How to Clean Engine Carbon Deposits?
2 Answers
Methods for cleaning carbon deposits in cars are as follows: Currently, there are three mainstream methods for removing engine carbon deposits: additive cleaning, drip cleaning, and disassembly cleaning. 1. Additive cleaning (fuel additive): Additive cleaning involves directly adding a cleaning agent to the fuel tank to mix with the fuel. When the vehicle is started, the cleaning agent enters the combustion chamber along with the fuel, and during this process, it cleans the carbon deposits inside the engine to a certain extent. 2. Drip cleaning: Drip cleaning, also known as no-disassembly cleaning, is a cleaning method currently promoted by 4S shops. This method involves using a drip bottle to introduce the cleaning agent into the engine's intake pipe, where it is sucked into the engine's combustion chamber along with the intake airflow. During this process, the cleaning agent cleans the carbon deposits in the engine's intake tract and combustion chamber. 3. Disassembly cleaning: Disassembly cleaning involves removing the parts of the engine with carbon deposits for cleaning. Although this method provides the best cleaning results, due to the large workload and time-consuming nature, 4S shops generally do not offer disassembly cleaning services.
I've been repairing cars for over 20 years, and carbon buildup is a common issue. There are mainly a few cleaning methods: Mechanical cleaning is most suitable for severe cases, such as removing the engine cover and using specialized tools to scrape off carbon deposits from the piston tops and combustion chambers, but it's time-consuming and troublesome. Chemical cleaning is much simpler—just add a bottle of fuel additive when refueling and drive on the highway, and the carbon deposits will dissolve and be expelled with the exhaust. Regular maintenance can also prevent buildup. I recommend adding an additive every 5,000 kilometers or cleaning the throttle body during each oil change. Too much carbon buildup can affect fuel consumption and power, even causing the engine to stall, so don't wait until it's severe to address it. Avoid frequent short trips in daily driving—let the engine warm up fully to reduce carbon formation.
