3.3TT How are Stinger owners cleaning their valves on their GDI engines?

[terrelltechsup]

I need to find it again. But I read a thing, or perhaps it was a video stating that Kia (and many others on modern DI engines) have made some adjustments to the valve timing to reduce issues with carbon buildup. During certain operating conditions, the intake valves to stay open for the first part of the compression stroke, with possibly an early FI event, and this causes unburnt fuel to wash back into the intake tract. This is essentially Atkinson cycle and would be used during eco mode?

Anyway, I honestly can't find any references that this engine can switch to Atkinson cycle which would allow this operation to happen and would mean that every time the car goes into Eco you'd be washing your intake valves.

That's cool and all but that is not the only reason you want to keep oil out of your intake track in boosted configurations.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I found a few U.S. dealer sites link to this 'build your own' maintenance planner. You tell them your KIA model, mileage, trim level, normal or severe driving, etc. and it generates what services you have coming up, and what they comprise. The 'Grid' looks especially useful, and at first glance it seems to be pretty much in line with the OM maintenance schedule.

Might be handy as a planning tool ...

Kia Maintenance Schedule | Pat Peck Kia

View attachment 21753

Yeah, I accessed this tool at "my" dealer's website yesterday; and both access pages (your link and my dealer's) show only oil and filter at 15K miles. I think what my dealer is doing is bumping "severe" up to reflect my 4K mile setting, instead of the default 3K miles. Because the 12K miles service has all the other maintenance checks, and I am supposed to get them at 15K (already past that!). I have an appointment for Wednesday, to do everything except the GDI maintenance checks, which, I was just told, are best done at the same time as an oil/filter change; so, at c. 18K miles (after I get back from Texas next month).

 

[PMB]

That's cool and all but that is not the only reason you want to keep oil out of your intake track in boosted configurations.

I never dismissed your argument for catch cans (the implication of your reply). But this thread is about cleaning valves in a GDI engine, not about oil in the intake tract.

 

[PMB]

@OP: This may be relevant to your interests?

CRC apparently has the highest concentration of PEA, a chemical shown to dissolve carbon buildup.

 

[MackyGio]

The sheet I have is the same one that I linked to online, and as I've seen it used elsewhere with dealer info overlaid, I expect its part of sales and marketing material supplied to them by Kia Canada.

When I picked up the car, I both toured and met with the head of the service department. I asked them about service costs, and used the 'Recommended Service' sheet to note the prices they wanted for doing the 'scheduled services' - as it was a generic sheet, the Stinger prices were higher than their base figures. I also got a price and description of what was involved for the 'major induction service', as that one caught my eye. It was described to me much as it was to @Kazz - purely a 'run through' cleaning process, with no exposure and mechanical/abrasive cleaning of the valves (e.g. walnut husk blasting).

While I will continue to perform and/or arrange for my own maintenance, I expect a lot of people won't question the cost or services suggested to them, won't bother to consult the car specific schedule in their owner's manual, and simply pay up for things like the early coolant replacement. The services are additive, but considering there is little else of note in Service 4 beside visual inspections, that's got to be some expensive antifreeze!

I do believe that periodic application of Seafoam (or CDC, etc.) intake treatment will help in keeping carbon deposits under control, as I don't think an OCC is a complete solution to the problem. I won't be paying the dealer to do it, but I believe it's well worth the minimal time and cost for DIY.

When would you do the CRC sea foam treatment? Would every 25k km do?

 

[Sime]

 

[Angel]

Hopefully some one can do a DIY on the stinger on cleaning the valves? Any volunteers?

 

[KLR STINGER]

Methanol injection helps keep those intake ports and valves shiny and new!

 

[SteveCo]

When would you do the CRC sea foam treatment? Would every 25k km do?

I'll be doing it once a year, but I put on pretty low mileage on this car (maybe 10K KM a year or less).

As for how often is ideal, I don't think there are any reliable and unbiased large-scale studies out there to use a guideline - on either how much carbon accumulates over a given period of time for a given engine design, or how effective that type of cleaning is at different stages of build-up.

 

[MackyGio]

I'll be doing it once a year, but I put on pretty low mileage on this car (maybe 10K KM a year or less).

