How Often Should Carbon Deposits in the Combustion Chamber Be Cleaned in Terms of Time or Mileage?
2 Answers
Carbon deposits in the combustion chamber generally need to be cleaned every 2 years or approximately 40,000 kilometers. As a car runs for a long time, carbon deposits in the intake tract, valves, and combustion chamber will increase. These deposits absorb fuel when the engine is cold and release fuel when the engine is hot, leading to difficulties in starting a cold engine and higher fuel consumption when the engine is warm. This results in degraded engine performance, manifesting as idle shaking, poor acceleration, increased fuel consumption, and excessive exhaust emissions. Below are the hazards of carbon deposits in cars: 1. They can reduce engine power and increase fuel consumption; 2. In severe cases, they can cause engine knocking, abnormal acceleration noises, and damage to pistons and crankshafts, even leading to engine oil burning and necessitating major repairs; 3. They directly affect the vehicle's exhaust emissions, potentially causing failure in annual inspection tests.
I'm a true car enthusiast who drives aggressively without fuel economy in mind, especially when stomping on the accelerator during city traffic jams, resulting in rapid carbon buildup. From experience, there's no fixed interval or mileage for combustion chamber carbon cleaning—it depends on driving habits. With rough driving like mine, inspections are needed every 20,000 km; otherwise, power drops and fuel consumption soars. Generally, professional cleaning is recommended every 20,000-30,000 km or 1-2 years, but act immediately if symptoms arise (e.g., cold-start shaking or sluggish acceleration). For prevention, I recommend periodic high-quality fuel additives to reduce deposits; long-term neglect only damages the engine and raises repair costs. During routine maintenance, frequent highway driving at high RPMs helps naturally burn off some carbon—saving significant money.
