Top tier fuel keeps the fuel system and tops of pistons cleaner, but does little for the intake valve carbon build up.
My 2010 Mk6 GTI made it to 87k before needing the valve scrub. It think how the car is driven affects when the detrimental amount of buildup occurs. Lower mileage cars with mostly short trips and few, if any, WOT blasts seem to have the issue much earlier.
From what I've learned, a highway cruise for 20mins with the motor around 3k RPM's every so often with a few WOT to redline blasts seems to help. The periodic "Italian Tune Up" is actually effective for DI motors.
That's actually an effective way of prolonging the cleaning interval. Just (safely) floor it on a highway on-ramp. For DI motors, it's not an IF but a WHEN it will need the valve cleaning.
Unscientific evidence I have: My 2009 MK5 GTi is at 91K miles and I've used top tier fuel and so far no carbon issues that I am aware of.
My 2010 Mk6 GTI made it to 87k before needing the valve scrub. It think how the car is driven affects when the detrimental amount of buildup occurs. Lower mileage cars with mostly short trips and few, if any, WOT blasts seem to have the issue much earlier.
From what I've learned, a highway cruise for 20mins with the motor around 3k RPM's every so often with a few WOT to redline blasts seems to help. The periodic "Italian Tune Up" is actually effective for DI motors.
I would not recommend that method now.
That's actually an effective way of prolonging the cleaning interval. Just (safely) floor it on a highway on-ramp. For DI motors, it's not an IF but a WHEN it will need the valve cleaning.
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