Engine Cleaning and Treatment AUTO FINESSE

• Products: Eradicate, Dressle.
• Manufacturer: AUTO FINESSE
• Packaging: 500ml (Dressle), 1L (Eradicate).
  
  
  

Presentation:

Many people wish to give their engine bay a fresh look but do not want to get into a too complex process or one requiring professional techniques.
Today in this article, we will test a duo of products from the British consumer brand AUTO FINESSE for the cleaning and treatment of engine components: Eradicate for cleaning and Dressle for nourishing plastics/hoses.
Let's test them!

Usage:

First and foremost, make absolutely sure to work on a cold engine.
Never work on hot surfaces, as you risk the products drying on the surfaces and leaving unsightly white marks (alkaline potash residue in particular) that would then be difficult to remove.

We will therefore start by cleaning the engine bay of the test car. It shows quite a few grease marks, oil traces, and various dust deposits.

Eradicate is a ready-to-use degreaser offered by AUTO FINESSE. It is quite rare to find this type of product in a ready-to-use format, as degreasers are generally sold in concentrated form to be diluted by the user. AUTO FINESSE has a more consumer-oriented approach and offers few or no professional products to dilute. They target more enthusiast amateurs looking for simple, safe-to-use products.



Eradicate, available in a 1L format at around €10, is fairly well priced compared to other competing ready-to-use products. Obviously, a concentrated degreaser sold for dilution will be more economical, especially given the dilution ratio, but nothing replaces a ready-to-use product for those who don't want to bother.

Start by spraying it onto your surfaces (plastics, hoses, cylinder heads, bodywork, textile insulation, etc.)
Eradicate has a scent that doesn't overpower the nose like some other well-known degreasers.
It even has a slight fruity fragrance. Pleasant.



The ideal setup is to arm yourself with brushes, a spray bottle filled with water (ideally demineralized) and microfibre cloths to dry everything. You can also use even more professional equipment such as a blower to dry more quickly, or to fully foam the engine bay (being careful to protect sensitive parts). But in this test, we will stick to a consumer approach with consumer products.

Don't hesitate to spray Eradicate onto your brushes, etc. and work the product before it dries on the surface.



By nature, Eradicate is very liquid (perhaps even too much so). One might have wished for a "foamer" nozzle to create a more generous foam and allow the product to act on vertical surfaces without running off too quickly.
Then, when shaken, the product creates a foam that allows the product to work even more effectively.



We used the Valet Pro Large Sash Brush and Small Sash Brush in the test without Eradicate damaging them. Not necessarily necessary to use a Chemical Resistant brush given that Eradicate is already well diluted.


Eradicate also works very well for removing oil traces from raw plastics, for example.





On ingrained grease marks, on raw metal parts such as cast iron or grained aluminium cylinder heads, Eradicate can appear a little lacking. These are the limits of a ready-to-use product. Its use is limited. A concentrated degreaser for dilution should be preferred for heavy-duty work.

On the other hand, Eradicate does its job perfectly on common dirt, regardless of the surface (plastic, rubber hose, bodywork).





It should also be noted that Eradicate will be completely ineffective against limescale deposits ingrained on varnished bodywork surfaces. That is not its purpose, however — there are products for that.

On the other hand, it will be perfect once again for degreasing the inside of engine hoods with a thin film of oil, grease, or dust.
After spraying, work it in with a slightly damp cloth and rinse thoroughly.









The 50/50 below clearly shows the overall effectiveness of Eradicate on common grime, let's say. It can also be used on well-maintained cars for periodic upkeep, but it must be acknowledged that on heavy grime it will show its limits.



Last point, you can also use Eradicate to degrease your wheel arches, your tyres and any other greasy work area. It works perfectly.





The overall appearance of your engine bay will be noticeably better thanks to Eradicate. The surfaces will be well cleaned, but you will then need to protect them. This is where the second product comes in: Dressle. A multi-purpose plastic and rubber dressing.

Dressle is once again a raw plastic, tyre, and seal dressing to be sprayed directly, ready to use.

The distinctive feature of this dressing is the matte or very slightly satin finish it leaves. This will appeal to those who prefer a neutral, factory-like finish, and will appear too light to those who like a more enhanced finish.



You can spray it directly onto surfaces or apply it with a microfibre applicator or directly onto a microfibre cloth.



The texture of Dressle is very liquid and the product spreads well. It does not have a greasy appearance like silicone-based products with a greasy feel.

You should treat the hoses and plastic parts of your entire engine bay and then wipe with an all-purpose microfibre cloth.



After wiping off the product, the finish is really very soft. The plastics come out matte, with a well-maintained look.
Your engine bay, once treated, will look as good as new.



Conclusion:

Eradicate ultimately proves to be a good product for any individual looking to freshen up their engine. It is not unpleasant to smell, and even has a pleasant fruity scent if you look more closely. It will clean common dirt. However, for a deep clean involving ingrained or even baked-on grease, it may show some weaknesses. In that case, you should turn to a concentrated degreaser for dilution.
Eradicate is sold for €10.95 for 1L, which is generally quite affordable, but will be far too expensive for a professional detailer who will opt for a more economical dilutable solution and, above all, one with superior degreasing power by varying concentrations.

Dressle, for its part, will nourish and protect all your plastics and rubbers, and not only in the engine bay. You can use it even on your interior plastics, exterior plastics, mud flaps, etc.

Advantages

+ Overall effectiveness for maintenance cleaning.
+ All ready to use.
+ Versatility (Dressle).

Disadvantages

- Limited degreasing power in ready-to-use form (Eradicate)