[iflo]

Think this is safe? Think this would even work?

Buy an aerosol can of Combustion Chamber Cleaner.

Remove the cover of your intake box and spray the product while the engine is running.

After using the product go for some spirited runs!

Repeat at every gas fill-up.

I have 60k miles and I'm trying to avoid having to take my engine apart to clean them manually.

Cleaning manually: instant clean

Cleaning with products: need to repeat a few times

[ShyGuy]

what about something like seafoam?

[Forcefed3]

Use vacuum line, goes right into the intake manifold. Have someone keep the car around 2000rpm. You dont want any droplets hitting your compressor wheel.

[Maddawg58]

I have seen tons of seafoam posts and testimonials, but I haven't seen a before and after of the actual valves. Has anyone opened them up to see what how the seafoam actually performed?

[blacknbean]

while i like seafoam and vouch for it, i dont think it can take off the stuff thats caked on and must be scrubbed off. for the most part it can remove the top layer of carbon on the valves. im actually going to try amsoil power foam before my next oil change since the foam expands and can coat better. plan b is to remove the IM, but I havent had any engine issues yet so im holding off.

[Rotorocious]

seafoam and other cleaners wont work. You have to scrub physically. There's no cleaner in the world that can have the same result , be easy and safe to use through your engine.

[vasillalov]

Seafoam is total gimmick! The heavy smoke you see coming out of the exhaust is not the carbon buildup being burnt but the seafoam itself being burnt.

[Mike@N54Tuning.com]

Originally Posted by Rotorocious

seafoam and other cleaners wont work. You have to scrub physically. There's no cleaner in the world that can have the same result , be easy and safe to use through your engine.

I would tend to agree that seafoam might get rid of a minor carbon build up but will do nothing to clean the valves from the kind of build up we have seen over the last week in pictures from members. If the only way it comes off is by scrubbing there is very little hope a chemical agent will do the trick.

Mike

[drfrink24]

I have read reports of easy off oven cleaner doing a pretty good job on other engines.. Though it likely would be better used with the manifold off and valves sealed.

[dzenno]

You have to scrub, period

[iflo]

So would everyone agree the crud is caked oil deposits?

[plague]

once cleaned, does methanol prevent such build from occuring or halt the process at any degree ? thanks not to throw the thread off

[Alan l.]

it might help but i've seen TONS of threads on the VW forums with their direct injection motors running meth with massive carbon build up as well.

[Potty_Pants]

so what are we saying... every 50k miles get a carbon scrub ?

how much is this going to run at the dealer or indy ?

thanks

ppp

[mycoupe]

Originally Posted by Potty_Pants

so what are we saying... every 50k miles get a carbon scrub ?

how much is this going to run at the dealer or indy ?

thanks

ppp

"More than you can afford pal" In all honesty, I think someone said they were quoted $1-2k at the stealership for valve cleaning, because they pull the head off the motor and send it out supposedly.

[dzenno]

Originally Posted by mycoupe

"More than you can afford pal" In all honesty, I think someone said they were quoted $1-2k at the stealership for valve cleaning, because they pull the head off the motor and send it out supposedly.

that's BS by the dealer and the reason why you don't go there $300 at my indy shop, all that's required is to move off the intake manifold so you have enough room...

also, pulling the head off is definitely more than 1-2k at the dealer...it calls for 36 hours!

[mycoupe]

Originally Posted by dzenno

that's BS by the dealer and the reason why you don't go there $300 at my indy shop, all that's required is to move off the intake manifold so you have enough room...

also, pulling the head off is definitely more than 1-2k at the dealer...it calls for 36 hours!

Holy fack!!

[BobS]

$300 isn't bad at all. I'd pay that every 50,000 miles to keep my performance/fuel economy in check....

[NM_BMW]

I don't know about you guys, but my dealer just sent out an email about the intake valves. They are having a May special $195 for their Fuel Injection and Intake Induction Cleaning. This includes your intake valves being cleaned and scrubbed. Their normal pricing is $250. Sounds like a deal to me. The email included before and after pictures of the intake valves. Here's the tidbit from the email....

With the cost of fuel rising, we would also suggest our Fuel Injection and Induction Cleaning Service. BMW has developed this service due to the formation of harmful fuel injector, intake valve and engine combustion chamber deposits that can result from the use of lower quality gasoline. The Rocky Mountain Region is known for substandard fuel quality and is the root cause of many drivability complaints we see on a regular basis.

This service can:
• Improve fuel economy by removing carbon build up
• Restore lost power in higher mileage engines
• Clean restricted fuel injectors & improve spray pattern
• Improve cold start and idle characteristics

Engine intake valves:
Before

After
Special pricing
for May is just $195.00 (regularly $250.00)
*All prices plus sales tax / Not valid with any other offer.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

I like how they blame lower quality gasoline when gas doesnt even touch the intake valves and has no direct correlation on direct injection.

What they meant to say was the flaw in direct injection...

[NM_BMW]

Originally Posted by Jeff@topgearsolutions

I like how they blame lower quality gasoline when gas doesnt even touch the intake valves and has no direct correlation on direct injection.

What they meant to say was the flaw in direct injection...

lol the people that go to my dealer probably don't even know or care. To date I have been told I'm the youngest person to purchase a BMW from this dealer and I'm 28. It was hard enough for me to get a 6MT. Everything ordered is AT.

[gboop]

Originally Posted by Humtek

I don't know about you guys, but my dealer just sent out an email about the intake valves. They are having a May special $195 for their Fuel Injection and Intake Induction Cleaning. This includes your intake valves being cleaned and scrubbed. Their normal pricing is $250. Sounds like a deal to me. The email included before and after pictures of the intake valves. Here's the tidbit from the email....

With the cost of fuel rising, we would also suggest our Fuel Injection and Induction Cleaning Service. BMW has developed this service due to the formation of harmful fuel injector, intake valve and engine combustion chamber deposits that can result from the use of lower quality gasoline. The Rocky Mountain Region is known for substandard fuel quality and is the root cause of many drivability complaints we see on a regular basis.

This service can:
• Improve fuel economy by removing carbon build up
• Restore lost power in higher mileage engines
• Clean restricted fuel injectors & improve spray pattern
• Improve cold start and idle characteristics

Engine intake valves:
Before

After
Special pricing
for May is just $195.00 (regularly $250.00)
*All prices plus sales tax / Not valid with any other offer.

That is very good if it is indeed what you say it is.
Make sure it's not something like this: http://www.bmwtoronto.ca/special-off...injector-flush as there is no actual scrubbing involved