As for how often is ideal, I don't think there are any reliable and unbiased large-scale studies out there to use a guideline - on either how much carbon accumulates over a given period of time for a given engine design, or how effective that type of cleaning is at different stages of build-up.

I've watched hundreds of videos and posts in regards to using the product. But they all seem to have used it later in their engine life. I am thinking it may be too late if it's in the higher KM as some information shows that using it will cause scoring to the piston skirts and cylinder walls or damage as chunks of carbon deposit go through the system. I am assuming though since we are starting it at an early stage this will not occur or wont be as severe as some have stated?

 

[Sime]

Is relatively easy to access the intake valves on the stinger?

 

[Angel]

Is relatively easy to access the intake valves on the stinger?

Depends how you define relatively easy lol?

No it is time consuming.

 

[WildBill]

I've watched videos of people Sea-Foaming the intake on vehicles but never done it myself. I agree, I'd love to see someone do it on a Stinger.

I have no idea why you wouldn't want to do a relatively small maintenance item like this every 10k - 15k miles to keep ahead of the carbon issue on a DI engine. This as opposed to tearing down the engine at 100k and walnut blasting the valves. To me it is a no-brainer.

I have a can sitting at home under my workbench and I'm at 11K. If I get time at some point maybe I'll be the guinea pig.

 

[PMB]

Anybody know if there is an inspection port, or a relatively easy way something like a borescope could be inserted into the intake tract to take a peak at the valves? I feel like carbon buildup is going to be different for everyone based on your climate, daily commute, and the manner in which you drive the car.

For some there may be no reason to take precautionary cleaning measures until 20-30k, others it might be wise to do a basic chemical cleaning every 10k.

 

[Angel]

Anybody know if there is an inspection port, or a relatively easy way something like a borescope could be inserted into the intake tract to take a peak at the valves? I feel like carbon buildup is going to be different for everyone based on your climate, daily commute, and the manner in which you drive the car.

For some there may be no reason to take precautionary cleaning measures until 20-30k, others it might be wise to do a basic chemical cleaning every 10k.

I personally think that a bottle of Sea foam is like 10 bucks, and every 10-15k is good number to just do it. I feel like you might be splitting hairs here, its very cheap and easy to do. In the long run you are not hurting anything. It all depends how you want to threat your car and if you want to take the time to do it. Again you don't have to do it all, I guess is all up to the owner at the end of the day. I feel like its a no brainer like Wild Bill stated.

 

[lucif3r]

I personally think that a bottle of Sea foam is like 10 bucks, and every 10-15k is good number to just do it. I feel like you might be splitting hairs here, its very cheap and easy to do. In the long run you are not hurting anything. It all depends how you want to threat your car and if you want to take the time to do it. Again you don't have to do it all, I guess is all up to the owner at the end of the day. I feel like its a no brainer like Wild Bill stated.

The sea foam sounds intriguing for sure. Where would you spray it in the top end tho?

 

[brancky3]

The sea foam sounds intriguing for sure. Where would you spray it in the top end tho?

Usually it's just a vacuum line that you suck it through, but I don't know the layout of the lines on this engine

 

[Angel]

The sea foam sounds intriguing for sure. Where would you spray it in the top end tho?

I would spray it right at the throttle body. Remove the IC pipe and coupling and then spray in there with the engine on. Sea foam includes a U shape plastic hose that you can put on the throttle body and slide the silicone coupling over it. Thank have someone rev the car up to like 2 rpm while you spray the stuff in there.

 

[lucif3r]

I would spray it right at the throttle body. Remove the IC pipe and coupling and then spray in there with the engine on.

Fair enough, now has anyone actually willing to try?

 

[PMB]

I personally think that a bottle of Sea foam is like 10 bucks, and every 10-15k is good number to just do it. I feel like you might be splitting hairs here, its very cheap and easy to do. In the long run you are not hurting anything. It all depends how you want to threat your car and if you want to take the time to do it. Again you don't have to do it all, I guess is all up to the owner at the end of the day. I feel like its a no brainer like Wild Bill stated.

For sure, but considering you can pick up a usb borescope/endoscope for like $10, if there was a simple 10mm bolt to pull out, and you could take a look down at few of your valves, I'd be more than willing to go down that route instead of just doing a CRC treatment every 10-15k