Mercedes master tech here, We had the BG reps at our dealership a few month ago. your suppose to spray the GDI cleaner post throttle body. they make rubber adapter cones to plug into the vent line on the intake manifold. Also another useful tip that everyone seems to overlook is that if you download the BG app on your phone, it has videos for every make and model and how to set up the equipment.
Thank you for your time in making the video. I have used both and walnut blasting and is by far the best result. The Bg stuff is not meant to take big chunks off of the valves as the engine could be damaged. The Bg stuff is meant to take of layers at a time to avoid causing damage to the engine. I’m a tech by trade and not a Bg sales person.
Do u recommend using it as a preventative maintenance measure ? Like once a year ? I got 2 brand new vehicles so no carbon build up to start . I got a clean slate to work with
Why not try a light spray of kroil and a bit of soak time for it to cut through the carbon before using the BG stuff? I have used Kroil to uncoke the EGR on gasoline engines successfully. Not as well as when I have used a torch, but, I couldn't always use a torch.
This stuff does work. I've tested it on a direct injected WRX and it definitely removed a significant amount of carbon after a few days of driving. The 44k also does a wonderful job with injectors. If your valves are really bad, then of course a mechanical cleaning will need to be done, but in a moderate scenario, it does work. It's also a great preventative. I've been using this stuff for about 4 years now regularly, and have fixed several GM LT engine low load misfires with it
This is an EXCELLENT video. It is precisely the before- and after- view that is missing. In particular, you're the ONLY ONE who gives us a view in to the intake 400 miles after treatment with a chemical. Thank you! Personally I've settled on the following routine for my 2024 Subaru Outback with Subaru's 2.4L Turbor DI engine: change engine oil every 3500 miles. Intake clean with PEA every 7000 miles. Add fuel system cleaner with every oil change. And at 100k, or when I notice symptoms, I will disassemble and walnut blast, and replace the PCV and CCV tubes with new. I may have to replace the intake manifold too, as this will be coated internally, and they're plastic on SOobies. So much for DI engines giving us a cleaner environment!
Describing and showing the process as well as before / after results, excellent work! It's rare to find someone who is willing to share AND is also detailed and thorough. Very well done and thank you!
Very comprehensive video conclusively showing that chemicals should be used to delay the eventual need for walnut husk blasting at a higher interval. Thanks for the diligence to film the entire process. Yours is the only video I have seen to do so and to clearly film the results.
This has got to be the best most thorough video on this subject I've ever seen. I like that cleaning with BG cleaner done by the book was compaired to walnut blasting and that actual video proof was used for both cleaning methods, a real honest review not like others that make claims without proof other than what they feel (spray cleaners) improve and or clean the valves. Well done video I'm going to post this video on other TH-cam sites that make bold claims (w/o proof) how good of a job a spray cleaner does.
TBH, the build up isn't that bad for 100k and GDI. The walnuts did an amazing job, but that's what media (of whatever) blasting does. Thumbs up and thank you for showing the details of each part!
I used CRC Intake valve cleaner and it cleaned everything and it looked brand new. The directions were different from yours...it said to clean AFTER the Throttle Body. I sprayed a couple of bursts every few seconds...took a while, but I was impressed with how clean it was afterwards.
Thanks for an honest evaluation. If you look at the SDS, these products contain 70-80% petroleum oil. That's why you saw the oil residue on the valves, and smoke from the exhaust, it wasnt doing anything. I have used AC Delco Top End Cleaner, made by Lubrizol, top supplier of additives to many oil companies. This stuff contains less than 5% carrier oil, and a dozen industrial solvents. Works much better than those oil based cleaners.
Just had the BG Diesel Induction Service demonstrated to me on a 3.2L BT50 with 140,000km on the clock. Results were similar and not as I expected but the chemist from BG explained that due to this vehicle not having the clean done every 2nd service (30,000kms) from new the results were sort of expected and also explained WHY.. the WHY is because the product is designed to remove the carbon/soot in a slow fashion, basically layers removed one at a time to avoid large amounts of rubbish passing through the combustion cylinder at any one time. Imagine if it was all removed in one process! (90mins give or take) If you have ever removed a diesel intake and cleaned it out by hand you will know how much carbon/soot they can contain. Its LOTS.... like 1 or 2 cans full or more. This made sense to me. Yes you could see the product had penetrated the carbon/soot after the one tin but not moved much of it from the EGR valve (where we could visually see). I was also told a 2nd can should have been used. A "double dose" for first time cleans is recommended where its not been periodic from the start. I'm keen to try it again with this in mind and knowing that the risk to the engine is as low and safe as possible.
Didn't do anything, so you think they deserve double the money? Why don't they sell a starter kit with a double dose if that's needed? Or at least state on the can that it's designed for low mileage engines?
