What are the symptoms of excessive carbon deposits in the combustion chamber?
2 Answers
Excessive carbon deposits in the combustion chamber can cause symptoms such as weak acceleration, engine knocking, shaking and weakness, and increased fuel consumption. Here are the detailed explanations: 1. Weak vehicle acceleration: Carbon deposits accumulating on the throttle body can lead to weak acceleration and idle shaking. 2. Engine knocking: Carbon deposits in the combustion chamber reduce the chamber's volume, increase the compression ratio, and cause uneven power output among cylinders, resulting in engine knocking. 3. Engine shaking: If carbon deposits accumulate on the fuel injectors, it can affect fuel atomization, leading to uneven fuel injection and causing engine shaking and weakness. 4. Increased fuel consumption: Carbon deposits on the throttle body can alter its position and result in incomplete fuel combustion, thereby increasing fuel consumption.
I've driven this old car for ten years, so I know all about carbon buildup issues! The most obvious symptom is the difficulty in cold starts - in winter, I have to turn the key for 3-4 seconds before the engine reluctantly coughs to life. On highways, acceleration feels sluggish; stomping the pedal just makes it roar without moving, like someone's pulling the rear legs. Fuel consumption keeps rising - a full tank used to last 500km, now the warning light comes on at 400km. The exhaust fumes are particularly choking too - last year it took three attempts to pass emissions testing. The scariest part was the steering wheel vibrating like a massage chair at red lights, making passengers ask if it's a diesel. After cleaning the carbon deposits, the engine felt like getting a new heart - acceleration became whoosh-fast!
