Carbon build up / Italian tune.

[Guest]

My F just hit 80k and it's got me thinking about carbon deposits in the engine. 

What have you guys done about carbon build up? Does this car work well with 'a redline a day keeps the carbon away' or does professional or just seafoam type application help? 

[LTuned]

If you are worried about carbon build up, book in for a track day.   it will keep your engine clean, & you will have a lot of fun.

[Blacky]

Isf is both port and direct injection, not sure you will have carbon build up alla Audi or BMW.

Direct injection is the trouble with carbon build up, no fuel flowing over the valves,

[Sparky]

I had the same thought, so i did a "water / steam clean", after some instructions from the US forums. A few engine builders (including RR Racing) said it was as good / better as any special treatments you can buy, the super heated steam basically blows all of the carbon out from the engine through the exhaust. They do it before performing engine rebuilds as it's a lot less messy.

Here is basically why you do:

• Get the car hot, proper hot. Like a big drive when heat soak sets in, come home then keep the engine running.
• Get a 1 or 2 litre bottle with a small hose (very small) and connect it to the spot shown in the photo below.
• Whilst keeping the car running, let the water flow into the engine and keep the revs up, to around 1200-1400 rpm. It will suck through the hose just plonk it in the bottle. I used some thin irrigation piping (clear) from Bunnings. 
• Repeat if needed with 2 or 3 bottles if you want.
• The car may throw a few warnings on the screen, keep the engine running for a few minutes after the water is through, and give it time to get through fully before turning off. Dont worry about the warnings (VSC etc).
• Turn the car off completely, then restart.
• Codes will be gone.
• Take it out and thrash the skin off it
• Voila!!

You can actually disconnect the battery as well before you take it for a drive, pump the brakes a few times with the terminals off, this will discharge power completely to ECU and "reset" the knock sensors and give the engine to reset the timing to allow more aggressive tunings, minus the carbon buildup.

Thats it. Very easy.

[Sparky]

PS, i take no responsibility for any damage to anyone's car if it occurs haha!! 

But seriously i have done this several times, no issues.

[bazzle]

Just be careful to ensure water flow is very minimal to prevent hydraulic lock.

Other than that ...yes... it does work well. We used to do it a lot (in the past) for that purpose.

[Blacky]

Not convinced this is necessary, scroll down here and see the valves after 50,000 km.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f-2008-2014/600015-carbon-build-up-on-lexus-v8.html

 

I am no expert but carbon build up is a trait of direct injection and if you read the patent for direct injection, it points out carbon build up is still an issue yet major manufacturers all went to it.

Per my previous post the carbon is there as no fuel is flowing over the valves to clean.

I was looking at an Audi RS4 and this is one of the things that really turned me off. There are some seriously bad photos with RS4 Audis

But I doubt you will find a photo of an ISF showing carbon build up.

Everything with carbon build up on the IS is to do with 250 and 350 which run direct injection.

 

My opinion only 

 

 

 

[bazzle]

350 (2011) has both direct AND indirect. Issue very much reduced.

[Blacky]

Ok, cool

I was making a presumption and guess I was wrong on that front 

[Guest]

So the ISF doesn't get the carbon buildup? fuel does go over the valves?

[Blacky]

that is my understanding of a port and direct injection system, port fuel is traditional and gets into the chamber via the inlet runners. Direct is at eh chamber (high pressure).

[Monyx]

My experience is de-carboning doesn't come about from thrashing, but running consistently hot. I.e. no need to abuse your car just do a long trip in it - drove 3k kms return around Tassie in my wife's Jeep last year...I swear it had picked up like 15% performance we returned home.

[bazzle]

Grunge can also get into intake runners , ports and on rear of valve for a variety of other reasons as well.

A good long drive will reduce a lot of this.There may come a time though when a can of Seafoam (Subaru Inlet cleaner) will do wonders.