I had similar levels of baked on carbon on my N54 335i. I had to do a seafoam and berryman soak and use a brush and plastic pick tool to remove most of the carbon. I now use aerosol valve cleaners as maintenance to keep the intake valves clean. I don't bother with the intermittent revving, I just jam the throttle with a bar at 3k rpm and it does the job
@@rocketmagnet427 yes installed a 2nd low side catch can as well which should make a significant difference. It's certainly helped with my smokey exhaust resulting from a previous owner removing the 2ndary cats
Great video and thank you for doing this to show how the cleaners/system works (well does not work) and also how Walnut blasting does work and how. Only sure fire way to keep the build up of carbon on the intake valves on a GDI engine caused by ingestion damaging combustion by-products via the intake air charge from factory PCV system is install a complete air/oil separating crankcase evacuation system that provides full time vacuum on the crankcase and has baffling to separate the fluids and air (unlike most catch cans that just suck the vapors/fluids right through) Also using a cleanside separator will address ingestion upstream of the throttle body. I use one every engine I own as I did all recommended things, Top of line approved oils, 4-5k oil changes, no short trips, top tier fuel and not babying the engine as well as avoid long idle periods and disabling stop/start and at 80k carbon build up in intake valves are not like some I've seen and cleaned but not acceptable by any means. Walnut blasting is only way to get baked on carbon off (great visual btw), and cleaners that are ingested before the valves to clean them, if carbon actually comes off in an amount big enough to make a difference it will score/damage anything from cylinder walls, rings, turbo exhaust wheel and enough will clog a catalytic convertor.
Kudos to the owner of that very clean (except for those valves...) 100K Buick! The LaCrosse was Buick's last premium sedan before they shifted their focus almost exclusively to SUVs. It's nice to see one in such great shape.
I personally hated driving that thing. It's the only vehicle I have ever driven where my toes press up against the brake pedal itself as the brake pedal pad barely sticks up off of the brake pedal due to there being very limited room near the firewall for the brake pedal. Also, the A/C vents are designed horribly causing poor airflow and you can't really adjust them very far at all. I am VERY picky about having the dash vents flow air exactly where I want which couldn't be achieved in this car. It would drive me insane 😭. It's obvious the engineers prioritized form over function on the interior.
Like most things, I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My guess is if you did this process at 25-30,000 miles from new, that engine would look a LOT different.
An injector can be added to the intake manifold, and weekly, a small amount of cleaner or gasoline can be sprayed through it into the engine to keep valves clean. Much like DEf fluids except it is at the intake and more of it.
Nate’s Interactive Auto, although not a great source of information, he pretty well proved the best carbon cleaner is distilled water through a misting fan; it’s very cheap, gentle, and effective. You should put a fuel system or better yet a catalytic converter cleaner in the tank while carbon cleaning your engine in case any hunks get through to the catalyst, they’re less likely to burn a hole through. The 44k is naphtha, stoddard solvent, and naphthalene which does help clean everything like catalytic converter cleaners do.
I walnut shell blasted my wife’s 2.0L turbo Santa Fe intake valves. She said it was fun to drive her car again after those valves were cleaned perfectly.
I've watched every before and after video on almost every gdi cleaning product and I can tell you first hand that the only way you will get the valves clean is to clean them by hand with various picks, brushes, and cleaners or to walnut blast it. Those are the only ways, no magical formula will clean them otherwise. It sucks but that's how it is.
Any new news on cleaning the intake valves on 2.3 liter Ford ecoboost Mustang engines? There's a lot of information now (in DEC 2024) that using spray cleaners into the intake can damage or destroy the turbo.
In hindsight it's probably best it doesn't really work all that well. If it did, people would be running it in their 200K mile clunkers and clogging up the catalytic converters or causing internal engine wear/damage. I forgot to mention in the video but I definitely wouldn't recommend any cleaning process other than walnut blasting if the intake valves have any more carbon than this Buick had due to the reason just stated. Leave the chemicals for the routine maintainence.
I am in Australia. Our 2013 Hyundai Premium 1.6 liter turbo diesel has just been sold to it's new owner with 126,000 miles on the clock. Always used Caltex Vortex Premium diesel fuel and full synthetic oil plus OEM filter changed every 5,000 miles. Presale check was carried out by my mechanic including removal of inlet manifold and inspection of inlet valves. The colour is a light grey soot with zero sign of any carbon buildup. It has been a fantastic little car with huge low down torque and highway fuel consumption around 60mpg and 40mpg in urban stop start. Cheers.@@TechnicianRed
By rotating the engine until you see the intake valve open and then close again. Once the intake valve is closed rotate a little farther and you will be in mid-compression stroke where both valves will be 100% closed. The next valve that opens is the exhaust valve but the crankshaft has to rotate almost 1 full turn after the intake valves close before that happens so you have PLENTY of leeway to work with.
Can you follow up with the proper tool and adapters then post results? The BG platinum tool does a much better job of atomizing and distributing the chemistry, so would be interested to see the results. I think those furnace nozzle services do a great job of addressing throttle body or iac deposits but not so much for intake valve deposits in a GDI engine.
Did you experience any issues after cleaning with the liquid spray? Such as catalytic converter issues or anything? I have heard that particles of carbon and debris break off and sit in the converter and destroy it over time. Not good!
About 20% of the build up of a Direct Inj diesel thats only done 65000miles . . My experience is its a great product to use prior to manifold removal . Those cleaners only soften the sludge .
The only thing I found that really clean is water/methanol injection. It sprays under load ,the cool water/meth mist hits the hot valve creating thermal shock, plus steam that really removes all the gunk of intake system and pistons. You can leave it permanently installed on turbo charged cars for extra benefits or use on NA engines as preventative maintenance and reintall it every 30k for ex.
