Can Engine Oil Help Prevent Carbon Build Up?

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Published 2018-08-22

Can Synthetic Engine Oil Help Prevent Intake Carbon Deposits?
Direct Injection Turbo Engine Carbon Issues - Sponsored By Valvoline
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This video about car engine oil will be focusing on three questions:
1. Why do modern engines have carbon build up?
2. How can engine oil help prevent carbon deposits?
3. How do you know if the oil you’re buying helps prevent carbon build up?

Unlike many older engines, modern engines are trending towards turbocharged, downsized, direct injection engines for efficiency benefits. But these changes now create unique challenges for newer engines, which have higher internal pressures and temperatures, and a lack of port injectors. Looking at the intake valve on a gasoline engine with direct injection, we need to think about all of the different ways that contaminants can contact these intake valves.
1. First off, blow-by from combustion can reach the intake valves through the positive crankcase ventilation system, which prevents the crankcase pressure from getting too high.
2. The PCV system also means that as the lighter part of the engine oil evaporates, it can pass by the intake valves.
3. You can also have exhaust gases routed back to the intake valves, through an exhaust gas recirculation system, typically used for emissions purposes, which carry combustion contaminants. Remaining exhaust gases can also contact the intake valve from inside the combustion chamber when the intake valve opens.
4. Finally, engine oil can leak down the valve guides and contact the intake valves, especially as oil viscosities continue to become thinner for efficiency purposes.

In direct injection engines, the oil itself is really all you’ve got to actively protect your intake valves. The oil itself is composed of about 80% base oil, and 20% additives, both of which play a role in fighting carbon deposits. From a base oil standpoint, you don’t want molecules that break down or evaporate with heat, but at the same time they should have good flow characteristics at low temperatures. This means you don’t want overly large or overly small molecules, molecules that aren’t fully saturated with hydrogen or overly long straight chain molecules. The wrong molecular structure can break down with heat and form deposit precursors. These precursors will attach to intake valves, pistons, and cylinder walls, and form deposits. This is where the additives come in, particularly detergents and dispersants.

Detergents have a hydrocarbon tale and a polar head, usually a metal.This means one end, the polar head, likes to bond to metallic surfaces, while the other end deflects deposits and prevents them from bonding to the metal surface. If precursors can’t contact the metal surfaces, they can’t form deposits.

Now dispersants also have a hydrocarbon tale and a polar head, however the tale is a bit longer than detergents, and the polar head isn’t quite as strong. The hydrocarbon tale likes oil, while the polar head likes water, metals, and contaminants, basically the things you don’t want. So as a deposit precursor is floating around in the oil, the dispersants will attach to it, keeping the contaminant suspended so it doesn’t attach to metal surfaces. From there it can either be filtered out as it passes through the oil filter, or kept suspended until you change the oil.

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All Comments (21)

@mikeschafer2474 4 years ago

I switched to the Valvoline modern engine almost a year ago and since doing so in my Ford focus ST I’m seeing about 40 to 50% less oil in my catch can so that’s proof enough for me that it’s working.
@mbp9tf 5 years ago

"Nope. Nope. Nope." That little comic-style popup should not have made me laugh so hard...but it did. Good way to start the day!
@ericb.4358 3 years ago

Castrol Edge is shown to have the best resistance to carbon buildup (by tests run for AMSOIL). That's why I use it in my 2019 MAZDA CX 5 2.5 L. CDI with a turbo. I also run a Cork Sport oil catch can to prevent carbon buildup on the intake valves from PCV emissions. BUT... if you have a Direct Injection only engine (no port injectors) then every 40,000 miles you should go to a garage that uses B-16 brand engine cleaning system, pay $70. -$90. and get your engine cleaned. B-16 works better than SeaFoam for this purpose.
@cjones7854 5 years ago

Dude, you should do videos on ethanol. Like it's pros and cons in the motor and the pros and cons of producing it vs normal gas.
@JayzBeerz 4 years ago

Great info dude. I just bought a 2019 Sonata Limited 2.0 T and I’m definitely using this oil now. Thank you.
@SangheiliSpecOp 5 years ago

Very good visuals in this video. Thank you.
@3rdpwrn 5 years ago

One of your best videos. Well done and explained
@guzzy92fs 5 years ago

Perfect explanation, very educational and helpful!
@Syntheticoilprotection 5 years ago

This is a great diagram display of the need for superior 100% Synthetic lubricants in direct injection vehicles. Great Video J😉
@nunchaks700 5 years ago

I have said this before I'll say it again, please do a video on different types of base oil. Specifically group 4 and group 5(preferably esters). The thing that I would really like to know is how good is an engine oil with a group 5 base oil (ester based, like Chemlube or Motul) is compared to a group 3 with additives(say Mobil 1 with emission system protection). Since esters are natural detergents, how effective are they when compared to a group 3 or 4 base oil with additives?
@Akira-nw4jl 5 years ago

EXCELLENT and thorough explanation.!!!
@salemfoxtrot7659 1 year ago

This is immensely helpful, thank you for the video.
@alexanderbreems2921 5 years ago

I like this infographics style, although the board and markers was also very good.
@barrybebenek8691 5 years ago

Fantastic info! Thanks. Gonna be changing the oil in the Ram this weekend, so this is good. Once again; such a fan of the new animation! It really does help explain. 👍🏼
@myya8370 3 years ago

Awesome information on how I can keep my direct injection engine clean! Thank you 🙏
@derjoh1986 5 years ago

Learned a little bit! Thanks for sharing!
@vincentsfuntimeworld5007 5 years ago

i wish all of your videos have visuals like this. better than just the whiteboard.
@goodxrvn2053 5 years ago

Typically I have a favorite brand of fuel and a favorite brand of engine oil, not the same brand. Your very informative videos on sludge/carbon build up in modern engines has me thinking that maybe I need to consider fuel and lubricants that are designed to work together as you would hope a single brand might. For instance, should I consider using Shell fuel and lubricants, as an example? Or Mobil fuel and lubricants? Rather than mixing WAWA or Flying J premium fuel and Mobil 1 lubricants as I do now? We own a 2005 VW since new with a 1.8T, notorious for sludge buildup. To date using Mobil 1 lubricants, specifically 0w40, after 125k miles no issues. Engine runs fine, good fuel economy, only routine maintenance.. In several other VWs, all purchased new, I have used european spec oil, Motul, with similar results up to 200k. BTW after reading about the VW dealership fiasco many years ago using regular oil in the 1.8T, which caused the sludge issue, I have always supplied the engine oil when getting service from dealerships.
@hypojames 5 years ago

Good stuff. Thanks for not dumbing it down too much
@foesfly3047 1 year ago

Excellent discussion, as usual Sir.