Is it necessary to clean the inside of a car engine during maintenance?
2 Answers
Regardless of the brand of the car or the type of engine, cleaning is essential. Here are the specific explanations: 1. The fuel system primarily involves mixing gasoline with air to form a combustible mixture. Gasoline inherently contains impurities, and air carries dust. When gasoline burns under high temperature and pressure and oxidizes with the atmosphere, carbon deposits form. If these deposits are not cleaned in time, they can cause various issues, such as: difficulty starting a cold engine, engine shaking, lack of engine power, increased fuel consumption, excessive exhaust emissions, and other adverse phenomena. 2. Due to factors like high temperature, oxidation, and oil quality, engine oil gradually loses its performance, providing less and less protection to the engine (this is the fundamental reason for regular oil changes). When the oil fails to protect the engine effectively, wear, carbon deposits, and acid corrosion can cause fatal damage to the engine. 3. If carbon deposits in the lubrication system are not cleaned promptly, they can lead to various faults, such as: clogging the engine's oil passages, causing dry friction in the engine, contaminating new oil, reducing the performance of new oil, corroding metals, decreasing the engine's sealing performance, lowering cylinder pressure, and increasing engine wear and other faults.
Honestly, in my over 20 years of driving experience, cleaning the engine internals really doesn't need to be a routine maintenance item. Unless you notice symptoms like sludge buildup, abnormal fuel consumption increase, or cold start difficulties, regular oil changes are sufficient to keep it clean. Engine oil itself has cleaning properties, and each oil change renews the lubrication system, so there's no need for extra hassle. The cleaning process involves chemicals, and a slight mistake could disrupt electronic components or damage sensors, making repairs even more troublesome. I recommend paying more attention to driving habits - avoid always making short trips, as highway driving helps achieve more complete combustion. If you're genuinely concerned, have a professional shop perform an inspection rather than randomly listening to sales pitches and wasting money.