As someone who worked in dealer shop they sell BG and charge a good amount but is not cleaning very well , i rather clean it with walnut blast or pick, brush and cleaner :)
i tought you suppose to soak those valves with the liquid? just spray a foam based cleaner / carb choke spray and fine sanding it should clean those valve
yes...' fine sanding' and all the little loose particles that come off the sandpaper are now on your pistons or piston rings,,, installing nice little scratches on your cly bores
Seafoam: Works amazing almost like the chambers and valves have been soda blasted. The problem? You MUST pull apart the car, to directly spray the intake and exhaust champers. Doesn't work sprayed into the intake or tb.
Was your car hot before you started the process? I saw another video where they said that was imperative with the BG product. But they didn’t actually show the valves either
Really cool. Good video! Do you think the BG product might help loosen the carbon deposit pre walnut blast resulting in a better finish or will walnut blasting do the same cleaning by itself?
If I knew I was going to walnut blast the valves I wouldn't spend the time and money to do the BG treatment. The walnut blaster doesn't really need any help. However that being said I'm sure it does make the walnut cleaning process a little bit faster.
Thanks! I'm doing a valve clean on my 17' 440i soon and I was lucky to find this video before. I'll probably do the walnut blast first and then do the bg thing every 30k interval after that. I did the bg engine flush earlier this year and the car ran smoother afterwards. I was rootin' for bg but, the walnut blast is clearly the winner for gdi valve clean. Enjoyed your video it was really thorough and easy to follow along.
We recommend doing this service every 15,000 miles on our direct injection cars. And having heads off I can say that at 15k BG induction service does a great job keeping everything clean.
Ultimately wouldn't you still run into problems as carbon builds on the valve seat? I can see the benfit of better aerodynamics and also cleaning the valve stem, just seems like you will still end up having to take the head off.
There is zero carbon located on the seat sealing surface. If there were carbon there the engine would lose compression and wouldn't run good at all. It's impossible for carbon to build up there as the valve smashes into that area at high speed which obviously keeps it clear of any carbon build-up. And the miniscule amount of carbon left on the seat next to the sealing surface doesn't hurt anything. I mean of course it does make a difference but would someone pull the heads to get a 1% increase in airflow? If you were racing in a class that had engine build restrictions where every single HP counts sure it would be worth it but it wouldn't even be noticeable or worth it on a street driven vehicle.
Because there was no reason to clean the throttle plate. The customer had just cleaned it less than 100 miles ago. Yes, the plate surface is stained but that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is any dirt build-up on the edge of the blade and internal surface of the throttle body housing. This build-up of dirt is the only thing that would restrict airflow and there is no such build-up on this throttle body.
Usually intake r&r time plus 0.5hr labor per cylinder. Most shops that do this are going to be in the $150-$200/hr range. Also a little extra for the walnut and Intake gaskets if needed.
@@TechnicianRed Thank you very much for the answer you provided. Im going to look for a shop and get it done here, in the LA, California Area. Good day
READ THIS---. Car makers are responding to GDI problems. Some readers here already know that Toyota and Ford have made combo GDI & MPI engines. EVEN KIA/Hyundai are now making a Smartstream combo engines. I have a 2017 KIA Sorento GDI 2.4L that is on its 3rd PISTON SOAK trial to correct oil usage issue (2qts/1k MILES). Started using lots of oil before 50 k miles. I had BG treatment at 30K & 50 K. I have learned beginning then about this GDI problem... Using only TOP TIER gas. I had regular 5k mile OCI since car was new. IN THIS video, we see the car after 100K miles..BUT how many miles were on the car that BG used for their advertisement picture. Maybe it was after only 10-25 K miles.. ALSO. as far as I know the oil usage is related to STUCK oil piston rings. Latest I see that could be due to valve cover oil drain holes plugged up.
@@TechnicianRed maybe, but I trust to my eyes, also I have access to some shops and I see the way regular cars being repaired. That's the reason why I do some repairs myself, or I stand behind the back, or only few guys that I trust...
Ive tried many snake oil treatments, my only success was old fashioned Easy Off Oven cleaner. Its created issues with Cats, to much crap out the exhaust Im thinking.
It's always, the chemical only clean the ports, but not the valves as the carbon been cooked onto the valves. If any of that carbon fell into the cylinder. It may become new abrasive and create different problems.
Great video but there is only 1 mistake. You are supposed to use 2 cans of intake valve and combustion chamber cleaner. After 1st can is used you are supposed to let the engine idle for 15 minutes and then add a 2nd can to complete the service.
@@BillyClements555 absolutely not. There is 2 part kit, like in the video, and a 3 part kit with two cans of PN261, and one can of PN208. The 3 part kit is supposed to be used when the engine has never been cleaned before. And also, he should have been using the Platinum tool, which he is not. He is using the old VIA tool, which is not as effective as the new platinum tool.
Yep if you have access to dry ice, a HUGE air compressor, a VERY GOOD compressed air moisture removal system, and an expensive dry ice machine you would be good to go! I looked into it and I believe it was going to be about 20-30K to buy everything to do it right. Just the air compressor alone is almost 10K on the cheap side.
What these product claims are bogus. It's a waste of money and time for very little to nothing result. Just better off investing into a walnut blaster.
They're all the same with Medicre result. if you want it done right the first time, invest into a walnut blasting machine that will get it done right the first time with 100% effectiveness.
I love BG products however no chemicals added to the fuel tank can work on GDI engines and spraying into the intake won't work either. If it worked it would destroy the turbo anyway with hunks of carbon. Disassembly and mechanically removing the carbon is the only way.
