How Does Carbon Deposit in Vehicles Form?

[SanMila]

The main cause of carbon deposit in vehicles is the incomplete combustion of fuel in the engine. Here are some solutions to address carbon deposit in vehicles: 1. Use gasoline additives. Pour the gasoline additive into the fuel when refueling, with one bottle of additive mixed into one tank of gasoline. Generally, after using one bottle, the carbon deposit will gradually fall off. Around four bottles, the accumulated carbon deposit will be expelled, and six bottles can basically clean it thoroughly. 2. Frequently drive on highways. If possible, frequently drive on highways to utilize the impact force of high-speed airflow to flush the intake tract, causing the carbon deposit in the intake tract to fall off, burn, and be expelled. This increases the intake volume, which means more oxygen. Once oxygen increases, the vehicle can burn more completely, improving gasoline combustion efficiency. 3. Use higher-quality gasoline. Lower-quality gasoline contains more impurities, leading to incomplete combustion and carbon deposit formation. Switching to higher-quality gasoline allows for more complete combustion, reducing the rate of carbon deposit buildup while gradually burning away existing carbon deposits.

[LaEden]

Last time I saw the technician disassembling the engine at the 4S店, I was shocked—the carbon deposits looked like burnt rice crust in a boiler! When driving in traffic jams, constantly stepping on and releasing the accelerator causes incomplete fuel combustion, leading to carbon buildup in the cylinders. Have you ever used cheap fuel from private gas stations? The impurities in that fuel are more prone to forming carbon deposits after burning. Also, if the engine oil is of poor quality, the oil vapors volatilized under high temperatures can enter the combustion chamber and mix with burnt carbon, forming black, hard deposits. Over time, even the piston rings can get stuck. Taking the car for a high-speed drive on weekends lets the engine burn off some of those carbon deposits effectively.

[SanCamilla]

Carbon deposits are residues formed after combustion that are repeatedly baked. Cars driven short distances daily in the city are particularly prone to this issue—starting up in the morning and driving just two kilometers to work, the engine oil temperature barely rises before shutting off, leaving unburned gasoline accumulating behind the throttle valve. The quality of engine oil is actually crucial; cheaper oils have higher high-temperature volatility and can enter the combustion chamber through the crankcase ventilation system. Old spark plugs with misaligned ignition points cause distorted flame paths, leaving more carbon residue. Pay attention to whether there is black powder at the exhaust pipe outlet, as it is often an early sign of carbon buildup.

[LukeMarie]

Back when I drove the old Jiefang truck in my youth, I learned this truth: gasoline engines are inherently prone to carbon buildup. When combustion occurs in the cylinders, temperatures can reach thousands of degrees—just like meat on a grill, there will always be charred particles sticking to the metal surfaces. Nowadays, turbocharged cars face even worse issues, as the high-temperature, high-pressure environment accelerates carbon deposits. Frequent use of start-stop systems is actually quite harmful—each restart involves low-temperature combustion. Last time I inspected my car's piston tops with a borescope, the carbon layer was so thick the metal was barely visible. Remember these three effective tips: choose reputable gas stations, follow the manual for maintenance (don’t skimp on oil changes), and do a monthly high-RPM run.