What are the symptoms of excessive engine carbon deposits?
4 Answers
Carbon deposits are mainly formed due to incomplete combustion of gasoline and frequent low-speed operation of the vehicle. Excessive carbon deposits in a car can cause the following symptoms: 1. Engine vibration: The engine produces intermittent and regular vibrations when idling. 2. Unstable engine idle: The engine speed fluctuates erratically when idling, sometimes high and sometimes low. 3. Weak engine acceleration: When carbon deposits accumulate severely, the engine may exhibit weak or sluggish acceleration, accompanied by abnormal vibrations and increased fuel consumption. 4. Engine knocking: If carbon deposits accumulate excessively in the combustion chamber, the engine's compression ratio may increase, potentially causing premature combustion of the air-fuel mixture and resulting in knocking. 5. Cylinder scoring: If carbon deposits accumulate near the piston rings or if carbon deposits from the cylinder head or valves fall onto the piston rings, it can lead to cylinder scoring. In severe cases, it may even cause the engine to "seize up."
As an experienced driver, I often encounter engine carbon buildup issues. The symptoms are really obvious: the engine shakes like an earthquake at idle, making the whole car wobble; there's a noticeable lack of power during acceleration, the car feels sluggish when stepping on the gas, and climbing hills becomes difficult; fuel consumption keeps increasing - previously I could drive 500km per tank, but now the warning light comes on before 450km; cold starts are particularly troublesome, requiring multiple attempts to fire up; sometimes black smoke or a pungent odor comes from the exhaust. If these symptoms aren't addressed promptly, engine wear accelerates, leading to more expensive repairs. I recommend adding some cleaning additive when refueling, or regularly taking the car to a shop for intake system cleaning to prevent these problems.
When driving my own car, I noticed the engine shaking violently, especially when waiting at a red light, the whole car body vibrates. The power has also significantly decreased, making me feel uncertain when overtaking; fuel consumption is higher than before, costing me dozens of dollars more on gas each month. The cold start issue is even more annoying—it takes a lot of effort to start the car in the morning, and sometimes the engine makes a slight clicking sound. These are all typical signs of excessive carbon buildup, reminding us that it's time to take action. Driving habits are crucial, such as avoiding short trips at low speeds and driving more on highways to clear carbon deposits.
Carbon deposits can reduce combustion efficiency. Symptoms include engine vibration and instability; acceleration lag; significantly increased fuel consumption; difficulty in cold starts, requiring longer cranking or multiple attempts; abnormal exhaust emissions such as black smoke. These issues can easily damage spark plugs or cylinders. In practice, I've observed that regular cleaning and using high-quality gasoline can alleviate these problems.
