meazz1

My mechanic suggested, given the mileage of the car, I should do a top end engine cleaning to get rid of the carbon build up.
Has anyone done this and is it ok to do? Is this something I can do it myself?
I have a 2013 C250.

chabbs93

I am assuming buildup in the intake? Pretty common for direct injection engines to have buildup and need a walnut blast. Have not done it but had a mechanic mention it is a common problem. I let them clean it years ago by a different method. Many direct injection setups have no way to self clean since the injectors are not behind intake valves. Would love to hear of anyone’s else’s experience. I have poor idle and that is possibly a culprit.

cold bud3

CarbonTek works, look for a HHO carbon cleaning solution near you. It costs between 125 to 200 per hour. Should do it every 6 mo imho if you're over 100k miles

Moto_Guzzi

This sounds like failed engineering at its best.

cold bud3

You sound like a uninformed vehicle enthusiast at it's best.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Are you having problems or performance issues? This sounds like an expensive treatment. Check YouTube for videos on how this is done. Personally, I would avoid it unless there is a clear indication of a problem.

The carbon buildup is from oil vapor in the crankcase being fed through the intake due to emissions control. The oil gets deposited on the intake valves and the heat causes carbon buildup from the burnt oil. If you drive mostly short trips and do NOT use a high quality motor oil as recommended by Mercedes, you increase the probability of developing carbon buildup.

Older engine designs (non direct injection) spray the fuel in the intake, which washes the valves of any oil deposits, and therefore don’t suffer carbon buildup in the same way. Direct injection engines spray directly into the cylinder, so fuel does not flow over the intake valves.