How to Clean Carbon Deposits?
2 Answers
Cleaning carbon deposits involves the following steps: 1. Clean the throttle body: Remove the engine cover, take off the throttle body, and clean it with carburetor cleaner. Wipe it dry with a cloth and reinstall it. 2. Clean internal engine carbon deposits: Open the oil cap, pour in the entire can of cleaner (mixing it with the old oil), then close the oil cap. Start the engine and let it idle for 10 minutes before turning it off. The cleaner dissolves sludge, gum, moisture, and metal debris inside the engine, reducing contamination of new oil and extending the engine's lifespan. 3. Clean fuel system carbon deposits: Before refueling, add a full bottle of fuel additive to the fuel tank. Typically, one bottle is used for a 50–80-liter fuel tank. Cleaning fuel system carbon deposits includes cleaning the fuel injectors, combustion chamber, spark plugs, and throttle valve. 4. Clean intake system carbon deposits: Purchase a bottle of intake system cleaner, pour it into the reservoir of a dedicated cleaning device, connect it to the intake system, and start the engine to allow the vacuum to draw the cleaner into the intake passages for cleaning purposes.
My habit of cleaning carbon deposits mainly relies on regularly adding fuel system cleaner. Before each refueling, I pour a bottle in and find it particularly effective when driving on the highway, as it gradually dissolves the gum deposits in the fuel system. If the throttle body gets dirty, I remove it and spray it with a dedicated cleaner, being careful not to use carburetor cleaner as it can corrode rubber parts. When driving on the highway, I rev the engine to 3000 RPM for half an hour, as the high temperature can burn off some carbon deposits. For severe cases, I go to a shop for an intensive cleaning with an IV drip or use walnut blasting to physically remove stubborn carbon deposits on the piston tops. It’s also important to avoid using cheap gasoline to prevent impurity buildup and let the engine idle for two minutes before parking to cool down the turbo, which helps reduce carbon deposit formation.
