Preventing and Fixing Carbon Issues for Direct Injection Engines ~ Episode 80

[@Duffers999]

Just bought my first DI engined car so this was interesting to hear. Gives me an excuse to drive fast when the wife is in the car now. Subbed 👍

[@briansmobile1]

"Spirited test drive" Love it! File that with "percussive Maintenance, and "spirited driving."

[@brandonfriesen5389]

Hey Charles, I feel you left out a big point about how to prevent carbon build up. It's the easiest to do, a long highway drive. My friend has a 2012 CC with the Gen2 2.0 TSI engine and my mother has a 2014 Tiguan with the exact same engine. The difference? My friend did about 5 miles a day in city driving. My mother does about 80 miles a day and that's pure highway driving. The result? His had extremely bad carbon build up at 20,000 miles. It would misfire when warm, power was down, and it got bad fuel economy. My moms Tiguan has 50,000 miles now and got her intake valves inspected with a bore scope and it was almost like new. Very little deposits and no carbon chunks. I "cured" my friends CC by taking it across the country. It started out getting 22mpg and then got as high as 37mpg. I told him to take it on the highway once a month for over an hour. His fuel economy is up, his power is up and it hasn't misfired since. Ever since I did that highway run, the engine practically burned the deposits off since it gets super hot on prolonged drives. Thats my 2 cents...

[@bleming]

+Brandon Friesen I had the same experience. My FSI motor was throwing a cyl 2 misfire consistently. I drove it from LA to Washington (20 hours straight through) and gas mileage is up along with no more codes. It seems that the prolonged driving, spirited and on cruise control, helped with my FSI problems.

[@coldbiscuit]

+Brandon Friesen I think that by running a bottle of complete fuel system cleaner through a suitable vacuum hose connected to the intake manifold every 3-5k would be a good preventative as well. Redline SI-1, Techron Concentrate Plus, Valvoline Complete FSC, or Gumout Regane (Not the high mileage) Those have the highest PEA content (Redline actually, but Techron is best bang for buck) I put Techron in my tank and ran Redline through a vacuum line on top of the throttle body and it cleared up my problems.

[@brandonfriesen5389]

Cold Biscuit On a car with direct injection, I'm not sure it'd work that well other than clearing up fuel lines and the piston head.

[@coldbiscuit]

Brandon Friesen​ Yes, you're correct about the Techron I put in the tank. That won't touch the valves. I put the Redline through the vacuum line located on top of the throttle body so the drips would be caught by the airflow and (hopefully misting) be ran over the intake valves. I did half a bottle then let it sit for 30 min and did the same with the rest. I didn't do any visual before and after of the valves becasue I would've had to take the manifold off twice but the first time I did it I got a bit of carbon suspended in what I thought might be water that came out of the tailpipe.

[@Xfacehack]

Good comment, I can't believe there is so many people just driving a few meters, never letting the car warm up properly. I also think it's important to just let the car idle for 10 sec before hitting the gaspedel.

[@zenomite]

i just build my 2011 skoda RS engine when the timing chain tensioner fail. It had 244000km it had huge carbon build up on all valves, but never did had cold start misfires. Now everything is new and its running again. Your videos have helped me a lot for this project

[@RoadKen53]

A little tip I used to do decades ago was to pull the spark plugs while the engine was still hot and dump about 4 ozs of Marvel Mystery Oil in each hole, replace the plugs and fire the engine for just a second to let it get all over the combustion chamber and let it sit over night and start it the next morning and take it for a drive and drive a little aggressive and it will clean most of the carbon in the combustion chamber. It will smoke at first and once it has cleaned the carbon out you'll feel the difference in performance. What it does is soaks the carbon down to the metal because of the hot combustion chamber and breaks it loose and the catalytic converter will burn it up eventually.

[@ConquerDriving]

I have a 2014 VAG car with a 1.4 tsi chpa engine. I have done 144,000 miles mostly town driving over 5.5 years (I'm a driving instructor in the UK). It now mildly misfires at idle (more of a slightly rough idle) when hot and cold, still has the same power at full throttle but if I floor it in 3rd there is a small amount of hesitation very small until about 4000rpm. Any ideas? It had a new cylinder head at 60k miles under warranty because of oil consumption which it had since new, they said the new cylinder head was a revised unit and to their credit it did solve the oil consumption.

[@SlightlyMadGamer]

Did you find a solution? Suffering similar problems and been told its likely carbon build up

[@stevewarren3051]

This vid is 5 years old. How about an update vid on GDI engine issues?

[@MrGyngve]

Hey HumbleMechanic. I know this video is a couple of years old, but if you read this comment, I have an interesting story to tell relating to the topic. I recently bought a VW Caddy Maxi Life (I live in Europe) with a 2.0 TDI 140 BHP. The car had been owned and operated by the county and had been used for transporting stuff. They had done services according to the VW Long Life std. (which I dislike), and so at 90 000 miles, it had only recieved 4 oil changes! First thing I did when I got it home was to change the oil and oil filter. Then, I let it run for two weeks and did an engine cleanse in the following order: -Warm up the engine and drain the oil out. -Put in a cheap oil filter. -Add cleansing oil. -Start the engine. -Use QMI PFPE engine cleaner, which I added in small amounts through the oil dipstick hole (about 6-7qts in total) (They recommend this procedure especially for low sitting valves) -Then I let it idle for about 15 minutes. -I drained the oil sump again, and removed it, to clean it and the oil strainer. -I placed it back on, added a premium oil filter and oil. And about a week later, my throttle valve got stuck every time I stopped the engine. I took it apart and discovered it was filled to the brim with carbon deposits. I had the manifold opened and man oh man it was so much crap in there that I had a field day cleaning it out. All of this crap had come off due to the use of QMI engine cleaner. I had to replace the throttle valve as well. I also did a chemical EGR cleanse, and black soot came out the exhaust, and afterwards I changed the oil and oil filter again (I added an additive to make sure the soot would not clog up the oil strainer and seize the engine). Now the engine runs like it was brand new.

