What is ICE decarbonization

Probably, many motorists know about such a thing as ICE decarbonization. Somebody took it in his own car. But there are many who have not heard of such a procedure at all.

There is no unanimous opinion about decoking. Someone is skeptical about it and does not see the need to spend time and money on it, someone believes that it is useful for internal combustion engines and brings tangible results. Let's try to understand the essence of this process, when to carry it out and what it gives.

Combustion of the air-fuel mixture can be accompanied by the formation of by-products that settle on the walls of the combustion chamber and pistons in the form of carbon deposits. Piston rings are especially affected, which practically stick together and lose their mobility due to the fact that a solid resinous layer collects in the grooves.

The intake and exhaust valves are very vulnerable to coking, which, as a result, open worse or do not fit tightly in the closed position, and sometimes even burn through. The accumulation of soot on the walls reduces the working volume of the combustion chambers, reduces compression and increases the likelihood of detonation, and also worsens heat dissipation.

All this ultimately leads to the fact that the internal combustion engine operates in a less efficient mode, power drops, fuel consumption increases. In addition, this situation negatively affects the working resource of the internal combustion engine.

The intensity of soot formation increases if you refuel with poor quality fuel, especially if it contains questionable additives.

Another possible cause of increased coking of internal combustion engines is the use of low-quality or engine oil not recommended by the automaker. The situation can be complicated by the ingress of a significant amount of lubricant into the combustion chamber, for example, through loosely fitting oil scraper rings or seals.

However, it should be noted that even the opinions of chemists who have studied this problem differ on this score. Some believe that engine oil plays a minor role in coke formation in the engine, while others call it the main culprit. But even if you fill up with good fuel at reliable gas stations and the proper quality lubricant, carbon deposits can still appear.

This will be caused by overheating of the internal combustion engine, prolonged use of idling and operation of the machine in urban conditions with frequent stops at traffic lights and traffic in traffic jams, when the operating mode of the unit is far from optimal, and the mixture in the cylinders does not burn out completely. Decarbonization is precisely designed to clean the insides of the internal combustion engine from viscous layers.

Usually, this procedure allows you to restore the normal operation of the internal combustion engine, reduce the consumption of internal combustion engine lubricants and fuel, and also reduce harmful emissions in the exhaust. However, in some cases, decarbonization does not give a significant effect. It happens that it even worsens the situation.

This applies mainly to heavily worn units, in which coked deposits serve as a kind of sealant. Its removal will immediately expose all the flaws of the internal combustion engine, and it may soon become clear that a major overhaul is indispensable. There are two main methods for decoking an internal combustion engine, which can be called soft and hard. In addition, the removal of coke is possible during the movement of the car, this method is called dynamic.

This method involves cleaning the piston group by adding a cleaning agent to the engine oil. It is best to do this when the oil change period has come. After pouring the funds, you need to drive a couple of hundred kilometers without overloading the internal combustion engine and avoiding maximum speed.

then the oil must be completely replaced. Dimexide is often used as a cleaning additive. It is cheap and gives acceptable results, but after its application, flushing the oil system with flushing oil is required. Only Further, new lubricant can be poured into the system.

the kit is more expensive, but the Japanese GZox Injection & carb cleaner is also more effective. The Korean cleaner Kangaroo ICC300 has also proven itself well. The gentle cleaning method mainly affects the lower oil scraper rings.

But, as noted above, not only piston rings are subject to coking. For a more complete cleaning of coke deposits, a harsh method is used when a special agent is poured directly into the cylinders.

Decarbonizing in a hard way can take a lot of time and will require some experience in car maintenance. Decarbonizers are very toxic, so the room must be well ventilated to prevent poisoning by toxic fumes.

Rigid decarbonization may have its own nuances depending on the design of the internal combustion engine (for example, V-shaped or boxer), but in general, the procedure is as follows:

• Start the engine and let it warm up to operating mode.
• Turn off the ignition and remove the spark plugs (or remove the injectors on a diesel unit).
• then you need to jack up the drive wheels and turn the crankshaft so that the pistons are in the middle position.
• Pour anticoke into each cylinder through the spark plug wells. Use a syringe to keep the cleaning agent from spilling. The required amount is calculated based on the volume of the cylinders.
• Screw in the candles (not necessarily tightly) so that the liquid does not evaporate and let the chemistry function for the time recommended by the manufacturer of the product - from half an hour to a day.
• Remove the suppositories and draw out the liquid with a syringe. Residues of cleaning agent can be removed by turning the crankshaft for a set of seconds.
• Now you can install the candles (injectors) in place, start the unit and leave it to function at idle for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the chemistry remaining in the chambers will completely burn out.

In most cases, after applying a hard decarbonizer, the engine oil and filter must be replaced. The already mentioned GZox and Kangaroo ICC300 are suitable as a cleaning fluid. But, of course, the best tool is Mitsubishi's Shumma Engine Conditioner.

True, and it is very expensive. The Ukrainian drug Khado has a much weaker effect. The results are even worse for the highly hyped Russian decoking Lavr, which, moreover, forms a rather aggressive environment.

Well, if you really feel sorry for the money, but you still want to clean it, you can mix 1:1 acetone with kerosene, add oil (a quarter of the resulting volume) to reduce evaporation, and pour about 150 ml into each cylinder. Leave for 12 hours. The effect will be, although you should not expect special miracles. In general, cheap and cheerful. The mixture is very aggressive. Be sure to change the oil after use.

This method involves cleaning the internal combustion engine during movement and is actually a kind of soft decarbonization. Special cleaning additives are added to the fuel. During the operation of the internal combustion engine, they, together with the combustible mixture, enter the cylinders, where they do their work, helping to burn out soot.

As an additive for dynamic decarbonization, for example, Edial is suitable, which must be poured into the tank before refueling. To use it, you do not need to remove candles or nozzles and change the oil.

With regular use of such products, the likelihood of the formation of viscous deposits in the engine will be very low. However, it must be borne in mind that dynamic decarbonization is effective only if the aggregate is initially clean or has a low degree of carbonization. Otherwise, the method will not give the desired result and may even worsen the situation.

Remember that decarbonization is not a panacea for all diseases of internal combustion engines. It is best to produce it as a preventive measure. Increased oil consumption will tell you that it is time to carry out this procedure. Do not wait until the situation reaches a critical point. If you miss the moment, the piston rings (and not only them!) May be damaged and then they will have to be changed.