Duh you definitely have to drive it more than 25 miles and as bad as that build up is you’ll have to do it multiple times most likely. Then you maintain that schedule
Try good old H20 😎 180 oz and a little brain power on how to. Sincerely, grandpa and grandma. Silly kids, they can sell ketchup motor cleaner in a bottle, and you would be first in line. 😅
Unfortunatly you are not completing the service. You are supposed to use two bottles on cars that has neven been cleaned before. Therefor you are only doing half the service. You are also using the old VIA tool, and not the new and improved Platinum tool, which is a lot more efficient. New video please!
You sure about that? BG used to have smaller GDI intake cleaning cans that required 2 cans to fill up the VIA tool. Now they sell it in a large bottle and a single bottle will fill up the VIA tool. Our BG rep didn't mention anything about using two of these newer large bottles for one cleaning service.
@@jerrykurl69 Toyota /Lexus and some newer Ford engines. Others offer this in random more premium engines. Toyota does it across the board and has for around a decade
Nobody should want the BG cleaner to work. You do not want all that carbon buildup flushed through the engine all at once. I wouldn't even bother periodically using it later, after the walnut blasting, just wait a lot longer and walnut blast again.
Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately you’ve used the wrong tool to deliver the chemistry. The Platinum Intake Tool is what you should have used, that’s why it requires the Rev-It, the application point should be after the throttle plate, such at MAP or Manifold Temp sensor. When the Rev-It revs the engine it creates draw which then pulls in the Intake Cleaner, rather like a Venturi on a carb, this also means the chemistry is drawn into the cylinders more evenly. Also for first time, or carboned up vehicles the process is 1 treatment, a period to allow chemistry to soak and then repeated. Your comparison against the BG results are therefore not accurate, wrong tool, used wrong and wrong process.
It's obvious you didn't watch the whole video or you didn't pay attention. I checked the valves at TWO different intervals. The first check was at about 25 miles the next check was at 490 miles.
In my gasolene GDI cars I run Avgas 100LL from the local airport. This fuel is simply amazing with a rich mixture octane rating exceeding 130. My new Mazda CX 30 G25 Skyactiv G engine is silky smooth on this fuel. I have friends who run Australia's cheapest and crappiest 91 (10E) and their exact same engines sound like tractors and get terrible fuel economy. Go figure!
It is currently US$8.00 per gallon. Or US$108.00 per tank. Our regular 98RON (zero ethanol) premium is US$5.40 per gallon or US$73.00 per tank.@@TechnicianRed
Mercedes master tech here, We had the BG reps at our dealership a few month ago. your suppose to spray the GDI cleaner post throttle body. they make rubber adapter cones to plug into the vent line on the intake manifold. Also another useful tip that everyone seems to overlook is that if you download the BG app on your phone, it has videos for every make and model and how to set up the equipment.
gave you a like because you are actually doing the tests we all want to see.. Great Video sir.
This is the first very comprehensive cleaning of the valves I have seen on TH-cam. Thanks
Thank you for your time in making the video. I have used both and walnut blasting and is by far the best result. The Bg stuff is not meant to take big chunks off of the valves as the engine could be damaged. The Bg stuff is meant to take of layers at a time to avoid causing damage to the engine. I’m a tech by trade and not a Bg sales person.
Do u recommend using it as a preventative maintenance measure ? Like once a year ? I got 2 brand new vehicles so no carbon build up to start . I got a clean slate to work with
@@ericl8593 Following
Why not try a light spray of kroil and a bit of soak time for it to cut through the carbon before using the BG stuff?
I have used Kroil to uncoke the EGR on gasoline engines successfully. Not as well as when I have used a torch, but, I couldn't always use a torch.
This stuff does work. I've tested it on a direct injected WRX and it definitely removed a significant amount of carbon after a few days of driving. The 44k also does a wonderful job with injectors. If your valves are really bad, then of course a mechanical cleaning will need to be done, but in a moderate scenario, it does work. It's also a great preventative. I've been using this stuff for about 4 years now regularly, and have fixed several GM LT engine low load misfires with it
This is an EXCELLENT video. It is precisely the before- and after- view that is missing. In particular, you're the ONLY ONE who gives us a view in to the intake 400 miles after treatment with a chemical. Thank you! Personally I've settled on the following routine for my 2024 Subaru Outback with Subaru's 2.4L Turbor DI engine: change engine oil every 3500 miles. Intake clean with PEA every 7000 miles. Add fuel system cleaner with every oil change. And at 100k, or when I notice symptoms, I will disassemble and walnut blast, and replace the PCV and CCV tubes with new. I may have to replace the intake manifold too, as this will be coated internally, and they're plastic on SOobies. So much for DI engines giving us a cleaner environment!
Describing and showing the process as well as before / after results, excellent work! It's rare to find someone who is willing to share AND is also detailed and thorough. Very well done and thank you!
And isn't paid, look how good it looks.
Very comprehensive video conclusively showing that chemicals should be used to delay the eventual need for walnut husk blasting at a higher interval. Thanks for the diligence to film the entire process. Yours is the only video I have seen to do so and to clearly film the results.
An amazing video across the board. Very time consuming to make. Thank you for sharing.