[@vavo4902]

A catch can was one of my first upgrade on the FA20DIT. Empty it every 6K when I do the oil service.

[@kyleconger84]

I like this guy. He knows his stuff and is not annoying. That is rare on youtube! Subscribed!

[@njegos]

For enthusiasts running water/meth injection is probably the only way to keep carbon from building up. It would be very cool if you made a comparison video between a motor that's been running water meth for a while vs a stock none modified motor at same mileage.

[@TreYay83]

Only way to keep the valves clean. A catch can is worthless. There is a term called the something cycle. I forget exactly what its called. But at the end of one of the strokes the intake valves hang. This allowes the next combustion stroke to have less resistance on its way down while the next stroke builds pressure shortly after on its way back up the intake valves finally shut. This is allowing combustion gases to hang around in the valve ports, causing this buildup

[@soraaoixxthebluesky]

TreYay83 That’s Atkinson cycle. The system (VVT) delay the intake closing time to effectively reduce dynamic compression ratio hence you got a low compression ratio with high expansion ratio. This effectively increase the thermal efficiency in expense of reducing total power output. Most VVT (VVTi, DVVT, Vanos etc) can switch back and forth between Atkinson and Otto cycle depends on engine load and speed. VW have developed the new cycle called Burdark cycle (if Im not mistaken) which is reverse to that Atkinson cycle. Instead of pushing back the air/fuel mixture back to the intake manifold, they close valve early so that you can have the same effect as Atkinson cycle without the need of pushing back the air/fuel mixture stream inside the cylinder out to the intake system.

[@CourtlandMiller1994]

TreYay83 it will be interesting to see the effects of the new budack (sp?) cycle in the new Tiguan tsi engines in regards to the carbon build up

[@N_AUD1]

@@soraaoixxthebluesky great info. So in what instances, or how, is this implemented?

[@Socks3657]

I wouldn’t waste a good meth in an engine 🤭

[@Biggjayjay]

Hey Charlies I ran a Catch Can on my first direct injection car and am a mechanic as will and i can say a AOS (Air oil separator) is the best way to help reduce carbon and most company say to empty the can at every oil change interval and i never had issue with a carbon on that car and i plan on adding one to my new MK6 GLI 2.0l tsi

[@Lubbocksfinest]

Add a catch can and use crc injection cleaner every 10-20k miles. I drive mine on the highway so it doesn’t have this issue but city cars must must must do this. I firmly believe the above has saved my engine(right at 40k) 2017 Hyundai Sonata 2.4 gdi

[@brashachilles9725]

Best advice I have heard on the subject. Think I’ll skip all expensive additives and just get my valves ground when the problem arises on my Volkswagen UP with 43000 kms here in the EU.

[@rolanddawson6498]

Hello Humble Mechanic I live in Germany and done an apprenticeship at a skoda dealership for 3 1/2 years and now on to my bachelor professional as a mechanic. My thoughts on one of the big problems of the tfsi motors are their higher egr rates due to emissions because of the Nox Gases its the same problem diesels had since the dieselgate. The gas from the egr is full of carbon (if not runned with high octane fuel) so with higher octane you may have a chance of not getting it worse. Greets from Germany! Sorry for my bad English I'm outta practice

[@Ray_Sellner]

I've been using a catch can on my LS based vehicles for years. Obviously there are good catch cans and some that are completely useless. The filter system becomes the important part. How well it catches the dirty air and allows the oil to fall to the bottom is what I look for. Still, some oil still enters the intake manifold. Why current automotive manufactures don't include these now is a secret. Depending on how much blow by there is, it could be emptied at oil change intervals. BTW, I found your channel when searching for an '08 Jetta air pump leak. Dealership wanted $1200 to replace it. Thanks for the videos.

[@nutz4gunz457]

Toyota gets around this problem by combining direct injection with port injectors. My Lexus IS 350 has over 100K miles and zero carbon buildup issues.

[@ModMINI]

+Nutz4Gunz45 How does that work? Each cylinder has two injectors and the function of one is mostly for cleaning?

[@gwot]

+Mod MINI yes and no, each cylinder does have two but both has its pros and cons. both can contribute to low/high RPM in terms of performance and fuel effeminacy. It makes for a more expensive system, but you get to have your cake and eat it too

[@kgisabeast]

My GS460 is almost at 200k and runs like it's brand new, direct and port injection as well.

[@VARITHMS]

Mod MINI multi port is used under light acceleration and idling. Direct injection is for under load and full throttle.

[@danjim7056]

ahhh i miss my old is350.

[@samuelanguiano7406]

I have a 2012 VW CC with 300,200 miles and still going very strong. I bought this car brand new in 2011 and it has been the best car I have ever owned. I just wanted to see if any other members had high mileage CC like mine. I have look through forums but I have not found one yet. The car has the original engine and original transmission (with original fluid). It still shifts beautiful. I have de-carbed the engine valves about 5 times, replaced injectors at 200k just because and gone through about 5 water pumps. I had to fix the turbo but It was a simple wans gate problem that was easy to fix. I replaced rear shock, a sway bar, truck wire harness and surprisingly got 200k out of my brakes. Stopping on my second set now. I have always maintained my own car after the initial warranty was finished. I have always used Mobil 1 oil and filter. I am passed 300k and going for 400k. Others than road rash and normal wear tear the car is in really good shape. I love this car and will continue to run it until the wheels fall off at which point I will put them back on and keep going. Any how I know this car maybe a unicorn but I own it and love it. Thank you for your site and videos always good information.

[@stevenfong1928]

CRC intake valve and turbo cleaner was great for me on my 2015 Sonata SE 2.4 L engine. I heard there may be problems with other folks using it on Ford Ecoboost but this stuff really worked to restore lost hp and throttle response on my car. I recommend you look into it

[@johnmpifer]

Using the right oil is key, too. I'm looking at getting a 2016 WRX, which has DIT, and I've been doing research. An oil with low volatility (NOACK) helps, because, when less of the oil vaporizes, less of it makes it back into the intake tract. There's also a theory that additives, such as sulfated ash, phosphorus and sulfur (SAPS) are a big contributor to the buildup. So, lots of guys have been running oils that are known to be stable, and which have lower SAPS levels, such as M1 ESP, Motul X-Clean, and Pennzoil Euro-L (these are mid-or-lower-SAPS oils designed to prevent fouling of exhaust system particulate filters). A side benefit is that they tend to have higher HTHS values than GF-5/SN-type oils, and hold up to shearing and fuel dilution that these engines are known for.

