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Tag Archives: carbon removal

Carbon Cleaner
Carbon Cleaners, Fuel Addtives, Fuel System Cleaning

Fuel & Carbon Cleaners – What Happens to the Carbon?

March 10, 2015 Oilem 2 Comments

Frequently we are asked about fuel-based carbon cleaners. Specifically, what happens to carbon deposits that are removed through the use of fuel cleaners and can these cleaners damage an engine?

Let’s begin by discussing the first part of that question.

Within the fuel system you’ll seldom find carbon itself. You are more likely to discover sludge, gum, varnish, debris, and similar deposits. The larger deposits are captured by the fuel filter. These and other deposits that have found their way through the fuel system are normally dissolved and dispersed in a controlled and manageable way using dispersal-based detergents. That’s why it is important to use additives at the recommended dosage so that deposit removal is completed in a controlled manner. High-strength fuel system cleaners that carry out this process normally contain a lubricant to ensure the entire system is lubricated during the cleaning procedure. This too minimizes the risk of any issues.

Most actual carbon formation occurs in the combustion chamber and post combustion areas. This includes the hot side of the turbo, intake, inlet valves, EGR, catalytic convertor, DPF, and the remainder of the exhaust tract. The reason why carbon remains is because there is insufficient heat to burn it off. Chemically, a liquid hydrocarbon fuel – such as gasoline or diesel – is very similar to the solidified fuel (carbon) that it creates. The difference is that to ignite and burn solid carbons a higher temperature must be reached because the flash point has changed.

High-quality fuel detergents, combined with fuel catalyst technology, reduce the threshold temperature at which the carbons can burn and therefore enable natural engine processes and inherent heat to gradually “burn off” the deposits. This is certainly the case for combustion chamber deposits.

Sometimes there also is a degree of active cleaning from any cleaning chemistry that is able to survive the combustion process and thus is still active post combustion. However, most carbon is removed by reducing the temperature at which it can burn as described above.

It is important to note that there also is a natural cleaning mechanism. When the combustion process is of sufficient quality – normally through an efficient fuel system (no injector deposits), sufficient fuel quality (more often than not, only achieved with fuel conditioners), and an engine that is up to full operating temperature – engines are designed to self-manage carbon build-up. The clean(ish) gases will naturally remove carbons with the aim of maintaining a respectable level.

The issue arises when this equilibrium is broken and more carbons are deposited than can be naturally removed. This could be due to a flawed engine design, poor fuel quality, fuel system deposits, driving style, failure to let the engine get up to the proper temperature, etc., or a combination of these.

This is why catalyst technology is so important in carbon cleaning and for keeping a system clean. When a catalyst is added to the fuel, it improves the quality of combustion to such a degree that it reduces the amount of hydrocarbons that are created, particularly when the engine is cold. These cleaner gases then get to work together, with the active work the catalyst is doing, to reduce the temperature at which these deposits can burn and be removed.

Essentially, a high-end fuel cleaner and carbon remover provides an environment where the quality of the combustion is much better and the exhaust gasses are much cleaner. The cleaner exhaust gasses will naturally scavenge and remove carbons from the combustion and the post combustion areas. The caveat is that this process requires heat. The catalyst will reduce the temperature at which the carbons can be removed and burned off, but it also needs heat.

This is why it is incredibly difficult for such chemistries to clean the EGR system. The problem is that an EGR and intake are designed to cool recirculating exhaust gasses. By doing so, they reduce the efficacy of any post combustion cleaner or chemistry. Unfortunately this also applies to the rear of the intake valves of direct poor injection engines. Those two areas are very difficult to clean because the gasses going through are cooled.

Also it is difficult to remove existing deposits in these areas. However, by using a high-quality conditioner with the fuel catalyst in both diesel and petrol applications, you’ll at least give the engine and emission control components a much easier life. This is because the engine and emissions systems will have fewer carbons to manage. This results in fewer deposits and hopefully removes the need to use high-strength cleaners or invasive measures to remove carbons manually.

What about the safety of cleaners and the risk of fuel system or engine damage?

Providing products are used as per the instructions, the risk of any damage is incredibly low. In fact, the few rare cases of alleged damage we have seen weren’t actually caused by the product. The product just revealed or exacerbated an underlying mechanical issue with the fuel system. This is incredibly rare.

