Decoking of piston rings and cleaning of engine deposits, combustion chambers is an operation that requires regular use and can be done by hand without the help of a car service. Incomplete combustion of fuel leads to aging of the oil, affects its characteristics, and also forms carbon deposits, sludge, and deposits.
Causes of deposits in the motor:
- Heavy fuel fractions;
- Driving on a cold engine;
- Short trips;
- Long work on Idling;
- Operation at low and medium speeds;
- Stopping the engine after a long trip at high speeds.
Coke and sludge are formed in places of the highest temperature, i.e. on the rings, valves, in the piston grooves, which causes coking of the piston rings, as a result of which the rings lose their mobility, which in turn leads to a decrease in power, increased oil consumption for waste, increased fuel consumption, smoke from exhaust pipe.
These same symptoms may indicate mechanical malfunctions in the power unit and its wear. To make a diagnosis and identify the cause, it is necessary to make a diagnosis. Most garages will offer you a compression test.
Based on this parameter alone, it is not possible to say with certainty that the rings are coked or mechanical wear is present and needs to be repaired. The deviation from the norm of compression has its reasons and not one. But, as a rule, it all comes down to one thing - a large compression due to the presence of oil in the cylinders, a small one - the wear of the cylinder-piston group. In both cases, they will offer to disassemble the engine. To determine the state and pass judgment on one parameter is the same as pointing a finger at the sky and resembles fortune-telling on coffee grounds. Consider an example. The rings are stuck in the piston groove and have lost their mobility. In this case, the compression will be less than normal, while the rings themselves are working. Another case - coke clogged the groove and the rings lay directly on it and also lost their mobility. In this case, the compression will be higher than normal, and the rings will be subject to mechanical wear against the cylinder walls. Both cases do not imply intervention in the power unit by disassembling and troubleshooting, and the decarbonization of the piston rings will come in handy for good reason. With the help of this operation, it will be possible to remove carbon deposits and restore the mobility of the rings, as a result of which the pneumatic tightness of the cylinders will return to normal, and with it the power, fuel and oil consumption.
Means for decarbonizing piston rings and cleaning engine deposits
Cleaning the engine, valves, combustion chamber from carbon deposits indiscriminately with the help of car chemistry preparators, additives, kerosene allows you to carry out this operation yourself. But not everything is so rosy. We will not describe how to do this with the help of laurel, or the use of liquid moth, kerosene and similar preparations, which usually include kerosene and acetone. Design power unit and the location of the cylinders do not always allow you to do this efficiently and without removing the engine. The row arrangement is the most favorable for this operation. You can also set the pistons in a central position and achieve the distribution of the product over all surfaces. What can not be said in the case of a V-shaped, and even more so opposed, arrangement of cylinders. The decarbonizing agent will always act only on one side - the tilt side of the cylinder angle. In addition, we must not forget that if the rings are tightly and deeply embedded in the piston groove, then most of the chemistry, when introduced into the cylinder through the candle hole, will slip past the rings, along the walls of the cylinder into the sump. In this case, there will be no effect. In addition, some pallets are painted with inside, and the chemicals may react and corrode the paint, causing flakes of peeling paint to clog the oil receiver screen, which in turn will lead to a pressure drop in oil system and failure of the entire power unit. So, harmless at first glance, self-decoking of piston rings and cleaning the engine of soot using auto chemicals can lead to disastrous results.
The next method is old-fashioned and proven, without the addition of liquids and additives, to allow the engine to work under load at high speeds.
This safe way helps in case of not strong carbon formation, and returns the mobility of the rings. The disadvantages include a possible photo for memory for exceeding the speed limit.
If flushing, getting into the oil, allows you to clean the engine of all types of deposits, while utilizing them, and not spreading them throughout the oil system, restoring the elasticity of oil seals and rubber seals, on the one hand, then the catalyst, getting into the combustion chamber along with the fuel, ensures complete combustion of the fuel, including heavy fractions, as a result of which the combustion rate and its temperature increase, which allows you to burn out those deposits and soot that no chemical agent is able to clean on the other hand. The result of the complex effect is the complete decarbonization of the piston rings and the cleaning of the engine, pistons, combustion chamber and valves from carbon deposits. Both products are safe. Their effectiveness has been proven in practice. The Service-S-Auto technical center shared the results of using engine and combustion chamber cleaning agents on the example of a 2006 Subaru Impreza car, with boxer motor volume of 1.5 liters., mileage 76,000 km. At the time of the visit to Subaru was increased consumption oils, fuels and smoke. The compression results were: 8, 11, 11, 8. After applying the flush and catalyst, the compression became 12, 11.5, 11.5, 12. An alternative for the boxer is only with the removal of the motor.