This has got to be the best most thorough video on this subject I've ever seen. I like that cleaning with BG cleaner done by the book was compaired to walnut blasting and that actual video proof was used for both cleaning methods, a real honest review not like others that make claims without proof other than what they feel (spray cleaners) improve and or clean the valves. Well done video I'm going to post this video on other TH-cam sites that make bold claims (w/o proof) how good of a job a spray cleaner does.
TBH, the build up isn't that bad for 100k and GDI. The walnuts did an amazing job, but that's what media (of whatever) blasting does. Thumbs up and thank you for showing the details of each part!
Beat GDI valve cleaning video I have witnessed, thank you sir!
Reminder to turn your crank to close valves before walnut blasting
If you need to be told this, you should not be walnut blasting your intake valves yourself.
I used CRC Intake valve cleaner and it cleaned everything and it looked brand new. The directions were different from yours...it said to clean AFTER the Throttle Body. I sprayed a couple of bursts every few seconds...took a while, but I was impressed with how clean it was afterwards.
I used a CRC too, I thought the instructions said AFTER the MAF.
@@FlyByFrancis I think you are right. I remember now, it was after the MAF.
Thanks for an honest evaluation. If you look at the SDS, these products contain 70-80% petroleum oil. That's why you saw the oil residue on the valves, and smoke from the exhaust, it wasnt doing anything. I have used AC Delco Top End Cleaner, made by Lubrizol, top supplier of additives to many oil companies. This stuff contains less than 5% carrier oil, and a dozen industrial solvents. Works much better than those oil based cleaners.
show us the before and after photos..or these are just words
I see the top of the valves are clean from the walnut blasting, but what about the edges where the valves seat?
Just had the BG Diesel Induction Service demonstrated to me on a 3.2L BT50 with 140,000km on the clock. Results were similar and not as I expected but the chemist from BG explained that due to this vehicle not having the clean done every 2nd service (30,000kms) from new the results were sort of expected and also explained WHY.. the WHY is because the product is designed to remove the carbon/soot in a slow fashion, basically layers removed one at a time to avoid large amounts of rubbish passing through the combustion cylinder at any one time. Imagine if it was all removed in one process! (90mins give or take) If you have ever removed a diesel intake and cleaned it out by hand you will know how much carbon/soot they can contain. Its LOTS.... like 1 or 2 cans full or more. This made sense to me.
Yes you could see the product had penetrated the carbon/soot after the one tin but not moved much of it from the EGR valve (where we could visually see).
I was also told a 2nd can should have been used. A "double dose" for first time cleans is recommended where its not been periodic from the start.
I'm keen to try it again with this in mind and knowing that the risk to the engine is as low and safe as possible.
Didn't do anything, so you think they deserve double the money? Why don't they sell a starter kit with a double dose if that's needed? Or at least state on the can that it's designed for low mileage engines?
@@tshackelton Carbon Layers? I smell a kerfuffle!
@@tshackelton Plus that stuff is washing the oil film off the cylinder walls no doubt the whole time it's spraying in.
I had similar levels of baked on carbon on my N54 335i. I had to do a seafoam and berryman soak and use a brush and plastic pick tool to remove most of the carbon.
I now use aerosol valve cleaners as maintenance to keep the intake valves clean. I don't bother with the intermittent revving, I just jam the throttle with a bar at 3k rpm and it does the job
Have you got a catch can fitted. It should stop about 80% of the buildup
@@rocketmagnet427 yes installed a 2nd low side catch can as well which should make a significant difference. It's certainly helped with my smokey exhaust resulting from a previous owner removing the 2ndary cats
Simple and to the point. Great video
Fantastic video‼️‼️ you made i a concise evaluation using both methods, a pleasure to watch. Thank you💯
Great video and thank you for doing this to show how the cleaners/system works (well does not work) and also how Walnut blasting does work and how.
Only sure fire way to keep the build up of carbon on the intake valves on a GDI engine caused by ingestion damaging combustion by-products via the intake air charge from factory PCV system is install a complete air/oil separating crankcase evacuation system that provides full time vacuum on the crankcase and has baffling to separate the fluids and air (unlike most catch cans that just suck the vapors/fluids right through) Also using a cleanside separator will address ingestion upstream of the throttle body. I use one every engine I own as I did all recommended things, Top of line approved oils, 4-5k oil changes, no short trips, top tier fuel and not babying the engine as well as avoid long idle periods and disabling stop/start and at 80k carbon build up in intake valves are not like some I've seen and cleaned but not acceptable by any means.
Walnut blasting is only way to get baked on carbon off (great visual btw), and cleaners that are ingested before the valves to clean them, if carbon actually comes off in an amount big enough to make a difference it will score/damage anything from cylinder walls, rings, turbo exhaust wheel and enough will clog a catalytic convertor.
Finally I can promote your video and show what works and what dont without explaining each day lol
Great work. Thank you for posting this video.
Kudos to the owner of that very clean (except for those valves...) 100K Buick! The LaCrosse was Buick's last premium sedan before they shifted their focus almost exclusively to SUVs. It's nice to see one in such great shape.
I personally hated driving that thing. It's the only vehicle I have ever driven where my toes press up against the brake pedal itself as the brake pedal pad barely sticks up off of the brake pedal due to there being very limited room near the firewall for the brake pedal. Also, the A/C vents are designed horribly causing poor airflow and you can't really adjust them very far at all. I am VERY picky about having the dash vents flow air exactly where I want which couldn't be achieved in this car. It would drive me insane 😭. It's obvious the engineers prioritized form over function on the interior.
