Preventing & Removing Carbon Deposits

A recent article published in industry publication Underhood Service reviews how carbon buildup on intake valves can be a power robbing and costly problem. It can buildup on the intake valves, pistons, and throughout the combustion chamber. Not only will the deposits reduce horsepower, performance, and fuel mileage, they can be expensive to remove once a thorough cleaning is required by a professional technician.

Some vehicles are more prone to this problem than others. Those manufactured by BMW, VW, and Audi appear to be among the worst. Ford and GM vehicles appear to fare better. The reason being that the former mentioned vehicles have high compression engines that tend to run hot and expose the valves more to the combustion chamber.

According to the folks at Underhood Service, there are several ways to minimize or prevent carbon deposits.

The first is to change the motor oil regularly to keep the camshaft actuators working properly. This will help control the exposure of the intake valves to deposits. Also, the use of a low volatility oil will reduce the amount of evaporation loss and thus will further lessen the exposure.

Secondly, the use of a high quality fuel additive will help keep injectors clean which will help them maintain the correct spray pattern. The detergents contained in these additives can help clean and maintain the entire fuel system which will help avoid an expensive professional cleaning.

Lastly, when possible, update the engine management software. New software may be able to reduce carbon buildup by adjusting valve and spark timing.