During the operation of the engine, coke and fumes form in the combustion chamber of the fuel. high temperatures. What it is?
How to determine on your own that coke and fumes have accumulated in the car engine?
Coke is a solid deposit on the walls of the combustion chamber, formed when pierced without air. Cinder is the small loose remains of such coke. Oil scraper piston rings are not able to cope with this task, so there is nothing left but to clean the engine with your own hands.
Expert opinion
Ruslan Konstantinov
Automotive expert. Graduated from IzhGTU named after M.T. Kalashnikov with a degree in Operation of Transport and Technological Machines and Complexes. Over 10 years of professional car repair experience.
Coke refers to the deposits of soot, burning and tar in the engine. Coke is formed for various reasons:
driving on low-quality fuel with a low degree of purification;
the use of various additives to increase the octane number, for example, some car owners use lead additives to increase the 92nd gasoline to the 95th (despite the NP ban, finding them on sale is not difficult);
engine oil enters the fuel combustion chambers;
use of engine oil that is not suitable for this type of engine;
driving on a cold engine with loads (especially important in winter);
movement at low speeds (traffic jams).
These factors certainly contribute to the formation of coke. But even if you exclude them all and use only highly refined gasoline, it is still impossible to exclude deposits. It is an inevitable and natural product of the engine's work. internal combustion.
Coke is dangerous because it disrupts the operation of the engine and gradually leads to the need overhaul. Soot on the walls of the combustion chamber leads to a decrease in the volume of the latter and the appearance of detonation, the strength of which will only grow with an increase in soot.
Carbon deposits on the cylinder head prevent the normal removal of heat, which provokes overheating. Coke on the valves makes the exhaust and incoming gases smaller, and this affects the drop in power and dynamics. Due to soot, the valves cannot close completely, sooner or later this will lead to their burnout. But the most terrible consequence is a decrease in compression and the occurrence of all the problems associated with this due to coked oil scraper and compression rings on the pistons.
Note that when the engine is running, the oil from the exhaust valves is also along with the fuel mixture flows. The higher the mileage of the car, the higher the likelihood that oil will enter the engine combustion chambers not only in the described way, but also through some other engine elements. That is why you should not leave this work “for later”.
As soon as the first signs of “decoking” appear, immediately rid the engine of carbon deposits by removing coke from the entire surface of the engine of the machine.
1. Burnt constantly flies out of the exhaust pipe, and a specific smell appears in the cabin when the ignition is turned on. When does it start cold engine, there is a "smoky" effect.
2. Constantly growing oil consumption.
3. The dynamics of the car has decreased.
4. The engine runs unevenly at idle.
5. In the cold season, the engine barely starts, although everything is in order with the battery.
Decarbonizing methods
In order to perform the decarbonization yourself, you can use one of two methods.
The first of them involves pouring pre-purchased products into the engine cylinders through the holes of the candles, which loosen and remove coke deposits. This option is considered more efficient, and it should be carried out on a warm engine.
In the second case, add chemical agent into gasoline or oil. This method is less troublesome, but it is also less effective. If, nevertheless, you choose this method, then carefully read the instructions on the packaging of the liquid, noting how much substance, in what order and where to fill it.
Now consider the first method of decoking in more detail.
Prepare a screwdriver and purchased fire extinguisher.
1. Remove all spark plugs.
6. Disengage the gear and be sure to rotate the engine with the starter for at least 15 seconds to remove the fluid remaining in the cylinders. If this is forgotten, the engine may be damaged due to water hammer. Before you scroll the motor, fix the central high-voltage drive by creating a gap between the ground and the wire tip by a couple of centimeters. This will avoid breakdown of the ignition coil.