Best video I’ve seen on this.
Like most things, I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My guess is if you did this process at 25-30,000 miles from new, that engine would look a LOT different.
Thanks for sharing. Seems to me that preventive maintenance actually saves money... who would have thought?b. 😊
An injector can be added to the intake manifold, and weekly, a small amount of cleaner or gasoline can be sprayed through it into the engine to keep valves clean. Much like DEf fluids except it is at the intake and more of it.
Nate’s Interactive Auto, although not a great source of information, he pretty well proved the best carbon cleaner is distilled water through a misting fan; it’s very cheap, gentle, and effective. You should put a fuel system or better yet a catalytic converter cleaner in the tank while carbon cleaning your engine in case any hunks get through to the catalyst, they’re less likely to burn a hole through. The 44k is naphtha, stoddard solvent, and naphthalene which does help clean everything like catalytic converter cleaners do.
I walnut shell blasted my wife’s 2.0L turbo Santa Fe intake valves. She said it was fun to drive her car again after those valves were cleaned perfectly.
Can you please share with us how much you paid for the service just to get an idea of the service cost.
Where can i buy the Accelarator Actuator in the uk and how much is it.
Nice video, I was wondering about this BG. Thank you
I've watched every before and after video on almost every gdi cleaning product and I can tell you first hand that the only way you will get the valves clean is to clean them by hand with various picks, brushes, and cleaners or to walnut blast it. Those are the only ways, no magical formula will clean them otherwise. It sucks but that's how it is.
Any new news on cleaning the intake valves on 2.3 liter Ford ecoboost Mustang engines?
There's a lot of information now (in DEC 2024) that using spray cleaners into the intake can damage or destroy the turbo.
I mainly work on diesels so I'm not sure
I'm about to do this to my L83 swapped Jeep TJ, not the result I was hoping for from the BG, I hope I have better luck, but I doubt it.
In hindsight it's probably best it doesn't really work all that well. If it did, people would be running it in their 200K mile clunkers and clogging up the catalytic converters or causing internal engine wear/damage. I forgot to mention in the video but I definitely wouldn't recommend any cleaning process other than walnut blasting if the intake valves have any more carbon than this Buick had due to the reason just stated. Leave the chemicals for the routine maintainence.
I am in Australia. Our 2013 Hyundai Premium 1.6 liter turbo diesel has just been sold to it's new owner with 126,000 miles on the clock. Always used Caltex Vortex Premium diesel fuel and full synthetic oil plus OEM filter changed every 5,000 miles. Presale check was carried out by my mechanic including removal of inlet manifold and inspection of inlet valves. The colour is a light grey soot with zero sign of any carbon buildup. It has been a fantastic little car with huge low down torque and highway fuel consumption around 60mpg and 40mpg in urban stop start. Cheers.@@TechnicianRed
Do you not have to let the cleaner heat sink before driving?
How do you ensure the intake valves for each cylinder are fully closed while doing the walnut blasting?
By rotating the engine until you see the intake valve open and then close again. Once the intake valve is closed rotate a little farther and you will be in mid-compression stroke where both valves will be 100% closed. The next valve that opens is the exhaust valve but the crankshaft has to rotate almost 1 full turn after the intake valves close before that happens so you have PLENTY of leeway to work with.
Excellent video!
Walnut blasting for the win!
Can you follow up with the proper tool and adapters then post results? The BG platinum tool does a much better job of atomizing and distributing the chemistry, so would be interested to see the results. I think those furnace nozzle services do a great job of addressing throttle body or iac deposits but not so much for intake valve deposits in a GDI engine.
Im assuming you have to make sure the valves are fully seated in the closed position before using the walnut blasting?
Yes that is correct
Going to have to do it more than one time. That is suppose to be done every 10-15K miles
Did you experience any issues after cleaning with the liquid spray? Such as catalytic converter issues or anything? I have heard that particles of carbon and debris break off and sit in the converter and destroy it over time. Not good!
With GDIs, I never put much trust into a can of anything doing much of anything. The cans of stuff might work if done every 5 -10k?
About 20% of the build up of a Direct Inj diesel thats only done 65000miles . . My experience is its a great product to use prior to manifold removal . Those cleaners only soften the sludge .
Do the valves have to be closed on each cylinder when you are doing walnut blasting?
Yes the valves must be closed during walnut blasting.
The only thing I found that really clean is water/methanol injection. It sprays under load ,the cool water/meth mist hits the hot valve creating thermal shock, plus steam that really removes all the gunk of intake system and pistons. You can leave it permanently installed on turbo charged cars for extra benefits or use on NA engines as preventative maintenance and reintall it every 30k for ex.
Good video!
Do you a link where to buy the walnut blasting machine? Is the powder like walnut included?
@@csan255 this machine does come with walnut. I bought it on Amazon.
@@TechnicianRed thank! I need to get one since I already have a compressor.
It's amazing how that machine removed the carbon deposit on the valve.
As someone who worked in dealer shop they sell BG and charge a good amount but is not cleaning very well , i rather clean it with walnut blast or pick, brush and cleaner :)
Where are you located in texas
i tought you suppose to soak those valves with the liquid? just spray a foam based cleaner / carb choke spray and fine sanding it should clean those valve
yes...' fine sanding' and all the little loose particles that come off the sandpaper are now on your pistons or piston rings,,, installing nice little scratches on your cly bores
Preventive Maintenance is a must. Preventative is no longer used and mitary dropped it many years ago
I would say find a shop that does walnut blasting on intake systems and use them the valve and intake will look brand new.
