How Often Should Engine Carbon Cleaning Be Performed?
2 Answers
During vehicle usage, engine carbon deposits should be cleaned every 20,000 kilometers. Areas requiring carbon cleaning: This includes the engine throttle body, spark plugs, intake manifold, and fuel injectors. Cleaning carbon deposits helps restore vehicle power and reduce fuel consumption. Effects of engine carbon deposits: When carbon deposits adhere to spark plugs, they can affect spark quality or even prevent sparking. When carbon deposits accumulate on oxygen sensors, they prevent accurate exhaust gas detection, leading to incorrect air-fuel ratio adjustments and excessive engine emissions. Carbon buildup in the intake manifold can roughen the surface, affecting the formation and concentration of the combustible mixture. When carbon deposits form between piston rings, they can cause ring sticking, resulting in oil burning and cylinder wall scoring.
I drive for ride-hailing services and am constantly stuck in city traffic, so I'm most worried about carbon buildup affecting fuel consumption. Based on my ten years of experience, a regular port fuel injection car only needs its throttle body cleaned every 50,000 km or so, which can be done with some carb cleaner spray for just a few dozen bucks. For direct injection engines, the fuel injectors need to be removed and cleaned every 30,000 km; walnut shell blasting works well but costs around 400. The key is to watch for symptoms: if you experience shaky cold starts or sluggish acceleration, it's time for maintenance. Last year, the hybrid I drove went 180,000 km without any cleaning—totally hassle-free.
