshield wiper system or the cabin filter area.
From time to time, most cowls become clogged especially if you leave your car outside in the fall. Between leaves and acorns falling, a cowl can become damaged or clogged extremely easily. There are two drains attached to the cowl that funnels rain behind the front wheels. If they become clogged with debris, the rain could potentially start dumping into the passenger side, flooding the car floor! By not routinely cleaning your car’s cowl, leaves and debris can get under the fuse box, causing major damage to your electrical system. Not to mention, the creation of mold in the cabin filter area which will cause a horrific odor to come out of your venting system.
Debris and leaves aren’t the only elements that damage a cowl. As the weather gets cooler, mice and other small rodents start looking for warmer places to find shelter – such as under the hood of a car, specifically in the cowl! Years ago, this was a rare issue because automakers used either rubber or vinyl wires under the hood, which animals did not like. Lately, they started using soy-based wiring and harness covers because they are inexpensive and better for the environment. After changing the wiring underneath the hoods of cars to soy coatings, rodents and other small animals chewing through the wires became more common. They are drawn to the taste of soy-based 
wiring, therefore they are eating through them and even creating nests in the air plenums! If rodents chew through the insulation covering the wires, this may cause short circuits, which results in expensive damage to the car’s electrical system!
How to Clean a Cowl:
The first step to cleaning the cowl is by using your hands to remove any larger objects, such as sticks and leaves. Second, to get rid of smaller debris, use a leaf blower or an air compressor to clean out the cowl, cowl drains, and inside of the air ducts. Along with cleaning the car’s cowl, be sure to blow out the grille, fenders, and areas around the hood where dirt can be collected. Third, if you still see debris, use a hose to get some of the dirt out, since it will drain from in front of the car’s front tires.
Fall weather not only means leaves start falling and the weather starts getting cooler, it also calls for a collection of leaves in your car’s cowl and possible rodent damage under the hood of your car! Be sure to check under the hood and clean out any debris or leaves in the cowl routinely, to avoid any extreme damage. Schedule an appointment today at Luke’s Auto Service, here in Essex County, because when we do routine maintenance, we clean and vacuum the cowl area for you!