It's actually not horrible after the 400 miles drive. Do it every 40-50k and it'll keep the engine relatively clean
Seafoam: Works amazing almost like the chambers and valves have been soda blasted. The problem? You MUST pull apart the car, to directly spray the intake and exhaust champers. Doesn't work sprayed into the intake or tb.
I use bg send i start at subaru 2015 and bg works all depends on the maintenance of the customer i use bg on all my cars and its works
Good. Thank you
Good vid!!
Was your car hot before you started the process? I saw another video where they said that was imperative with the BG product. But they didn’t actually show the valves either
@@devilslide01 yes
how much does walnut blasting cost?
On average about a half hour labor per cylinder plus intake R&R time.
3 hrs of walnut blasting 😮😮😮 ???
@@europana7 It takes a while to get it perfect!
Really cool. Good video! Do you think the BG product might help loosen the carbon deposit pre walnut blast resulting in a better finish or will walnut blasting do the same cleaning by itself?
If I knew I was going to walnut blast the valves I wouldn't spend the time and money to do the BG treatment. The walnut blaster doesn't really need any help. However that being said I'm sure it does make the walnut cleaning process a little bit faster.
Thanks! I'm doing a valve clean on my 17' 440i soon and I was lucky to find this video before. I'll probably do the walnut blast first and then do the bg thing every 30k interval after that. I did the bg engine flush earlier this year and the car ran smoother afterwards. I was rootin' for bg but, the walnut blast is clearly the winner for gdi valve clean. Enjoyed your video it was really thorough and easy to follow along.
We recommend doing this service every 15,000 miles on our direct injection cars. And having heads off I can say that at 15k BG induction service does a great job keeping everything clean.
Ultimately wouldn't you still run into problems as carbon builds on the valve seat? I can see the benfit of better aerodynamics and also cleaning the valve stem, just seems like you will still end up having to take the head off.
There is zero carbon located on the seat sealing surface. If there were carbon there the engine would lose compression and wouldn't run good at all. It's impossible for carbon to build up there as the valve smashes into that area at high speed which obviously keeps it clear of any carbon build-up. And the miniscule amount of carbon left on the seat next to the sealing surface doesn't hurt anything. I mean of course it does make a difference but would someone pull the heads to get a 1% increase in airflow? If you were racing in a class that had engine build restrictions where every single HP counts sure it would be worth it but it wouldn't even be noticeable or worth it on a street driven vehicle.
Why didn’t you clean the throttle plate first
Because there was no reason to clean the throttle plate. The customer had just cleaned it less than 100 miles ago. Yes, the plate surface is stained but that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is any dirt build-up on the edge of the blade and internal surface of the throttle body housing. This build-up of dirt is the only thing that would restrict airflow and there is no such build-up on this throttle body.
How much is to have your car walnut blasted on average?
Usually intake r&r time plus 0.5hr labor per cylinder. Most shops that do this are going to be in the $150-$200/hr range. Also a little extra for the walnut and Intake gaskets if needed.
@@TechnicianRed Thank you very much for the answer you provided. Im going to look for a shop and get it done here, in the LA, California Area. Good day
All GDI cleaners are meant to be to prevent carbon and remove small amounts of build up, once you get to this stage, you need harsh cleaning.
READ THIS---. Car makers are responding to GDI problems. Some readers here already know that Toyota and Ford have made combo GDI & MPI engines. EVEN KIA/Hyundai are now making a Smartstream combo engines. I have a 2017 KIA Sorento GDI 2.4L that is on its 3rd PISTON SOAK trial to correct oil usage issue (2qts/1k MILES). Started using lots of oil before 50 k miles. I had BG treatment at 30K & 50 K. I have learned beginning then about this GDI problem... Using only TOP TIER gas. I had regular 5k mile OCI since car was new.
IN THIS video, we see the car after 100K miles..BUT how many miles were on the car that BG used for their advertisement picture. Maybe it was after only 10-25 K miles..
ALSO. as far as I know the oil usage is related to STUCK oil piston rings. Latest I see that could be due to valve cover oil drain holes plugged up.
What state is your shop in?
TX
@@TechnicianRed thank you, but it's too far to drive. I wanted to get walnut blasting.
@@pfoxhound lots of places do it now.
@@TechnicianRed maybe, but I trust to my eyes, also I have access to some shops and I see the way regular cars being repaired. That's the reason why I do some repairs myself, or I stand behind the back, or only few guys that I trust...
Ive tried many snake oil treatments, my only success was old fashioned Easy Off Oven cleaner. Its created issues with Cats, to much crap out the exhaust Im thinking.
Actually looks damn good for 100k
It's always, the chemical only clean the ports, but not the valves as the carbon been cooked onto the valves. If any of that carbon fell into the cylinder. It may become new abrasive and create different problems.
Try Mann provent 200.
Use to decarb valves on BMWs as a tech.. in the 80s seen at worse ..chemical cleaning never worked
Great video but there is only 1 mistake. You are supposed to use 2 cans of intake valve and combustion chamber cleaner. After 1st can is used you are supposed to let the engine idle for 15 minutes and then add a 2nd can to complete the service.
