What are the methods for cleaning carbon deposits in a car?
2 Answers
Methods for cleaning carbon deposits in a car include: 1. Cleaning the throttle valve: Remove the engine cover, detach the throttle valve, clean it with carburetor cleaner, dry it with a cloth, and then reinstall it; 2. Cleaning internal engine carbon deposits: Open the oil cap, pour in a full can of cleaner, close the oil cap, start the engine and let it idle for 10 minutes before turning it off; 3. Cleaning fuel system carbon deposits: Add a full bottle of fuel additive to the fuel tank before refueling; 4. Cleaning intake system carbon deposits: Pour the intake system cleaner into the reservoir of a dedicated cleaning device, connect it to the intake system, and start the engine to draw the cleaner into the intake tract using vacuum for cleaning purposes.
I found there are quite a few methods for cleaning engine carbon deposits. Walnut shell blasting is a more hardcore physical approach, which involves disassembling the intake manifold and using professional equipment to blast walnut shells at high speed into the cylinders and intake valves, knocking the carbon deposits off and then extracting them. The effect is genuinely thorough. Some 4S shops or reliable repair shops can perform this, though it tends to be more expensive and the disassembly and reassembly are quite labor-intensive. Another method is called hydrogen-oxygen decarbonization, where a machine is connected to the air intake to thermally decompose the carbon deposits, eliminating the need to disassemble the engine—it’s quite convenient and safe. The key is to assess the severity of the carbon buildup. For older cars with hardened, long-standing deposits, walnut shell blasting provides a deeper clean; if the carbon buildup isn’t too thick, hydrogen-oxygen decarbonization is sufficient for routine maintenance. More importantly, choosing the right oil grade during oil changes and regularly adding reliable fuel additives to prevent carbon buildup are essential.
