Will Cleaning Carbon Deposits Affect the Engine?
2 Answers
Cleaning carbon deposits from a car will not affect the engine. Using gasoline cleaners helps remove carbon deposits inside the engine, effectively preventing the formation of carbon layers on metal surfaces. It gradually activates existing carbon particles and removes them over time, thereby protecting the engine from damage. The methods for cleaning carbon deposits in cars are as follows: 1. Additive Cleaning (Fuel Additives): 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. As the cleaning agent enters the combustion chamber, it cleans the carbon deposits inside the engine to a certain extent. 2. Bottle Cleaning: Bottle cleaning, also known as no-disassembly cleaning, is a method currently promoted by many 4S shops. This method involves introducing the cleaning agent into the engine's intake pipe via a bottle, where it is sucked into the 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 parts of the engine where carbon deposits have accumulated for cleaning. Although this method provides the best cleaning results, it is labor-intensive and time-consuming, so most 4S shops do not offer this service.
After driving my car for several years, I noticed the engine was slow to accelerate and fuel consumption was a bit high, so I went to clean the carbon deposits. After cleaning, it became noticeably smoother, with no jerking during starts, and fuel consumption also decreased a bit. This shows it's beneficial for the engine, removing the dirt that obstructs air intake. However, if the cleaning method is improper, such as using low-quality chemical sprays, it might corrode internal parts, leaving hidden risks. I recommend regular maintenance checks to avoid severe carbon buildup. Nowadays, there are fuel additives available for regular use to prevent this, which is much smarter than waiting for problems to arise before fixing them—it extends engine life and saves on repair costs. In short, proper cleaning is a step toward improving performance.
