Intake Manifold Ports & Valve Cleaning
Carbon build-up in the inlet manifold is a common issue on engines which can result in poor performance, reduced torque, misfires, and more. At TC Garage we have the tools and expertise to restore power and performance on Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Škoda, and Volkswagen Commercial vehicles with our intake cleaning service.
What Causes Carbon Deposit Build-Up?
To reduce exhaust emissions all modern engines are fitted with an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system, either in the form of a valve as on most diesel engines, or by a clever valve overlap system as more commonly seen in petrol engines.
Whichever system is installed, the purpose of EGR is the exhaust gas emitted by the engine is reburned for a second time which significantly targets and lowers certain gases from the vehicle’s emissions which is great for the environment, however not so good for the engines. Over time the recirculation of the exhaust gas causes an increase in carbon deposits in the inlet manifold, ports, and valves.
When do the Inlet Ports and Valves need cleaning?
All this carbon build-up causes obstruction or imbalance of air flow into the engine which will significantly reduce overall power, mid-range, torque, and drivability. Some engine configurations are far worse than others for this complaint, the worst effected in the Volkswagen Audi Group range are the TFSI and TSI petrol engines.
It's recommended to have your engine intake manifold, ports, and valves cleaned every 30,000 - 40,000 miles if you have an EGR system, however this will depend on the type of fuel used and your driving style.
Common Symptoms
- Poor driveability.
- Increased fuel consumption.
- Engine management lamp or fault codes.
- Engine misfires or erratic idle.
- Increased exhaust smoke (diesel models).
- Blocked or inefficient DPF or SCR system (diesel models).
- Poor performance and reduced mid-range torque.
Intake Manifold Cleaning Process at TC Garage
The process of cleaning off these baked on carbon deposits is labelled in many different ways; port cleaning, media blasting, walnut blasting, soda blasting, which all basically mean the same thing, to blast mild-abrasive particles to decarbonise the inlet components.
The system we have settled on using as being the most effective and safe is a soda blast port clean where we remove the inlet manifold and then blast the surface, ports, and valves to remove the carbon with microflex valve cleaning granulate. We then refit the inlet manifold with a new gasket to ensure a tight seal.
We have used this system for many years now with great success, restoring lost power, fuel economy, mid-range torque, and drivability, as well as reducing exhaust emissions for many of our customers.
