Carbon buildup

anthonylee337 · January 25, 2015, 10:06:13 AM

I am reading quite a few SHO owners talking about carbon buildup. I have 18k miles on mine so I was wondering at what mileage should I look into carbon cleaning and how is this performed? I talked to my buddy at Ford and he told me not to worry about carbon buildup and just to drive my car! He also recommended not to put anything in my motor to address this issue. Has anyone here successfully cleaned the carbon out of their engine? I also noticed Ford has a new design to the ecoboost engine that is port and direct injected so I'm not blind to the fact of a possible design flaw but I also realize by the time our engines start to lose power it should be well over 100k miles. Input on this would be appreciated!

SHOnUup · January 25, 2015, 10:13:40 AM

From what I've read, no cleaning processes are ok'ed by Ford. Valve cleanings are supposedly causing turbo issues. Meth injection looks like the only fail safe so far. I'm a rookie to this so hopefully some of the guru's chime in.

Rich

ZSHO · January 25, 2015, 10:43:26 AM

I have been interested in this topic for quite a while know,the major symptoms to look for are poor mpg,rough idle,hesitation,if your car does not exhibit those issues,symptoms,would not worry that much for know,just use a good full synthetic motor oil at frequent intervals,and top tier gas like 93 Exxon,Shell if you have.

anthonylee337 · January 25, 2015, 11:26:59 AM

Good advice! I try to get my oil changed every 4000 miles and I only put Shell V-power 93. My car idles so smooth sometimes It feels like my engine is not even running. From what I've read the major issue with carbon buildup is power loss.

BiGMaC · January 25, 2015, 02:43:25 PM

Quote from: anthonylee337 on January 25, 2015, 10:06:13 AM
I am reading quite a few SHO owners talking about carbon buildup. I have 18k miles on mine so I was wondering at what mileage should I look into carbon cleaning and how is this performed? I talked to my buddy at Ford and he told me not to worry about carbon buildup and just to drive my car! He also recommended not to put anything in my motor to address this issue. Has anyone here successfully cleaned the carbon out of their engine? I also noticed Ford has a new design to the ecoboost engine that is port and direct injected so I'm not blind to the fact of a possible design flaw but I also realize by the time our engines start to lose power it should be well over 100k miles. Input on this would be appreciated!

Problem with GDI (which is how all the power comes from a V6) is no way (except Meth or dismantling) to clean intake valves... hence the MP injection addition by Ford. FMC has one of the best systems, but it is a problem... BG services bought a '10 SHO and tested this for over 60K miles... the car was evaluated with boroscope, dyno, and/or driver impressions every 5K miles...

worth the read... It is here: https://www.bgprod.com/bgfueltest/

SHOdded · January 25, 2015, 03:43:56 PM

Def get on the gas once in a while (as discussed in another thread) to get the "cobwebs" off. Driving too long in gas-saving mode only exacerbates the problem. You could try switching to a good full-synthetic to help decrease PCV vapors & thus carbon buildup.

anthonylee337 · January 25, 2015, 05:08:25 PM

Looks like the BG stuff works pretty good-has anyone used it and where do you get it? Can it be performed by a dealer or is it a fuel additive?

ZSHO · January 25, 2015, 06:25:44 PM

I tried the BG fuel system cleaner in a can for 22.00 and to be honest with you,noticed no difference in performance,mpg,the BG service performed only at select dealers is highly recommended to clean inside the intake valves,which fuel system cleaners cannot achieve,last i heard its a couple hundred and only performed at select dealers.

SHOdded · January 25, 2015, 06:41:58 PM

The FI in-tank cleaner is good, but the induction service for DI engines is what you need, performed by an authorized dealer or service shop. As an aside, here's a link to knowing if you might have a leaky fuel injector (a known occasional problem with these engines):
http://diagnosecarproblems.blogspot.com/2012/06/leaky-injector-symptoms.html

ZSHO · January 25, 2015, 06:58:38 PM

Quote from: SHOdded on January 25, 2015, 06:41:58 PM
The FI in-tank cleaner is good, but the induction service for DI engines is what you need, performed by an authorized dealer or service shop. As an aside, here's a link to knowing if you might have a leaky fuel injector (a known occasional problem with these engines):
http://diagnosecarproblems.blogspot.com/2012/06/leaky-injector-symptoms.html

-MANU,you the MAN.

anthonylee337 · January 25, 2015, 07:08:12 PM

The only thing that makes me nervous about bringing it in to a dealer for cleaning is my brother-a certified machinist/mechanic for 28 years told me not to do it. He said he heard of bending valves and running large deposits through the turbos. He told me the same thing a Ford mechanic said which is NOT to have a dealership run any type of cleaner through the motor. Adding it to a tank of gas was recommended only!

anthonylee337 · January 25, 2015, 07:22:06 PM

By the way-I have 6 dealerships within 10 miles of my house that offers this cleaning and none of them are Ford service centers! Makes you wonder

ZSHO · January 25, 2015, 07:27:44 PM

This is the can of BG fuel system cleaner,purchased a while ago,for preventative maintenance and as a safeguard,add a can or two as SHOdded mentioned earlier. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDVU6EI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

J-Will · January 25, 2015, 07:39:55 PM

Is that any different than SeaFoam or zMax? I have loads of both already for my other vehicles.

IHeartGroceries · January 25, 2015, 08:35:45 PM

Anybody here up for tackling a DIY manual cleaning?