Furthermore, manufactures err on the side of caution, so even if a product is used aggressively or improperly, it is still likely to be safe to use up until a certain point. For example, one of our main fuel conditioners is EPA tested. As part of the procedure the product is tested at ten times the recommended dose to ensure no possible harm to the fuel system or engine.

To summarise, fuel system deposits are generally dissolved, dispersed, and combusted naturally. Carbon is generally combusted through the use of heat and an added fuel catalyst and/or fuel borne catalyst. They are proven safe processes when used correctly and responsibly.

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Turbo Cleaning and Cleaners
Carbon Cleaners, Turbo Cleaning & Maintenance

Turbo Cleaning and Turbo Cleaners

August 21, 2013 Oilem 82 Comments

Not a week passes where we are not asked by a consumer or repair garage to recommend a solution for clogged turbo chargers, particularly variable vane equipped units on diesel engines.

While turbo chargers offer enhanced performance for both petrol and diesel vehicles, they’re not without their problems. One of those is maintenance and cleaning – carbon can build up over time and use, threatening the operation of the turbo, as well as other post-combustion components in the engine.

Understanding the Situation:

Let’s address why turbo chargers clog up or accumulate deposits. A turbo is essentially driven by exhaust gases. These gases are the result of the combustion process and contain particulates, hydrocarbons and even oil that have entered the system. What happens is that these particulates build up on the hot side of the turbo. The carbon can also build up on the waste gate, which creates problems for the turbo actuator in controlling boost. The waste gate can then stick, which means the solenoid that controls the actuator is affected because it’s trying to draw more current than it’s designed for. The ECU picks up this condition and throws a warning light, putting the vehicle in limp mode.

With diesel engines, the most common issue is the accumulation of carbon on the variable vanes mechanism resulting in sticking or complete seizure. This creates either an under-boost or over-boost condition usually resulting in an engine warning light and tripping the limp home mode, restricting the vehicle to low power and 2.5k to 3k RPM.

Why do turbo chargers accumulate deposits in the first place?

1. Accumulated deposits in the fuel system and combustion area will result in a lower quality of combustion resulting in additional hydrocarbons that will deposit in the post combustion areas such as the turbo charger.

2. Driving styles and type of journeys. Stop start driving and/or short trips will take its toll as the engine is unable to reach sufficient temperature to optimise the quality of combustion and/or help burn off existing carbon deposits. More hydrocarbons are produced whilst the engine is in its warm up cycle.

3. Oil – this is the missing link. Many believe that post combustion carbonaceous deposits are the result of uncombusted fuel only. This is not true. On diesel vehicles especially, the carbon is a mix of fuel AND oil. Oil bypassing the piston rings will end up in the combustion chamber, will not be fully combusted and will end up being deposited in the post combustion areas such as the turbo, DPF, EGR etc. Oil recirculating from the crankcase breather system can also deposit within the intake system.

From the above you can see that there are a number of contributory factors.

Turbo Carbon Removal:

If you are unfortunate enough to have a turbo diagnosed with excessive carbon build-up then there are a number of options available to you. Firstly, politely decline any suggestion that the turbo must be replaced unless the unit is proven to be faulty, damaged or excessively worn. Excessive carbon does not fall into any of these categories.

It is equally important to address the cause as well as any remedial work or treatments. It’s pointless tackling the carbon on the turbo directly without ensuring the fuel system is running efficiently, because the chances are high that the turbo will just accumulate more carbon immediately after cleaning if the fuel system isn’t clean and operating properly. I hear time and time again of garages replacing turbos only for the same problem to reoccur shortly after with the newly replaced unit. This may be profitable for the garage but not very cost effective or convenient for the customer.

Therefore, when looking to resolve this issue, the first thing you need to do is make sure the fuel system is clean and operating correctly.  There are a variety of products on the market that will achieve this.

In tank fuel cleaners:

Forget the cheap cleaners as these rely on the principle of natural cleaning through carbon scavenging. If you want to learn a bit more about that, read our article “EGR cleaning and EGR Cleaners”. What these products do is clean the fuel system and improve the quality of the combustion process, which result in cleaner exhaust gases. These cleaner exhaust gases, combined with heat, can naturally scavenge and clean the carbon from all post-combustion areas, including the turbo. This is somewhat effective but you achieve the same results from a high quality fuel system cleaner.