[@richardostrowski6420]

Back in the 70's and 80's we were battling pre-ignition and detonation. We added a simple water injection system into the intake manifold. This cured all drivability issues and the ADDED benefit was clean valves and pistons. Should still work on today's vehicles.

[@ravikumar-vy6tz]

Richard Ostrowski Great ! How it's done ?

[@RB-xv4si]

Good point. I imaging guys using meth kits on their gdi engines are getting the same benefit.

[@johnd4348]

I did the water injection system also in the 70's. Made it my self after reading a Popular Mechanics article. Worked great and also increased my gas milage. water turns to stream when it hits hot piston and that takes up space in cylinder. Works great. Not sure why car manufactures don't install these at factory.

[@TBNK007]

​@@johnd4348 because they are owned by petrol money. And that takes less gas. Also shit needs to break... All about money. Then you may need a water tank and people are getting lazy by the day. Less maintenance.

[@garymathe9863]

Excellent info, and I agree with all of it. I've had 1.8T A4, 2.0T A4, 2.0T GTI, 2.0T TTS, 3.6 VR6 CC, and NEVER any problems from carbon. I use only Shell V-Power, always let the engine idle for at least a minute before taking off, and use some WOT every drive. My commute is never more than 10 miles, and I rarely go on long road trips, yet carbon has never been an issue.

[@test15799]

HumbleMechanic great video as always. From what lots of folks have been experiencing, catch cans AND a full PCV delete/replacement (see 034 Motorsports setup) certainly helps with oil vapors and oil deposits in the intercooler AND charge piping, however I believe there is enough evidence to support that they do not prevent entirely carbon buildup on the valves....which is a huge bummer. It would be a welcome improvement over the OEM PCV, but not a cure all. At the same time having a fuel wash on the valves (read port, or methanol injection) would be about the only fix for this as you said in the video. I've been running methanol injection post throttle body and post intercooler for about a year now, for fuel supplementation plus temperature decrease, with the secondary benefit of valve cleaning....hoping the methanol/ethanol mix that I'm using is enough to counteract the buildup.

[@tomn5880]

Humble: The purpose of the EGR system is to vent the crank case correct? As oil is blown up the hose, it eventually gets to the fuel supply device/intake port. Why couldn't a person install a filter to vent the crank case pressure and allow the oil to run back into the crank case??

[@TheAdventureAuto]

Ok now I found the right video. CRC worked real well for the intake valves. Seems to be the only option out there.

[@rgbyprncss3]

As a spirited driver of a MKVI Golf R, just had large amount of carbon build up removed at 126,000 miles. This after replacing the in-tank fuel pump (only 20k miles since previous replacement) and HP fuel pump/all fuel rail sensors 30k miles ago. Tell tale: cylinder 3 misfire. Running like a champ now.

[@kevinporschetech768]

Hey Charles, at our Porsche dealer we use an induction service kit to prevent carbon buildup in our cars. Essentially we run a pressurized fuel treatment through the intake (injected just before the throttle body) we sell this as a preventive maintenance at 20k mileage intervals. We've had great success in mitigating carbon buildup, it's a great service to the customer and more service work/upsell for the dealer. I see huge improvements in engine idle quality as well as overall drivability.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks for the insight Kevin. Who makes the kit you use? We have been testing one from BG, it seems to work pretty good. Still in the testing stages.

[@Pigeonbutter8790]

Jesse Hill at the shop I'm at we use BG. Seems to work very well

[@zipper978]

It’s super important to use VW spec engine oil. It will prevent carbon build up

[@HumbleMechanic]

Not on the back of intake valves

[@TheWindigomonster]

We also use the "italian tune up" on small aircraft to knock carbon buildup off the spark plugs

[@orvalstuckemeyer127]

I have a 08 Passat with the BPY FSI engine with a 6MT. 115K miles and no cold start misfire issues or other driveability problems. I've owned the car since new and had it Stage I APR tuned at ~5K miles. Always use 93 octane fuel (mostly Shell) and change the oil between 5K - 7K miles. Most oil has been Mobile 1 0W-40, but I've had a few oil changes with Shell Rotella and Pennzoil Platinum (the stuff made from natural gas). The car runs like new and power is the same as it always has been. The valves have never been cleaned. I'm probably going to get it done soon, though, just to see what they look like.

[@DyablommeHaywood]

Had this issue with my GTI less than two years ago and am dealing with it once again. Wish I knew what I was getting into when I bought it.

[@FacuGonz3]

Are you using full synthetic oil and regular oil changes?.

[@Vision33r]

@@FacuGonz3 It doesn't matter, air, moisture buildup over time with DI will cause the carbon build up regardless. A Oil catch can will make carbon build up take longer but eventually you have to get it cleaned.

[@spol1622]

Many European cars have this problem, not only German...

[@jorgereyes3241]

this is the reason this cars have bad reputation , people get cars without first doing research about it then complain when you have to do maintenance , want something simple get a honda or toyota 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@stephenbloom2545]

I have a 2011 f150 with the 3.5 twin turbo, it has 385,000 miles on it now with zero issues. I was worried about this at first but through my investigation the best way to prevent coking on the valves and turbos is using a very good synthetic oil with the best oil filter money can buy. I’ve found that when the filter media is allowing contaminates above 20mics to enter the the PCV system it starts to accumulate on the back of the valves and on the turbo shafts. The type of oil and the change intervals are important too, I just went with Amsoil because it’s the best. You can do your own experiment if you have a catch can install on your vehicle. You can see the difference between a quality oil change and the average oil change. The quality oil change will have a kind of milky color to the PCV fluid, this fluid will actually burn in the combustion process. The average oil change you’ll find the PCV fluid is black and gritty, this fluid will not completely burn in the combustion chamber. The 40 mic contaminates are too large, so the collect and harden on the back side of intake valves, the top of the pistons and on the turbo shaft. Of course causing misfires, loss of fuel economy, turbo and valve failures. Switch to a very good synthetic oil and filter and change it every 6,000 miles and your gdi engine will last a long time.

