Best oil to alleviate excessive carbon build up

[westcoaster]

Unfortunately, changing the oil may help some, but this is as you might call a design flaw with DI engines. Using a low volitile oil will help some, but you will always have some "oily Vapour" come through the crankcase to the intake via the PCV system. You just cant avoid it.

A catch can system will help with the issue, but it wont catch the vapour will will cause the build up, albeit at a slower rate.

And you can run 110 octane jet fuel with 6 gallans of Techron, but remember that the fuel by passes the intake and is injected directly into the cylinder, not touching the carbon buildup.

you need manual cleaning or sending some cleaner right into the PCV system that way, you incorporate some cleaner into the incoming air mixture, hitting the buildup and getting some cleaning action.

back in the day, the old school mechanics used to pour water into pcv systems to clean carboned engines. the water would hit the carbon, cause it to break apart and get blasted out the exhaust system. maybe a cheap way to get cleaning especially if Audi is calling all this as part of regular maintenance.

sorry guys, but no DI engine for me

 

[dwendt44]

Quote:
back in the day, the old school mechanics used to pour water into pcv systems to clean carboned engines. the water would hit the carbon, cause it to break apart and get blasted out the exhaust system. maybe a cheap way to get cleaning especially if Audi is calling all this as part of regular maintenance.


That might/might have worked for the combustion chamber carbon.
The DI problem is carbon build up in the intake side of the intake valve. That side isn't under compression pressure and/or isn't that hot that it shocks the carbon off.
I'm not even sure that SeaFoam or other magic elixir drawn in through the PCV or other vacuum source would get to all the intake valves.
Only time and wide spread experience will tell us what, if anything, will solve the problem.
The current suggestions are just that; shots in the dark.

My 2¢

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: ikolbyi
My 2008 Audi A6 3.1L (3.2) FSI Quattro is experience on-going excessive carbon buildup on the intake valves ................ miss-firing begins every 4,000 miles and requires valve cleaning approximately every 7,000 miles due to violent shaking and permanent CEL...........................


Isn't your Audi still under the emissions warranty.? If so, Audi should be paying for the valve cleaning service. All that misfiring must be ratcheting up the HC emissions, to the point where EPA might be interested in your complaint?

 

[ikolbyi]

Yes AoA/the dealership is eating the valve cleaning cost.

UPDATE - Mobil 1 ESP 5w40 M is out (good, had same terrible performance as Castrol Syntec 5w-40) and Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 is in the crack case. A BG valvue cleaning was also performed so I can measure how long the miss-firing will begin.

So far the best oil to help mitigate the issue is Mobil 1 0w-40, lets see if I can overthrow it now.....

Fuel is Exxon or Sunoco 93 Octane.

 

[mechtech2]

Craig in Canada is right on about the different parameters for Di in the USA.
Richer and sometimes less pressure for less needed dispersion.

 

[mva]

There is a good thread in the european section:

Castrol SLX Professional LL03

Originally Posted By: GordonC


Here's the secret - you really want a VW 504/507 oil, not VW 502. 504 is a superset of 502, and meets VW warranty requirements where 502 is specified.

The difference is that 504 is a low SAPS Euro IV spec oil that also has lower volatility - a search here for "Lubrizol low SAPS" should find a link to a paper they published in 2007 showing that the new Euro IV compliant low SAPS oils show 40% less intake valve deposits in direct injection engines. In Europe, VW/Audi spec 504 oils for their direct injection engines. Here in North America, they spec 502, but 504 meets and exceeds 502. Several members have posted correspondence here from VW and Audi confirming that 504 spec oils are warranty acceptable, and I had this exact conversation with my Audi dealer yesterday and they also confirmed it (I am buying Castrol SLX LongLife LL03 from the dealer for mid-interval oil changes at home in my Audi S5, and they will use the SLX LL03 oil for my specified dealer oil changes (for an extra charge above their standard Syntec 5W40 502 oil).

The best part - SLX LL03 is around $9 per litre from our VW or Audi dealers, whereas you'll pay more than that for GC, M1 0W40, or any other 504 spec oil!


http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2265677&page=2

 

[ikolbyi]

Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 which is a 505.0 certified oil @ 5,000 change intervals seems to work best of the oils I have tried.

Per Audi, 502.0 is North America spec while the 505.0 is the European spec that is equivalent to 502.0. I noticed on the Mobil 1 ESP bottle is says "Made in the EU", not in the US, Mexico, etc...

 

[JAG]

That's interesting to hear it's working the best so far. I'dlooked to see a UOA of your oil to see how the TBN is holding up.