This only applies to the 11 ounce cans, kit #6592. He's using a 22 ounce, which is a single can. But yes, otherwise both cans.
@@BillyClements555 absolutely not. There is 2 part kit, like in the video, and a 3 part kit with two cans of PN261, and one can of PN208. The 3 part kit is supposed to be used when the engine has never been cleaned before. And also, he should have been using the Platinum tool, which he is not. He is using the old VIA tool, which is not as effective as the new platinum tool.
You did not do a 1 hour hot soak before you dropped be it. The solution needs to soak on the carbon
Dry ice blasting ! The best thing for cleaning valves !
Yep if you have access to dry ice, a HUGE air compressor, a VERY GOOD compressed air moisture removal system, and an expensive dry ice machine you would be good to go! I looked into it and I believe it was going to be about 20-30K to buy everything to do it right. Just the air compressor alone is almost 10K on the cheap side.
even better idea.. install a oil vapor separator..to the engine
sure hope those valves were closed when he walnut blast.
No I left them wide open hurrr durrrrr
What these product claims are bogus. It's a waste of money and time for very little to nothing result. Just better off investing into a walnut blaster.
Most products are waste of money, this one has the highest chance of doing some work.
They're all the same with Medicre result. if you want it done right the first time, invest into a walnut blasting machine that will get it done right the first time with 100% effectiveness.
Buy more and do it again or just use water
You didn’t have much carbon buildup to begin with. It DOES work well on built up carbon.
I love BG products however no chemicals added to the fuel tank can work on GDI engines and spraying into the intake won't work either. If it worked it would destroy the turbo anyway with hunks of carbon. Disassembly and mechanically removing the carbon is the only way.
Service is recommended every 15k miles.
Running two cans on a vehicle with high mileage will do a better job.
Didn't search enough.
Duh you definitely have to drive it more than 25 miles and as bad as that build up is you’ll have to do it multiple times most likely. Then you maintain that schedule
Try good old H20 😎
180 oz and a little brain power on how to.
Sincerely, grandpa and grandma.
Silly kids, they can sell ketchup motor cleaner in a bottle, and you would be first in line. 😅
Cheaper just to walnut blast it every 100K miles.
Unfortunatly you are not completing the service.
You are supposed to use two bottles on cars that has neven been cleaned before.
Therefor you are only doing half the service.
You are also using the old VIA tool, and not the new and improved Platinum tool, which is a lot more efficient.
New video please!
You sure about that? BG used to have smaller GDI intake cleaning cans that required 2 cans to fill up the VIA tool. Now they sell it in a large bottle and a single bottle will fill up the VIA tool. Our BG rep didn't mention anything about using two of these newer large bottles for one cleaning service.
CRC is best.
Don't buy a GDI engine.
A lot of newer car models come with GDI though 😢
Or buy a vehicle with Port and GDI injection
@@MikeyD8632Who offers this?
@@jerrykurl69 Toyota /Lexus and some newer Ford engines. Others offer this in random more premium engines. Toyota does it across the board and has for around a decade
@@MikeyD8632 I tried to buy a Toyota but they have no stock
Nobody should want the BG cleaner to work. You do not want all that carbon buildup flushed through the engine all at once. I wouldn't even bother periodically using it later, after the walnut blasting, just wait a lot longer and walnut blast again.
Thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately you’ve used the wrong tool to deliver the chemistry. The Platinum Intake Tool is what you should have used, that’s why it requires the Rev-It, the application point should be after the throttle plate, such at MAP or Manifold Temp sensor. When the Rev-It revs the engine it creates draw which then pulls in the Intake Cleaner, rather like a Venturi on a carb, this also means the chemistry is drawn into the cylinders more evenly.
Also for first time, or carboned up vehicles the process is 1 treatment, a period to allow chemistry to soak and then repeated.
Your comparison against the BG results are therefore not accurate, wrong tool, used wrong and wrong process.
Um....25miles....try 250 for a legit experiment.
Other channels put much more effort into test you should look some up.
It's obvious you didn't watch the whole video or you didn't pay attention. I checked the valves at TWO different intervals. The first check was at about 25 miles the next check was at 490 miles.
Maybe moved it to your catalytic converter…
you have to use more than 3 to 4 bottles of BG in order to see the results
In my gasolene GDI cars I run Avgas 100LL from the local airport. This fuel is simply amazing with a rich mixture octane rating exceeding 130. My new Mazda CX 30 G25 Skyactiv G engine is silky smooth on this fuel. I have friends who run Australia's cheapest and crappiest 91 (10E) and their exact same engines sound like tractors and get terrible fuel economy. Go figure!
Sounds expensive! Us peasants have to settle with a little distributor adjustment in the warmer months 😆
It is currently US$8.00 per gallon. Or US$108.00 per tank. Our regular 98RON (zero ethanol) premium is US$5.40 per gallon or US$73.00 per tank.@@TechnicianRed
@@TechnicianRed Also not catalytic converter friendly.
Too high on the revs.. low rpm 2500 or less and let the car sit for 1hr. Then take it for a drive for 10-15mins
So don't do this method. Figure everything blown through the engine goes into the cat. Walnut blast and that's it.
Wonder if you have to drive it like you stole it instead of driving like a granny to clean those valves
Oh I definitely drive it like I stole it 🏁
But the customers may not