[@jasin18]

Thank you for the well informed video for a new VW owner!

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Jason Paden You are very welcome.

[@ProjectDv2]

At our shop we've found that Seafoam works fantastically at removing the carbon deposits...if we catch it early. But when the carbon really starts to cake on to the point the valves are noticeably failing to close all the way, the only thing that's removes carbon that hard and thick is physically removing it. we've found best success medial blasting with walnut shell, which shreds through the carbon but doesn't mar the metals.

[@lancedowns5545]

the only way to eliminate carbon buildup on the valves is to switch back to port injection or use combination of both direct and port injection.

[@HumbleMechanic]

I have seen some documentation that makes me think that will be coming for VW at some point

[@robertborchert932]

HumbleMechanic Indeed, look at the latest intake manifolds, they are made with the four conventional ( low pressure) injector bores. In the future we will see an MPI / FSI engine that uses the LP injectors on startup as well as for cruise enrichment. This design is not new, Ford showed this design years ago. FSI gives us increased fuel economy and power at the same time, this is why the industry has embraced it. I work in a dual VW / Audi shop (20 years). Have modified the BMW walnut shell machine, it's fast but you still need to clean using solvent to get those ports shiny clean.

[@davidlunsford6155]

Don't the European cars have to types of injectors?

[@electric7487]

@@HumbleMechanic That may help them get rid of the GPF's they're mandating on engines.

[@justinbelk89]

Good video, I just bought a 2023 Kia Sportage with a 2.5L GDI engine I drive on the highway to & from work about 38 miles each way at an average speed of 80 mph I use top tier gas too & I’ll be using the gas treatment Kia recommends so hopefully I won’t experience this issue soon as I’ll probably hit 60K to 70K in about 4 years or so. Good to know the issue isn’t brand specific too.

[@233kosta]

"The Italian tune up"... that's how we clean cats on diesels here :D

[@locomojo0485]

That doesn't do shit for GDI engines though... not a MF thing

[@jeffy7360]

@@locomojo0485 it does

[@chiquicat1]

@@jeffy7360 not for the intake valves I think the above comment means.... yes for cat though.

[@GettingthruLife]

I drove my 2013 Ford Focus ST direct injection turbo 4 cyl for 15,000 miles before i came to my senses and bought a catch can. Was working on the Intercooler and adding new FMIC pipes and removed manifold/ intake one night. Could look easily into intake valves. They were coated with hard carbon and the whole chamber of the valves was soaked/coated in blackish/brown gunk. I spent about 8 hours soaking the intake ports with carb cleaner/brake cleaner and used a tooth brush, a plastic glock pistol bore cleaning rod with a brass bore brush and wood rods to chip away at buildup of carbon crust. Spent another 4 hours cleaning. Worked until all intake ports and valves clean again, bust i could do. Something i'd like to mention is i was driving my car very spirited from about 1k on. Doing all out 4th gear to redline data logging pulls day after day after day. Just having fun with the car and do simulated hp number figures after new mods and tunes with the changing weather conditions warmer vs cooler weather. My conclusion would be that the gas pedal to the floor method has little to no effect in helping to keep the carbon buildup off the intake valves. I did add my high quality Diamond performance catch can and it managed to catch a lot of chocolate crap mixed with slushy gas, by products and water. Never got the opportunity to pull the intake manifold off again before i sold the car with approx 21k miles. A catch can for a turbo/supercharger DI engine is a must have add-on. I just bought a 2019 Infinity Q50 sport 3.0T D.I. and i immediately bought a high quailty catch can Mishimoto with the proper internals. Enjoyed the video and it was very accurate and truthful. Good information.

[@seanimal_rex]

"you'd need 30 gallons of Seafoam to clean it off" CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahah keep me posted on the results

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

Just do it consistently throughout the life of the vehicle before oil changes and it should at least help keep the valves clean. As others have said, water will do a great job just have to be careful how you're doing it as you can hydro-lock a motor if done incorrectly/carelessly.

[@jhrodriguez08]

Not only flooring the car but driving above 3000 rpm for more than 30 min on the freeway everyday is the best italian tune up

[@nitrofish420]

So in other words, direct injection has a huge drawback along with the improvement it offers.

[@TheWingsoffury]

NEVER BUY A CAR WITH DIRECT INJECTION

[@glasser2819]

this problem is purposely created by oily air intake caused by sub-standard PCV oil separator. Clean intake air has nothing to deposit on valves 👍🏻 This chaos engineering madness is pathetic 😂

[@Trollestia123]

Toyota has a port and direct injection system. The port injectors are to clean the valves, the direct injection is for better performance.

[@SavedbyHim]

Flawed design as a result of chasing fuel economy and lower emissions

[@SavedbyHim]

@@Trollestia123 All manufacturers are doing this

[@SuperLexusman]

This guy's good. Good advice, very direct and straight forward and no BS.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Jeff Bailey thank you. :)

[@mdub1419]

A catch can set up is the best preventative method. The port injection engines cleans the back of the intake valve as it sprays detergent filled fuel on the valve. It also cools the valve some causing it to not be as sticky hot. Direct inject engines have issues with carbon build up on the back of the intake valve because the injector is in the chamber, not above the valve like port injection and doesn't spray the back of the valve clean. The "best" way to address this is to prevent it by rerouting the blow by oil and ERG circuits into a catch can setup. This issue is more common in turbo engines where ring blow by is greater due to chamber compression being higher then normally aspiration engines and rings being a bit lighter on tolerances.

[@r3wturb0x51]

Michael White this issue can affect naturally aspirated engines as well. most notably the toyota and gm DI engines from the early 2000s.