 

[Merkava_4]

I'd get the valves cleaned one more time and then sell the car as fast as I could.

Note to self: Do not buy a car with direct fuel injection.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I'd get the valves cleaned one more time and then sell the car as fast as I could.

Note to self: Do not buy a car with direct fuel injection.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I am reluctantly forced to agree after reading all the horror stories from this site.

Seems they have a bit of R&D being completed at owners expense.

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted By: 45ACP
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
If SeaFoam is drawn in through a vacuum line, it might help clean a little. I would think it would take a good long soak at the very least, to free up much of the stuck on carbon.


I too would recommend a Seafoam treatment, but double-dose it.


I believe, this will make things worse..

 

[pavelow]

Direct Injection is where the OEMs are heading, so get used to it folks. Conventional Fuel Injection on a brand new car will disappear in the next few years.

 

[Superbuick96]

My brother works for an Audi dealership, although he is not a mechanic. He says it fairly common for Audi owners to come in reporting carbon buildup issues. He said that sometimes they will urge owners to not be afraid to open these cars up a little bit, a lil spirited driving from time to time will work some wonders....But in your case with your 70-90 mph daily communte, your not exacly [censored]-footing it

 

[Ramblin Fever]

You'd think more expensive cars would have better quality then a regular engine.....feel for you, no way would I want to deal with that hassle every 4-7k miles, that's insane.

 

[BobFout]

Originally Posted By: ikolbyi
Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 which is a 505.0 certified oil @ 5,000 change intervals seems to work best of the oils I have tried.

Per Audi, 502.0 is North America spec while the 505.0 is the European spec that is equivalent to 502.0. I noticed on the Mobil 1 ESP bottle is says "Made in the EU", not in the US, Mexico, etc...



502.00 is a VAG petrol spec, 505.00 is a VAG diesel spec. They are both European light-duty specs.

 

[Scum_Frog]

Originally Posted By: Superbuick96
My brother works for an Audi dealership, although he is not a mechanic. He says it fairly common for Audi owners to come in reporting carbon buildup issues. He said that sometimes they will urge owners to not be afraid to open these cars up a little bit, a lil spirited driving from time to time will work some wonders....But in your case with your 70-90 mph daily communte, your not exacly [censored]-footing it


Agree....drive it hard once in a while

 

[DFrost]

To the DI nay-sayers: I'm on my second DI car and have experienced NO drive-ability problems like those described by the OP. And I do not believe that his needed level of 'maintenance' is common - clearly there's some other problem.

My 2006 Audi A3 2.0T had 80,000 miles on a steady diet of M1 0w40 when I sold it. It never hiccuped, spit, or displayed other problems associated with carbon buildup. Never Seafoamed, etc. It did consume oil, probably due to PCV issues common with that first generation motor. I've heard nothing about that oil consumption issue with the second generation VW/Audi 2.0T (TFSI, with a timing chain instead of belt).

My current Kia Optima SX (2.0T GDI) only has 8,300 miles, and no issues whatsoever with this car. Also no oil consumption.

I'm sure this won't change your opinions about buying a DI-engined car, but as pavelow stated in an earlier post, DI certainly seems to be the gas engine technology of the near future. It improves gas mileage, emissions, and power simultaneously, and doesn't need to be associated with premium fuel.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: DFrost
To the DI nay-sayers: I'm on my second DI car and have experienced NO drive-ability problems like those described by the OP. And I do not believe that his needed level of 'maintenance' is common - clearly there's some other problem.

My 2006 Audi A3 2.0T had 80,000 miles on a steady diet of M1 0w40 when I sold it. It never hiccuped, spit, or displayed other problems associated with carbon buildup. Never Seafoamed, etc. It did consume oil, probably due to PCV issues common with that first generation motor. I've heard nothing about that oil consumption issue with the second generation VW/Audi 2.0T (TFSI, with a timing chain instead of belt).

My current Kia Optima SX (2.0T GDI) only has 8,300 miles, and no issues whatsoever with this car. Also no oil consumption.

I'm sure this won't change your opinions about buying a DI-engined car, but as pavelow stated in an earlier post, DI certainly seems to be the gas engine technology of the near future. It improves gas mileage, emissions, and power simultaneously, and doesn't need to be associated with premium fuel.




DI motors are here to stay. Like it or not.Just like Ethanol fuel.

 

[SteveSRT8]

No one here has denied the benefits of direct injection.

Those are not doubted.

What is apparent is that there are indeed issues with these cars, and while you were lucky, many are experiencing problems.

That's why some of us have adopted a 'wait and see' attitude towards them.