7. Tighten the candles, return the drive to its place and start the car. Do not be afraid of any difficulties with starting the engine, or the appearance of an unpleasant odor after this procedure. Smoke can go on the first 10 km of the car. You can drive when the car has been running for twenty minutes at idle.
During the operation of the car engine, on its valves, the piston crown, on the walls of the combustion chambers and other places, carbon deposits are gradually formed. It is almost impossible to avoid this process, but, under certain conditions, carbon deposits are formed especially intensively. The reason for this may be the use, incorrect adjustment of the carburetor, poor filtering of the air entering the carburetor, engine malfunctions, etc.
What is soot and its consequences
Carbon deposits are unburned particles of fuel, dust, or engine oil that have entered the combustion chambers. A particular danger is carbon deposits, which are deposited in the form of a thick layer. The fact is that it has a rather low thermal conductivity, and a thick soot crust can significantly impair the process of removing excess heat from engine parts, thereby disrupting the normal thermal regime of its operation.
At the same time, engine parts begin to wear out much more intensively, which reduces their service life. Also, carbon deposits in combustion chambers can cause such a dangerous phenomenon for the engine as glow ignition, when the fuel-air mixture ignites not from a spark plug at a given moment, but randomly, from overheated carbon deposits, which increases the risk of breakdown. engine.
How to remove soot
It should be noted that in most cases, under conditions that are close to ideal, carbon deposits in the engine are removed spontaneously, for this you need to periodically drive a car for about 100 km at high speed, after refueling it quality gasoline. When the engine is running in such an intensive mode, carbon deposits will be removed. Of course, it will not be possible to remove large carbon deposits, especially old ones, in this way, and, in this case, you can resort to other methods that do not involve disassembling the engine.
Plaque removal solution
One of these methods can be called chemical, and it is desirable to time the cleaning of carbon deposits by this method next shift engine oil. You need to prepare a solution by mixing two parts of acetone, one part of kerosene and one part of motor oil. This solution is poured into all engine cylinders through the spark plug holes. Next, the spark plugs are installed in place, and the engine crankshaft is rotated several times, for example, using the starting handle. The solution remains in the cylinders for a day, after which the spark plugs are unscrewed, and the engine crankshaft is again turned about 10 times in order to “blow out” the cylinders. After that, the candles are washed with gasoline, dried and installed on the engine. Next, the engine oil is changed in the engine, as well as oil filter, in the usual manner, in accordance with the instructions in the operating instructions for the vehicle. The car is refueled with quality fuel, and travel at high speed on a good road. Usually, after running the first 100 km, carbon deposits are removed from the engine almost completely. It should be taken into account that in this case the engine oil can be heavily contaminated with soot, and it will be necessary to change it again after a run of 500 km. since the removal of soot.
rubber tube method
There are other ways to remove soot. For example, you need to insert a needle from an injection system into a rubber tube that runs from a vacuum regulator to a carburetor, with a tube from the same system put on it. Dip the other end of this tube into a small container of water. Due to the vacuum formed in the vacuum regulator, water from the tank will be sucked into the carburetor, and will fall along with fuel mixture into the engine cylinders. It is better to do this operation on a running engine so that there are no difficulties with starting it. Water vapor will help soften carbon deposits and quickly remove them from the engine; it is enough to let the engine run for about 10 minutes “on the water”.
Cleaning method with high-performance additives
If you have no time to deal with solutions and use different tubes, you can always use auto chemical goods from Germany, in full range, presented in the window of our store. You will always find the right fuel additive and once and for all get rid of the problems associated with soot and deposits in your car engine. Additives have a very high detergency, without any problems they can cope with even the most polluted areas for gasoline systems.
The formation of soot and coke on engine parts and the internal surfaces of its blocks is a natural process that cannot be avoided. At the same time, the appearance of soot increases the wear of the power unit and contributes to its failure. Is there a way to remove deposits without disassembling the engine? Of course! Next, we'll show you how to do it.