[@Josh-py2in]

I personally have had no issues with my gti since I bought a catch can. It is the absolute best mod you can do to your direct injected VW.

[@karlhungus545]

This doesn't work in cold climates.

[@GioGuitarDude]

You could also install a water/methanol kit and just run straight water. That would not only keep the intake valves and combustion chamber squeaky clean, but over time the ECU would learn to advance your timing and give you more power thanks to the anti-detonation properties of the water vapor.obsorbing heat and making the intake air more dense.

[@rdodds033]

I'm curious if manufacturers will start using a system like the M4 GTS. They come factory with a water injection system by Bosch. Our training material states the reservoir only has to be filled about every 10,000 miles under normal driving conditions, and it allows them to push the S55 even harder.

[@chriswaller4229]

u would still have an issue with the oil mixing behind the piston in the crank, and adding water will not stop the issue but my extened the amount of time if drivin spirited as well. but having a water/meth kit im sure ur gonna do that anyways. u still need a low mounted oil catch can

[@GioGuitarDude]

christopher waller The methanol will keep the rings clean because of the steam cleaning effects, therefore allowing the rings to flex and run against the cylinder walls freely. I do have an oil catch can.

[@alext9067]

That's a damn good idea.

[@jackclass5446]

@@GioGuitarDude so kit like this would do the trick damnfastdd.com/Products/AlsoBought/AEM+V2+Water+Methanol+Injection+Kit? could i put a breather delete on instead of the catch can ?

[@willgreen1546]

I just left my mechanic for the same issue. He said we would need to clean the valves. He also said the intake would need to be replaced?? Something about a PCV like part that is integral to the intake. Do you agree with this? Any feedback is appreciated.

[@stangtrax]

Good advice Aaron, I'm going to install an oil catch can.

[@interstateB]

Thanks for the video. I plan to do a manual cleaning on my 2009 GTI pretty soon, as I'm close to 84k miles. I was having some cold start misfire / rough idle / rough acceleration at low speeds, and I just did new plugs and R8 coil packs last week... What a difference! The engine is much smoother all around, and I'm definitely getting substantially better fuel economy. I'm interested to see what the carbon cleaning can do further.

[@HumbleMechanic]

interstateB IT is good to know that the R8 coils help. I think that I will be installing them in my wife's Tiguan. The cleaning should take care of your cold start issues for sure

[@1lostperson]

I thought this guy was Aaron from "fast and loud"

[@joemalone9380]

very possibly

[@ras4782]

Bob C me too a111

[@brentmartin4348]

So did I!

[@tedg3721]

I'm surprised his beard hasn't gotten into trouble with it being caught into things inside the engine bay!

[@jakesmith2984]

Bob C if anything looks like an underweight viking.

[@bennapier9260]

I have a GDI engine with 150k miles. I just recently heard about this issue. It's never been cleaned. Still runs fine and the fuel mileage is just as good as always. Guess I'm lucky

[@ManuelRivera16]

How is your driving ? You run the engine at higher RPM? Recent buy a Kia Rio 2014 with 80k miles... 😶

[@jdeluca6181]

I know I'm late to the game, but my theory is: EGR delete, why throw exhaust back in the intake? Look at videos of TDI intake cleaning. It's disgusting. Oil catch can, just something to add to the CV system to limit oil circulating through the intake. Water meth injection, this way you have something with cleaning properties going into the intake. Manual cleaning is still the way to go, but those are my three suggestions for limiting the buildup.

[@AppalachiaTN]

J DeLuca I agree. Seems like an oil catch can and EGR delete would prevent recirculating exhaust gas and oil vapor back through the intake.

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

I have built a few cars that in the process I removed the EGR. The inside of the motors were practically spotless even after 50k+ miles. The only problem with removing them....is it's illegal.

[@Calabrai]

Great video, vw 2012 2.0.trbo TSI 49,450 .no serious issues. How much does it cost to get carbon job done.

[@stevenmann2368]

Catch cans are the way to go. If you have car with direct injection and a turbo it will save you a lot of money if you intend on keeping your car for a long time. I drive a 2014 Fiesta ST and you would be shocked how much I catch. For easy maintenance I suggest running a hose to an easy access location and adding a valve. It makes maintenance take no time at all.

[@stevenmann9769]

I have the 2L FSI in my Octavia and it has about 133000 miles and it has never been touched. Fuel economy is fine and no misfires either. I'm sure it could use a scrape but I am having no problems so I am leaving it alone. Maybe the lack of turbo charging helps?

[@Soloist1983]

This is why I bought a Toyota with the D4-S system (it's direct AND port injected), best of both worlds, though yes, it does involve another set of injectors, but boy does it ever work fantastically. I feel sorry for DI only engines, it's like they are forced back in to the days of carburetors, only for a different reason :( All the port and D4-S injected cars are completely immune to this, we never have to worry about carbon, which is a NICE thing to not have to worry about :)

[@HumbleMechanic]

That's awesome! I don't really see the down side of port and DI. Fuel injectors are not a maintenance item and the are not a high failure rate part either. With strict fuel management, the MPG does not suffer. And yeah, not worrying about carbon is a good thing.

[@kubanskiloewe]

+HumbleMechanic i heard AUDI will go this way ....now , after they sell years of shit engines !!

[@InsaneBimmer]

Brandon Semik Yes because a valve cleaning every 60k miles on my gorgeous CC is worse than owning a shitty Japanese shitbox like yours. You must be a special kind of "car guy".

[@JJ20kil3r]

InsaneBimmer yes the kind where the check engine light being on isn't normal on Japanese "shit boxes" ;)

[@rebel-fighter4411]

I wish GM would do direct and port injection system combos. None of there DI engines include port injection.

[@DCGULL01]

What a great topic- well discussed. Thank you- I understand the issue better, and, realize that it's not manufacturer limited! The Catch Can solution, in addition to using full synthetic oil & premium gas and a daily Italian Tune Up to prevent further build up make sense to me. Funny, but, I struggle with snake oil solutions as well- Techron is no more likely to touch the back of the valve than VW's syrupy solution... Thanx again

[@EngineeringExplained]

No need for the "s" at 9:15. :) Alls... you people! Love you Charles.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Engineering Explained LOL I know. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I never heard myself say it.

