Honda direct injection engine carbon buildup?

Typically you would regularly spray cleaner in your intake. Seafoam is popular, but ones with Techron are supposed to work better.

corcoran_chris wrote: ↑ Hello, I assume like most direct injection engines Honda will face the same issues of carbon buildup on valves due to fuel not acting like a solvent and washing carbon like traditional engines.

Is there a way to mitigate this at all ? I rather service this regularly to maintain fuel efficiency and hefty maintenance down the line.

Yes.

Buy a Toyota.

A friend of mine with a GDI Hyundai uses CRC Intake Valve Cleaner every so often as preventative maintenance.

Only fill up with a Tier 1 gas.

But let me ask you this one question:
Where are all these posts from Honda owners complaining about horrible carbon build up on their DI engines?

corcoran_chris wrote: ↑ Hello, I assume like most direct injection engines Honda will face the same issues of carbon buildup on valves due to fuel not acting like a solvent and washing carbon like traditional engines.

Is there a way to mitigate this at all ? I rather service this regularly to maintain fuel efficiency and hefty maintenance down the line.

This is the least of your worries. Read up about Honda engines and oil dilution.

Alot of manufacturers have figured out ways to route the blow by not back into the intake (a more advanced oil catch can). Not sure about Honda but Mercedes has done this. You can install an oil catch can which catches the blow by but you have to remember to check on it and empty the reservoir.

Edit: Also there's no point in asking good questions on RFD, too many people like the above posters that don't know the answer and instead take the discussion elsewhere. Find a Honda forum and ask there as well.

corcoran_chris wrote: ↑ Is there a way to mitigate this at all ? I rather service this regularly to maintain fuel efficiency and hefty maintenance down the line.

Lease, don't buy.

All you can do is mitigate the issue.
Walnut blasting is the only sure way to get rid of the deposits.

woof wrote: ↑ Only fill up with a Tier 1 gas.

But let me ask you this one question:
Where are all these posts from Honda owners complaining about horrible carbon build up on their DI engines?

Good point, Honda has been using DI for a few years now. A quick Google search and (unlike Audi) I was unable to find any evidence of carbon buildup issues.

VTEC kicks the carbon off the valves. Exercise it regularly and you'll have no problems.

can of seafoam in the gas tank when it's half full. Buy either seafoam spray or any generic throttle body cleaner, take off the air intake and spray into the throttle body towards the valve. Activate the valve to get behind it as well. put down some papertowel or some cloths to catch any cleaner that comes out of the throttle body. After reattaching everything idle for a bit and go for a good drive (give it some gas to get any left-over carbon to come off the throttle body)

Just wait for it to get bad and then get carbon cleaning.

All the other stuff is just snake oil and on a long enough timeline you will need carbon cleaning anyways.

Some brands/engines have it worse (ie VW's). It's not like it's hugely expensive or you have to get it cleaned often so don't worry about it and drive the car as you normally do.

MoxGoat wrote: ↑ can of seafoam in the gas tank when it's half full. Buy either seafoam spray or any generic throttle body cleaner, take off the air intake and spray into the throttle body towards the valve. Activate the valve to get behind it as well. put down some papertowel or some cloths to catch any cleaner that comes out of the throttle body. After reattaching everything idle for a bit and go for a good drive (give it some gas to get any left-over carbon to come off the throttle body)

No, because it won't run down the backside of the valves.
You need to spray directly into the intake manifold.

booblehead wrote: ↑ https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/0380162.html

on sale this week at Crappy Tire

Waste of money to put that in your tank as it won't clean your intake side.

OP, CRC cleaner seems to be pretty popular for intake cleaning. Ideally you should be spraying it at every extended oil change. Letting it soak in should also help if it's bad. A cheap $10 boroscope can help you see how bad it is.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/crc- ... 8077p.html

Honda states that additives (like Seafoam) are nor required although their dealers may push them because the profit margins are so good and customers so gullible.

Direct Injection Engines Problems and Solutions

This is what I am planning on doing.

1. Use top tier fuel. I try to stay away from ethanol but kind of hard when you don't out premium fuel into the car. I believe Petro, Esso, and Shell are the places I will be buying gas from.

2. API SN and SN plus. Manual calls for SN however I think I will shoot for oils that have the SN plus rating only.

I also am considering using pure class 4 synthetic oil. I used to run Amsoil in my S2000. Was not cheap, I'll have to do more research as to my other alternatives.

3. Make sure intake filter is cleaned on changed on a regular basis.

4. Premature replacement of spark plugs. Don't need any excuse to have incomplete combustion.

jackrabbit000 wrote: ↑ This is the least of your worries. Read up about Honda engines and oil dilution.

Read up about the recalls that were done.

Now that said, I had the recall done on mine and am happy that warranty was extended for the parts affected as this shouldn't have been an issue to this magnitude in the first place.