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Carbon cleaning @ 117k miles (yikes!)

LightningRhod

LightningRhod

Go Kart Champion
I've been chasing down an intermittent CEL for the last 2-3 months. Codes were as follows:

Codes:
P300 - Random misfire
P301 - Cylinder 1 misfire
P302 - Cylinder 2 misfire


Characteristics:
Car would idle rough at cold start up. The misfires were audible through the exhaust rumble (audible 'skips' in the rumble). Car drove normally once warmed up. No misfires detected during normal driving or even at WOT. Power delivery was normal.

However during really cold mornings (maybe sub-30 degree morning), car would throw the EPC light along with the CEL, and there was definitely loss in power. All I did to get it to run normally was clear the codes, restart the car, and drive off.

Changed out spark plugs and coil packs (another set of R8 packs) and no change in behavior. So I decided to do a carbon cleaning before checking on the fuel injectors (needed this service anyway at this point).

Here are some photos the technicians at 034 Motorsport took during the cleaning:

Valves before:


IMG_5878 by ichibankakkoii, on Flickr


Valves after:


IMG_5880 by ichibankakkoii, on Flickr

Carbon build up on port dividers:


IMG_5876 by ichibankakkoii, on Flickr


IMG_5877 by ichibankakkoii, on Flickr


After the cleaning was done, the rough idle present during cold starts was completely gone. It has been about 3 days and the CEL has not come back. Car drives real smooth now and actually feels like a I have a little more power back (apparent at Laguna Seca over the weekend).

Just thought I'd share because I don't think anyone on this forum was crazy enough to wait this long to do a carbon cleaning :).

You can take a look at the full history of my vehicle in my build/journal thread (link in my sig).
 
maxtdi

maxtdi

Go Kart Champion
How much was the cleaning?
 
0

09GTIJOE

Go Kart Champion
I take it you were not running a catch can?

how many hours did it take them?
 
LightningRhod

LightningRhod

Go Kart Champion
maxtdi said:
How much was the cleaning?
Click to expand...

Expensive. Just a little under 8 bills (included new intake gasket and repair of one of the clips that holds the fuel injectors). Worth it though if I'm gonna keep the car for the long haul.

09GTIJoE said:
I take it you were not running a catch can?

how many hours did it take them?
Click to expand...

No, not running a catch can. Catch cans have been shown not to help with carbon build up. It essentially took them all day. Dropped it off in the morning and picked it up the next day.
 
0

09GTIJOE

Go Kart Champion
do you own one to say they don't work? ask anyone who has one, there not used to just blow air in a circle.
 
LightningRhod

LightningRhod

Go Kart Champion
09GTIJoE said:
do you own one to say they don't work? ask anyone who has one, there not used to just blow air in a circle.
Click to expand...

Since I've never owned one, no I cannot say first hand that they don't work. However, I've been on this forum long enough to see guys with a catch can still have carbon build up, which is why I decided not to invest in one.

If memory serves me right, the catch can was useful for the older FSI engines. I don't think the same applies to the TSI in the MKVI (EA888).
 
Zillon

Zillon

Go Kart Champion
At 117k, that doesn't seem bad, actually.

Those port dividers doe, dang.

FWIW, catch cans won't do shit except fill up, then backflow into your PCV - and freeze in the winter. More trouble than they're worth.
 
0

09GTIJOE

Go Kart Champion
the comment was for fredf, just the way I see them work for me they have worked in a positive direction. before I installed a catch can I would find oily residue in my boost pipes. afterwards I have not seen anything.
 
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