[@davess357]

+Engineering Explained ...He could have said, "Yous alls." (A little Rochester lingo there)

[@irefusetousegoogleplus3190]

+HumbleMechanic You've said it quite often. I love it. Sounds similar to a Maryland accent, from where I am.

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

I’m still guessing that Charles’ grammar and syntax is among the most understandable and intelligible within his entire area. 😄

[@bencrosbie]

Hello!

[@yamahabranded2889]

HumbleMechanic, I replaced my Injectors after paying for a shell blast carbon cleaning. Turns out, my injectors were clogged. I believe the previous owner had been using low tier fuel, maybe even 87 octane. I also had a fuel pump replacement under warranty. I now have an extremely clean amazing GTI with new coils, plugs, PCV, fuel pump, and injectors. This is the entire fuel system. I believe that ethanol is also playing a part in this. I now mix high octane ethanol free fuel to run in my CCTA engine. Next, i will add water injection to further help prevent this issue, and lower intake air temperatures.

[@semecristian]

Manual cleaning of intake manifold AND intake valves, FOLLOWED by a EGR DELETE, to stop the carbon from coming back !

[@Peppermint1]

Between 2011-2019 Hyundai got a "brilliant" idea to prevent carbon build up. They modified the ECU to pump a ton of gas at cold starts so some gas doesn't burn up and coats the combustion chamber (and valves) and keeps everything clean. It worked like magic *except* that this excess of gasoline also leaked into the engine oil causing severe oil dilution. Add to this the Hyundai GDI engines stay a lot of time near 1000rpm (low torque, more stress on rod bearings) and boom: tons of engines seized. Only from 2020 models they finally added an extra port injector and stopped 'soaking' the combustion chamber with gasoline.

[@hansfranz4265]

Thanks for addressing the issue of carbon build-up. One of the shows I watch is Wheeler Dealers and they had an episode where they used a decarbonizing process from a company called Terraclean. What makes this process interesting is that they claim is doesn't harm the catalytic converters. I understand that this is available in the US, but have not been able to get any information. Are you familiar with this process and what are your thoughts. I am particularly interested in trying to find the Terraclean process in Southern California. Thanks again for your videos and looking forward to more work on the White Wookie!

[@ivantuma7969]

We recently bought a Buick TourX (Opel Insignia) with a 2.0 LTE GDI engine. It was a lease return that was basically used as a grocery getter for the first 20K miles. Although we're satisficed with it, we noticed after a month of ownership that it had a little bit of a miss-like behaviour ... and occasionally ran a little rough for the first minute after starting (no codes, no MIL). We only use Shell high octane, but even that didn't seem to help. Recently, my wife took the car on a cross country road trip to Michigan ... often doing 85mph+ on the open highway for 2600 mile round trip. Now that she's back - the problem is gone. Was it carbon build up? Hard to say - but a VERY long highway drive seemed to have cured it. Caveat here is, the car started out with only had 20K miles on it ... if the car had been driven in the city for 70K miles, it might have required an actual walnut shell blasting to clean it out. But needless to say, I'm happy I don't have to touch it for the time being.

[@anandnainar3590]

Toyota's 2GR-FSE (3.5 L V6). Direct injection + Port injection. Way to go.

[@thainaaier]

+Anand Nainar ... ditto with my Audi S1 Quattro 2.0 TFSI EA888 engine ... it has 4 Port Injectors (idle and low throttle inputs) + 4 Direct Injectors (used at high revs and when on boost)

[@JCMayPE]

... And now we have to systems to fail. 😕

[@daveleighton4683]

For decades I have "decoked" my engines using brake fluid. Even using a bit of brake fluid on my finger and rubbing it into carbon, it breaks it down very quickly. Do your think that would work on the back of valves?

[@MrManuel1329]

Use a oil catch can and change regularly to reduce carbon build up.

[@timcomtois8199]

Yes, yes, yes! Also pay attention to the volatility rates of what ever oil you use; 5% is the goal. I changed from my usual brand which was almost 12%, to Quakerstate full synthetic (the recommended oil for my Veloster) which is only a 7.3% I went from emptying my can every 1,000 miles or so, to only emptying out about a tablespoon at my 5k mile oil changes. It also doesn’t hurt to throw a stainless chore boy in the bottom of the can to give those vapors a little more surface area to condence.

[@kmpaton]

And an oil that has a low NOACK rating (less oil vapors in the intake)

[@Maga4Lyfe]

@@timcomtois8199 what's a stainless chore boy? I just installed a can two days ago..

[@timcomtois8199]

@@Maga4Lyfe Its one of those metal scouring pads for cleaning pots. They come in copper or stainless steel. Get the stainless steel ones. "Chore Boy" is just a brand name.

[@Maga4Lyfe]

@@timcomtois8199 okay that's what I thought you were talking about. Okay so just drop one of them in the bottom of the can and it helps a little more too catch that oil. this is the first I've heard of it and I've watched plenty of videos. Thanks

[@briantracy1324]

Cleaning with water (steam) is not only free but is the fastest and most effective way to clean the combustion chambers... SeaFoam is also very good ... a catch can on the PCV system is a good preventative measure. For carbonized oil deposits internal to the engine auto-rx absolutely rocks ...

[@sonikempire]

I have an A4 with the 2.0 FSI. I removed the intake and scraped, scrubbed, brushed, cursed and finally cleaned all the carbon on the valve. Car has 140k miles and carbon was very bad. Car is stage 1+ tuned bit would have hesitation and strange misfires but no CEL. After cleaning, it gained noticable power, to my surprise it comes alive at 5 to 7k rpm. Tiny turbo spools rather quick but really pulls somewhat "hard" up on top. After seeing this carbon, there is no way that you can clean it without removing the intake.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Ivan WNY Glad you got her running right again, once the carbon is built up bad enough to impact drivability, you are totally right. Manual cleaning is the best option.