1 When to remove carbon deposits - the first symptoms
First of all, let's figure out how to determine that the engine needs to be cleaned of soot formed inside the cylinders and on its other parts. Fortunately, the problem manifests itself by the occurrence of the following symptoms:
- an unheated engine does not start well;
- after starting, strong smoke comes out of the exhaust pipe, the engine troit for some time;
- exhaust gases have a specific smell of burning;
- the dynamics of the car decreases, the engine “pulls” poorly;
- there is an excessive consumption of fuel;
- when the ignition is turned off, the fuel in the cylinders continues to ignite for some time, and strong vibrations. This phenomenon is called pre-ignition, because the ignition combustible mixture comes from a hot soot, not a spark;
- The engine gets very hot.
If these signs appear, do not delay cleaning the motor, since the presence of soot can lead to more unpleasant consequences, such as burnt valves, failure of the connecting rod and piston group. To prevent carbon deposits from forming on engine parts for as long as possible, use high-quality synthetic or semi-synthetic oils and be sure to change them on time.
2 We start with the combustion chamber - flushing the piston system
Cleaning the engine with chemical compounds is of two types:
- soft - involves the addition of various additives and cleaning agents to the fuel;
- hard - carried out by flushing the combustion chambers.
Soft washing can only be useful as a preventive measure, so we will not consider it. If you need to wash off the carbon deposits that have accumulated in the engine in large quantities (you have noticed that the above symptoms have appeared), a tough cleaning is required. To produce it, you need a special decoking liquid. Often it is sold in a set with compressed air in a canister, a syringe and a tube. In this case, you will not need any other devices. If only liquid is included, the syringe and compressed air must be purchased separately.
We start flushing by warming up the engine to a temperature of at least 70 degrees. Then you need to unscrew all the candles, and also disconnect the central wire from the distributor. Be sure to mark the candle high voltage wires so as not to forget in what order they are connected to the cylinders. Next, you need to check crankshaft so that all pistons are approximately at the same level. To do this, turn the pulley nut (below in the photo) or the drive wheel, after jacking it up.
Then it is necessary to pour liquid for decoking into each cylinder using a syringe and tube. The volume of fluid required for each cylinder is indicated by manufacturers in the instructions. Next, tighten the spark plugs and leave the engine for a few hours. If the combustion chambers are heavily coked, wait 12 hours (periodically it is advisable to crank the crankshaft).
Next, pump out the remaining fluid from the cylinders using a tube and syringe. Then blow out each cylinder with compressed air. Then you should press the gas pedal all the way and crank the crankshaft with the starter for five to ten seconds. At the end of the work, connect all the ignition wires and start the engine. Let the motor run for five or ten minutes. At first, slight smoke is possible, but do not be alarmed, this will burn out the cleaning agent that remains in the engine.
Keep in mind that the above operation allows you to get rid of carbon deposits only in the combustion chambers. However, deposits also appear on other engine parts. To get rid of them, it is necessary to flush the lubrication system.
3 Cleaning the lubrication system - let's not leave carbon deposits a chance
Flushing the lubrication system can be done in several ways:
- additive "five-minute";
- oil "five minutes";
The easiest way to flush the engine is the so-called five-minutes. If an additive is used for these purposes, then it is simply added to the engine, and then the engine runs for 5 minutes at idle, after which the old oil with the additive is drained, the filter is changed, and new fluid is poured. Approximately the engine is also flushed with five-minute oil, but it must not be mixed with old oil. Those. first you need to drain the old oil and only after that fill in the flushing oil. On it, the motor should run for 5 minutes in idle, after which the flush is drained, and new grease is poured. Please note that in no case can you ride a five-minute ride.
A better result can be achieved with flushing oil, on which the car must drive about a hundred kilometers. This composition is poured in place of the old oil. Please note that this lubricant must be driven in break-in mode, as it has weak protective properties. Then flushing oil merges and fills the usual.
As you can see, it is not at all difficult to clean the engine of carbon deposits, at the same time, this procedure can significantly extend the life of the internal combustion engine. She should not be neglected!
A dirty motor, stained with dirt and oil, is not only unpleasant in appearance. Contaminants on the engine crankcase and its attachments can lead to serious negative consequences. In the article we will talk about engine cleaners from oil and dirt and appreciate how important it is to keep the engine clean.
Why do you need to clean the engine?
There are several negative consequences that can occur in the event of critical engine contamination.
