Italian tune up

[Strange Mud]

I assume this has been asked but it is only electrons I am inconveniencing.
I did this recently.... how often are you folks (if at all) doing this? I am thinking every 4-5 K miles but am wondering what the hive thinks/does.

info for those who want details:

3k rpm for 30 minutes = 70-75 mph in 4th on my MT. It wasn't too loud and I was amazed that my car said 32.6 mpg during the ride. That would be real world of just over 30 mpg as the car's readings are somewhat optimistic.

thx folks

Mud

 

[Antimatter]

I always did it at about 4k rpms for 5-10 minutes or so. Probably every 2500 miles or so.

 

[jay745]

About once a month. It's not hurting anything, can only help.

 

[seanmcd1]

I assume this has been asked but it is only electrons I am inconveniencing.
I did this recently.... how often are you folks (if at all) doing this? I am thinking every 4-5 K miles but am wondering what the hive thinks/does.

info for those who want details:

3k rpm for 30 minutes = 70-75 mph in 4th on my MT. It wasn't too loud and I was amazed that my car said 32.6 mpg during the ride. That would be real world of just over 30 mpg as the car's readings are somewhat optimistic.

thx folks

Mud

This is simply not something that is required for our modern engines, at all. Stop believing everything you read. Drive your car. The end. This old school notion of an "Italian Tune Up" I believe mostly applies to engines (cars/bikes) with carburetors, or ones that have sat for long periods of time.

Also - 3K rpm? I think the idea is to actually get on it, give it some beans, give it more welly - as the saying goes. Closer to red line. With your method I am doing at least 1 Italian tune up a day for the most part...

 

[Albee]

I accidentally do one at least monthly, radio up cruising in third at 4000.

 

[demi9od]

This is simply not something that is required for our modern engines, at all. Stop believing everything you read. Drive your car. The end. This old school notion of an "Italian Tune Up" I believe mostly applies to engines (cars/bikes) with carburetors, or ones that have sat for long periods of time.

Also - 3K rpm? I think the idea is to actually get on it, give it some beans, give it more welly - as the saying goes. Closer to red line. With your method I am doing at least 1 Italian tune up a day for the most part...

The idea is to build up and sustain heat. 3k rpm for 20-30 mins is a lot more heat than going WOT to redline 2-3 times a day.

 

[adam1991]

This is simply not something that is required for our modern engines, at all.

Someone recently brought this up as a way to burn off the crud from the valves. Do it early and often, and the heat buildup will burn crap off the valves and help the crud buildup problem.

I've been waiting for, and looking for, some sort of validation of this.

 

[jay745]

This is simply not something that is required for our modern engines, at all. Stop believing everything you read. Drive your car. The end. This old school notion of an "Italian Tune Up" I believe mostly applies to engines (cars/bikes) with carburetors, or ones that have sat for long periods of time.

Also - 3K rpm? I think the idea is to actually get on it, give it some beans, give it more welly - as the saying goes. Closer to red line. With your method I am doing at least 1 Italian tune up a day for the most part...

I disagree completely. Look at the carbon build up on one of these that is grandma'ed around at 75k miles vs a car that is driven hard at 75k. The valves speak for themselves.

3k rpm does seem low, usually its done above 4k for a sustained period.

 

[heiney9]

If it shows up on the car forums enough times, then it must be true

 

[adam1991]

If it shows up on the car forums enough times, then it must be true

yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.

 

[heiney9]

One thing, it certainly can't hurt. But I haven't seen any hard evidence it makes a difference on DI cars.

I have an MK5 GTi TSI and it's approaching 90K miles. It doesn't seem to exhibit any of the symptoms of excess carbon build up. Not saying there isn't a fair amount, but it doesn't seem to be interfering with normal operations. I got the car with 45K on it and I am a pretty spirited driver. My girlfriend drives it now most of the time and she is not a spirited driver, so we shall see.

 

[George Ab]

I do not. I understand the concept... just not buying it. I will clean my intakes at 60K miles as part of the standard maintenance process of direct injection engine. The idea of heating up the intakes and contamination melting off... well I will leave it at that.

 

[huh0kay]

I've read that this only applies to port injected engines, not direct injection. There is nothing to "wash" the valves since only 'cooled' air is passing through, not gas and air.

 

[Crud_muffin]

I accidentally do one at least monthly, radio up cruising in third at 4000.

This made me laugh. Unintentionally squeaky clean.

 

[Wrath And Tears]

One thing, it certainly can't hurt. But I haven't seen any hard evidence it makes a difference on DI cars.

I have an MK5 GTi TSI and it's approaching 90K miles. It doesn't seem to exhibit any of the symptoms of excess carbon build up. Not saying there isn't a fair amount, but it doesn't seem to be interfering with normal operations. I got the car with 45K on it and I am a pretty spirited driver. My girlfriend drives it now most of the time and she is not a spirited driver, so we shall see.

VW has a patent for this method of italian tune up and created it just specifically for the DI engine. Obviously with port injection you don't get build up on the valves in the same fasion.

I've read that this only applies to port injected engines, not direct injection. There is nothing to "wash" the valves since only 'cooled' air is passing through, not gas and air.

You are not washing anything. You are heating up the valves including stem up to temps where the carbon is shed off simply due to the passing of air. It's chemistry versus physics.

I do not. I understand the concept... just not buying it. I will clean my intakes at 60K miles as part of the standard maintenance process of direct injection engine. The idea of heating up the intakes and contamination melting off... well I will leave it at that.

You don't get simple and basic chemistry? Get something (a goupy tarry substance) very hot and then blow a lot of air at it, what happens? Carbon is carbon, not some crazy foreign object from mars. For example when doing a typical carbon clean you are using air pressure and an abrasive. Well with a running car you can't use abrasive so you use lots of heat instead.

For you guys wanting validation about it working, google DI italian tune up and do some research for some actual empirical data. Pretty sure I've even found before and after shots of what it does, but no way to validate they didn't use media blasting, so I took those with a grain of salt.