[@piajuansuson4056]

HumbleMechanic I love

[@carbonunit]

The Italian tune really does work, I tried Seafoam and Techron thrrough the tank, tried new plugs, new filter, new very expensive MAF and even had the mechanic blast chemicals through the intake and I would still suffer from rough cold starts on my 08 FJ cruiser, then I did the Italian tune up, ran my truck for about 20 min @ 4500 rpm down the highway in 3rd gear, ran my AC at full blast and kept my diif locked for added load, and wala, it drives like new and cold starts are excellent.

[@garyshaw8449]

what does having your ac on full blast have to do with anything?

[@101Volts]

@Gary A/C On = More load on the engine.

[@garyshaw8449]

Austin Lucas I had no idea. thanks

[@SLtube17]

THANK YOU for explaining this so thoroughly, it is appreciated.

[@AliMackMechanical]

The 2.5 v6 Tdi has been run with burst boost pipe. Could do with a carbon clean. The engine is blowing black carbon as it is full of carbon. I was going to try cleaning her with a steamer. Do you think this would help. ? Peace out buddy.👍

[@melvinjohnson7033]

Audi/BMW should have got some tips from the direct injection Diesel makers before rushing into these.

[@corlettw]

So to your point on FSIs seeming to have less of a buildup issue: I have an FSI and a TSI, and the TSI recommends 10,000 mile oil changes while the FSI suggested 6 or 8,000. Maybe you're right, the oil is breaking down and while the rest of the engine can handle the old oil, the valves are getting more grimy. Just a thought.

[@thejagmohan7121]

Do you think it's safe to use the CRC intake valve and turbo cleaner on my 2010 2.0t cc?

[@vwbora26]

my golf R is 40 000 km and so far every 20 000km or 1 year i use CRC GDI valve Cleaner as a preventive tool, I'm sure it does not remove all the gunk, but do you need to remove all anyways ? i'm sure it get's dirty pretty quick after it gets cleaned up, so time will tell so far, my car runs fantatically good, no issue, no codes.

[@N_AUD1]

I love the videos brother, hopefully this comment makes it to the right person. Anyone have a link to a write-up on preventative performance-based corrections to common problems? PCV breathers, aftermarket intakes, adjustable performance fuel pumps etc? Coming back to the VW community and want to start right, with a good deal on 80k+mi cars, immediately clean it out and do as many preventative mods as possible, while if possible, laying the foundation to a high performance build with minimal backtracking. Thanks all!

[@tylergots2107]

From a Marine technician perspective, to remove gunk from valves/cylinders I HIGHLY recommend trying Quicksilver Power Tune. Follow instructions, and change the oil afterwards for fourstrokes. I didn't believe in a $10 can of magic either until I first tried this stuff. You will see carbon deposits come out the exhaust and yes it is catalyst safe even. We use it primarily on 2-strokes to eliminate carbon deposits without a tear-down. I also use on 4-strokes that develop engine run on, rather than pouring water down the intake this will shiny clean everything it touches in your engine. Or dirty carburetor or whatever

[@christopherjefferson3561]

Almost 90% of fuel in the USA is called "fungible fuel". It means its the same damn fuel ALL PETROL DEALERS GET. if one has ever seen a fuel depot trucks fill up there and chevron THEN adds techron to the truck. If y'all want real fix your gonna have to manual clean. Or run race GAS or run a stand alone ecm that controls a fuel injector or seperate injectors. That's allot of work

[@jolmeaki]

Would a water meth injection kit help with the carbon build up? I know it's more of a performance product.

[@EmilyRose900]

I just used Royal Purple's octane booster/ Fuel injector cleaner and it helped a little, but I still have stuttering and perhaps a misfire every once in three minutes idling.

[@shenava]

Hi Charles, you mentioned in this video that you planned to put a catch can on your wifes car and post back the results. It's been 18 months now, is there a video for your findings? Thanks

[@mrt9625]

link to catch can install: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJCkaoKLnLOhoas

[@jezmarshall9941]

An intelligent and detailed explanation. I'd far rather you recorded this indoors as you can't concentrate on narrating a video and give your full attention to the road simultaneously!

[@generalco2554]

@4:15 "the Italian tune up" - doesn't going full throttle greatly increase combustion pressure, therefore more blow by, therefore more oily and crappy fumes going from the PVC to the intake ... making the problem worse? IMO driving like a school mom will result in less carbon build up on a GDI given where it's coming from.

[@scarharting5577]

Absolutely right. Half the guys commenting here have no idea what direct injection is, or how valve timing works.

[@henrytom5824]

My Tucson nearly blew up from being driven like a grandma the carbon on the pistons increased compression to the point I had to use 93 octane and it would still ping. Bad idea driving it slow, the catylic converter even went out 103,000 miles 2016 Hyundai Tucson.

[@takeomack2782]

Need this for my 2016 Jetta Sport 1.8T, and the wife 2017 Jetta SEL 1.8T!!! Thank you bro. Getting a catch can for sure!

[@HollywoodRoseJack]

Humble, what intake adapters do you use on VW's to do walnut blasting service?

[@tomscott4438]

I've got a 2013 GTI (with DSG trans) and had this problem appear at about 88K miles. I'm also a big fan of the "Italian tuneup" but purchased the car used with 38K miles so most likely inherited the problem. The local dealer is quoting me two processes, one for about $700 and one for $1700. My mechanic has yet to get back to me with a price, but hopeful it will be towards the lower end. If this is now part of "routine" maintenance I'm going to clean it up, get it running back to normal, and sell this thing.

[@HaikuAutomation]

Bottom line, nothing you have said is actually proven except a manual valve cleaning (soaking, scraping/chipping, media blasting). Save your time by just going to 7:45 or so and listen from there.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Haiku Automation EXACTLY! Much of what is going on is theory.

[@lorenbeesley1728]

Absolutely DO NOT use CRC intake valve cleaner on any GDI vehicle. Especially on Ford EcoBoost or VW GDI engines. Ford actually has posted a bulletin against chemical valve cleaning. Manual cleaning is the only way to go. CRC has had several cases of having to much carbon break off and causing valve and piston damage. And they dont take responsibility for their defective products. I may include that I'm a 20 year certified tech as well. I stay clear of CRC.