- Deterioration of heat transfer. Initially, when designing the engine, part of the heat removal is laid down for the natural cooling of the motor by ambient air. And with the expectation of this, the cooling system is already being designed. The so-called "coat" of oil and dirt reduces the thermal conductivity of the crankcase. Reducing the intensity of heat removal from the crankcase will at least cause an increase in its average operating temperature by several degrees, and on hot days it can lead to overheating.
- The likelihood of a fire. Mud and oil deposits on the engine can ignite from a small spark and grow into a serious fire in a matter of seconds.
- Negative impact on attachments. Oil and dirt on drive belts, wiring, fittings and attachments can cause these items to malfunction.
- The appearance of an unpleasant smell in the cabin. The heated oil on the crankcase creates bad smell, which penetrates the interior and causes discomfort.
- Unpleasant appearance motor, manufacturing difficulties repair work under the hood.
Therefore, washing the engine is not just a cosmetic operation, but an important procedure.
An overview of popular products for cleaning internal combustion engines from oil and dirt
There are quite a few different chemical engine cleaners on the Russian market. Consider the most popular of them.
- Hi-Gear Engine Shine, Foaming Degreaser. One of the most popular means in the Russian Federation. Available in 454 ml bottles. It is a foam emulsion, a mixture of various penetrating dispersants capable of dissolving even old oil deposits. Apply to a warm engine, rinse with water. Not aggressive towards plastic and rubber. It has positive reviews from motorists in terms of efficiency. More expensive than most other engine cleaners.
- ABRO Masters Engine Degreaser. This cleaner is a 450 ml pressurized spray. Consists of surfactants, alkaline dispersants and light solvents. It is sprayed on the engine, after a short wait (impregnation and splitting of mud deposits) it is washed off with water. It has a peculiar smell, which some motorists call unpleasant. However, after a few hours after processing the motor, this smell almost completely disappears.
- Grass Engine Cleaner. Also a popular remedy in the Russian Federation. It is distinguished by its low cost and at the same time good efficiency. It copes well with fresh oil smudges and small deposits of dust. Has a large amount of surfactants in the composition. Effectively removes old deposits. Sold as a ready-to-use product in 500 ml containers with a mechanical spray or as a concentrate. The spray is applied in a non-contact way to the engine, the concentrate is mixed with water and can be applied with contact and non-contact. In terms of the ratio of price and washing abilities, motorists recognize it as one of the best offers.
- Runway Engine Cleaner. Aerosol engine cleaner, available in 650 ml metal cans. Has an average efficiency. With a low price among such products, it copes well with relatively fresh pollution. Not suitable for removing dried oil and dust crusts.
- Foam Engine Cleaner 3ton. Inexpensive and effective tool. It has a subjectively pleasant smell. Efficiency and price are average for the market.
These are the most common products in the chemical engine cleaner category. There are several folk remedies to clean the engine from contamination. However, not all of them are safe and accessible to ordinary motorists. Therefore, we will not consider them here.
Which purifier is better to choose?
A noteworthy fact: most Motor Cleaners on the market work with approximately the same efficiency. Better than others, according to motorists, Hi-gear and Grass work. However, much depends on the nature of the pollution and the personal, not always objective, assessment of car owners.
For household, one-time cleaning of the motor from slightly abundant contaminants, it is better to use inexpensive foam sprayers, such as 3ton, Runway or ABRO. They do a good job of cleaning light dust deposits or smudges of working fluids that have not had time to dry.
To remove more serious contaminants, it is better to use a more expensive tool, for example, from Hi-Gear. This tool has a more powerful penetrating and splitting ability. But it is not able to cope with chronic raids.
It is easier to remove abundant dirt using the contact method. To facilitate this task, it is better to use a spray or apply a contact (brush or brush) cleaner. In this situation, the Grass Engine Cleaner is an excellent solution in terms of price and effectiveness.
When cleaning the motor from dirt and oil, do not forget about safety precautions. Cover cavities vulnerable to liquids with rags or plastic wrap. Disconnect the negative battery terminal. Work in a well ventilated area. And most importantly - always carefully apply the product and think about whether the treatment of a particular area with a cleaner will harm the motor.