Originally Posted By: Mykl
Originally Posted By: VNTS
So every 25K miles you get to shell out 600$??? No thanks.
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Even every 50K miles no thanks.
My direct injected engine has 85k miles on it and the valves haven't been cleaned. It still gets higher than the rated fuel economy and still spins the tires in second gear at full throttle, occasionally third as well... if it's really cold outside.
MCompact's direct injected engine has 145k miles on it and in another thread I believe he's stated that his engine hasn't required cleaning either. (*EDIT* - nevermind, he said it in this thread too)
The reason you may think it needs to be done so frequently is because somebody opened theirs up at that point because they felt like it, took pictures, and posted it on the internet. Just because it looks gross doesn't mean you've lost any power or efficiency, and it doesn't mean you needed to take it apart to clean it.
There's no reason to be "proactive" here. Just drive the car until it misfires or the check engine light comes on, then drive it somewhere to get the valves cleaned (or buy a six pack and do it in your own garage). It's not the end of the world.
I hear ya, but I'll still pass for now. I have a few friends who service them at dealerships and told me they're seen problems. Trav is also very well versed and shares a similar POV. Then you have these threads that keep popping up. The technology is improving, but IMO and the opinion of professionals who service them the tech isn't quite there yet.