[@noncustody]

@@lorenbeesley1728 I used CRC Intake valve cleaner today. I doubt I had much carbon build up since I drive 400 highway miles a week.

[@henrytom5824]

@@lorenbeesley1728 my cylinder walls had scoring and the only thing I could think of is when I used crc cleaner when the carbon was too bad I should have manually cleaned them first and not go the easy route, it made loud noises when going on highway after ward then big puff of smoke. Cylinder 3 had pretty bad score marking ouch.

[@henrytom5824]

Never again will I use it when carbon is bad enough.

[@dimension2788]

❤Thanks Charles I am a new Porsche Cayenne Turbo owner. They have DI or direct injection. Mine is at 86k miles but I got a video from a dealer with one at 116k miles. There is an obvious valve clicking sound coming off the left head. I told the dealer I suspect a serious engine issue is happening and its you know what..... Should I take a chance on this Cayenne Turbo with a loudish valve tick sound at a discount price? Again thanks and could you do a valve clean up on it for me?

[@AH-bm4ts]

Thank you Toyota and Mazda for waiting to make dual injected engines.

[@The_Opinion_of_Matt]

I have a `09 GTI manual transmission, 2 door, non-California car that I bought new in December 2008. Did 4 full season of autocross in DC region of SCCA and did at least 1 full throttle run through multiple gears almost everytime I drove it. By the summer of 2013 I had over 100k miles on it and started getting a bank 1 cylinder lean code. Dealership couldn't figure it out and got a VW engineer involved who also couldn't figure it out. Never had any driveability issues, but eventually started getting a "intake manifold failure fault" at about 106k miles. Did my research and found out about the flapper valves in the intake manifold that fail. Replaced the intake manifold and cleaned the backside of the valves and intake ports myself because I couldn't afford the $900 repair.

[@Dr_Xyzt]

I say drive it like you stole it. Make the thing earn its place in your garage. That said, the catch can is somewhat worth a shot, but oil from valve seals will still be an issue. ditch direct injection and go back to port injection. Run more intake duration so knock only crops up at higher rpm.

[@jonnyf9523]

but direct injection allows me lots of boost

[@conantdog]

Design issue , agreed. Catch can is the best iterum solution . Great videos your Making .

[@lorenbeesley1728]

Absolutely DO NOT use CRC intake valve cleaner on any GDI vehicle. Especially on Ford EcoBoost or VW GDI engines. Ford actually has posted a bulletin against chemical valve cleaning. Manual cleaning is the only way to go. CRC has had several cases of having to much carbon break off and causing valve and piston damage. And they dont take responsibility for their defective products. I may include that I'm a 20 year certified tech as well. I stay clear of CRC.

[@RiffMusic1970]

Loren Beesley CRC is not for after the buildup is there, it’s for maintenance before the buildup starts.

[@hllopez8701]

Can you do a video (diy) on how to do an intake cleaning on a bpy 2.0t fsi? I want to know the steps on the best way of cleaning the parts, what tools to use, what's parts can I reuse, what parts I should replace since I have the intake area open, etc. I've read plenty of write ups on numerous forums but I believe a video from you would be VERY helpful. Thanks!

[@BartjeMssls]

Buy and install a catch can, route the hose down so the air/fumes are blown under the car. Plug the intake. No more carbon build up ever.

[@fuzz378]

yeah..very wise..i agree with u

[@HumbleMechanic]

As long as your state does not have a tamper test for tag renewal. That would fail in my state.

[@BartjeMssls]

I'm from the Netherlands but we do have a yearly/bi-yearly compulsory checkup. Thing is, if you connect the catch can to the manifold before having your car checked you won't have any problems. Even if you have the other hose still in place (but disconnected obviously) they can't say anything. Catch can should be mounted in an easily accessible place since you need to empty it once in a wile anyway.

[@TreYay83]

This is false

[@clint3142]

Actually it's mostly caused by reversion. That small overlap between the end of the exhaust stroke, and the start of the intake stroke. This is supposed to help scavenging and drivability . Exhaust system back-pressure also adds to the effect. Brandon Friesen below, targeted this by pointing out the difference between "City" and "Highway" driven platforms. City vehicles will have much lower velocities in the intake ports, and buildup from reversion will be more prominent.

[@josepht2407]

Do you have advice/ info on whether or not the CRC GDI Intake Valve & Turbo Cleaner makes a diff with regard to this matter

[@ZanderOKC]

I personally would like to see a before and after when using this product. I've seen/heard mostly success stories from it. Maybe a good way to do a follow up on your wife's vehicle???

[@pollywollydo]

I injected Seafoam via the vapour canister line straight into the inlet manifold WHEN the canister valve is working with the engine ticking over , ( you can hear it clicking) first dose no effect second dose several weeks later and it made a huge difference

[@bobwolf3370]

Good video Im flashing back to ZZ top videos. LOL. As a mechanic i find most BG products to be snake oil. Contrary to popular belief you won't find a mechanic in a can. The internal combustion engine is a carbon producing machine. The only way to repair a problem is wrench to machine. Carbon will accumulate regardless of fuel tier you burn or what can you dump into the tank.

[@richmanacoustic8238]

BG has a proven track re ord particularly the MOA and 44K products - I ve been using then for about 40 years and have had great results. Just sayin..😉

[@ShatNdd]

HumbleMechanic is so humble that he advertises stuff for free.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Okay

[@drdremd]

Just a thought, how about water injection? In my experience motors with it stay very clean inside. I'd be careful if the car already had a bunch of crap in it though, I'm not sure how much damage a chunk of carbon could do. I swear I don't sell them or anything.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Andre juneau I think water injection would help. But that would be just one more thing for people to maintain. It is hard enough to get people to come in for their FREE oil change every 10,000 miles. LOL

[@drdremd]

That is very true. I was thinking more on the enthusiast side of things VS regular car owner. You remind me that my 2014 CR wagon is saying 200 miles until 20K free service.