If a fuel system cleaner doesn’t fully resolve the problem then you could try a dedicated turbo cleaner.  Again, there are many products available but most share a common flaw – they are post combustion fuel catalysts that only address post combustion carbon leaving the fuel system alone.

The best solution is a chemistry that combines modern high-strength detergents to ensure the fuel system is clean AND fuel borne catalyst technology to remove and burn off post combustion carbons.

For this we recommend the Archoil AR6400-D MAX as it uses various detergents and fuel borne catalyst technology that survives the combustion process and is still active post combustion to provide the best chance of removing deposits.   If AR6400-D doesn’t work then no other fuel based turbo cleaner will make a difference.

This type of approach works 8/10 times, which is the highest success rate we have seen by far. Also remember that heat is your friend and occasionally dropping a gear or two to increase temperatures will assist the cleaning process.

If unsuccessful, then the only other option (other than cleaning the turbo in situ or removing it) is to try an aerosol based cleaner than is sprayed into the air intake.  The good ones contain a blend of chemicals, some of which survive the combustion process and reach the turbo.  They are best used when the engine is cold as more product will reach the turbo.

Only those turbos that are severely seized with a combination of solidified fuel and oil-based carbonaceous deposits may not respond to these treatments. If unsuccessful then the only solution is the remove the turbo for manual cleaning.

Remove turbo for cleaning:

As a last resort the turbo will need to be removed and professionally cleaned using the correct detergents.

Prevention and Maintenance:

Carrying out the below will provide the best possible chance of preventing deposit build-up and potential malfunction of the turbo charger.

1. Keep the fuel system and combustion area running efficiently by using a high quality fuel system cleaner and carbon remover such as Archoil AR6400-D and follow up regularly with Oilem Hybrogen Road or AR6900-D MAX. This will improve the quality of combustion and reduce the amount of recirculating hydrocarbons, even when the engine is cold!

2. Use the best quality oil possible or at the very least fortify it with an additive such as Archoil AR9100, AR9200 or AR9400. Not only will this protect the turbo against wear but it will keep the crankcase clean, maintain engine compression (this reduces oil bypassing the piston rings) and help prevent adhesion within the intake system, turbo and EGR even if it does bypass the rings or crankcase breather system.

3. If you suspect a reduction of cylinder compression then use a professional engine flush or advanced cleaner such as Archoil AR2300, followed by an oil change. It is often postulated that compression loss is the result of engine (piston/rings/cylinder) wear. This is not always the case. Most compression loss conditions are actually the result of deposit build-up on the piston rings and/or skirts. The build-up then forces the rings from the bore and thus reduces engine compression. A professional flush will resolve this quickly and effectively. A high quality oil and/or additive pack such as AR9100, AR9200 or AR9400 will then prevent any future deposit build-up or compression loss.

4. Occasionally drop down a gear or two to increase the revs and thus increase the temperature. Heat is your best friend when it comes to removing carbon. This is also important when using any fuel additives as it will enhance the efficacy of the cleaning chemistry.

Many oils, particularly expensive fully synthetic oils that have low SAP or low ash content designed for DPF-equipped vehicles, do not have sufficient quality or enough additive strength to keep the turbo well lubricated for the extended oil drain cycles that we now see. Some are supposedly designed to last up to and beyond 20,000 miles. However, from our experience and oil analysis, we are finding that these oils begin to struggle long before that mileage is reached.

I would recommend researching your engine and vehicle to understand the susceptibility of the turbo charger to failure or deposit accumulation. If there are documented cases of either of these, we advise that you use the appropriate lubricants and additives to ensure your vehicle does not encounter the same problems. If you need any further advice on this matter then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Summary of Product Links:

High strength Fuel System, Turbo Cleaner & Carbon Remover
AR6400-D MAX

Pro Fuel Conditioner to Keep System Clean & Lower Hydrocarbon Build-up
Hybrogen or AR6900-D MAX

Oil Additive to reduce oil-based carbon build-up
AR9100

Please note that we no longer support the use of the Bardahl Turbo Cleaner

carbon removalfuel additiveturbo cleanerturbo cleanersturbo cleaningvariable vane carbon

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