Remove carbon from your car

Carbon from car exhaust pipe

If we have a diesel car, it can happen that in strong accelerations we see how a thick black smoke from the exhaust pipe. This is nothing other than cinder that can even cost us a rejection in the Technical inspection of vehicles.

But, what is the reason why our car expels black smoke? The explanation is very simple: the mixture of fuel and air is not carried out correctly, causing part of the diesel does not burn well and exit through the exhaust pipe in the form of soot. However, this incorrect air/fuel mixture may be due to several engine trouble. Below we will explain what they are, how to avoid them and what to do to fix them.

What causes char

Causes of car carbon

As we have told you, it is due to a incorrect mixture of air and fuel, but that can happen three different ways. More air than fuel, more fuel than air, or having the correct ratio but poorly mixed. In the event that there is too much air, you should not worry, because the smoke would come out white. It is only the other two that can cause black smoke. These are the possible causes:

more fuel than air

  • Normal operation of the diesel engine: Don't worry if black smoke comes out when you accelerate at low revs or when you start the car. Normal in diesel engines is that make some charcoal with its normal operation. Especially the old ones. Only worry if black smoke comes out of the system, because the problem may be something else.
  • Faulty flowmeter: He Flowmeter, MAF Sensor or Mass Air Flow Sensor he is in charge of measure the amount of air that goes into the engine. Thanks to this, the system can accurately measure the proportion of fuel and air necessary for good combustion. If the flowmeter thinks it is getting more air in than actually gets in, it can cause black smoke. In these cases, it is normal for the engine fault warning light in car instrumentation. Unless it is a particularly old vehicle. It would also be normal to notice a slight power loss. Changing the flowmeter is usually easy and cheap. There are hundreds of videos like the one below that explain how to change it yourself according to the model:
  • Very dirty air filter: an air filter so dirty that don't let in enough air It can also be the cause of black smoke. The solution is very simple. Take a look at the article How to check an air filterbecause it is a very simple process. Anyone can replace or fix it, even if they have no mechanical knowledge.
  • Faulty EGR valve: this was a very common problem in diesels with a certain age. Especially if you did many km in the city or drove at low speeds for a long time. As we have told you, the soot that black smoke is made of is poorly burned fuel. Well, the EGR valve solves that problem by putting some of that smoke back into the engine, to that it just burned well. Something that needs to be done precisely so that the car can work properly even if it gets smoke with the air. If the valve malfunctions and gets too much smoke, it will only cause the the engine burns even worse and generate even more black smoke. Unfortunately, this fault is more difficult to fix and more expensive than the previous two. So you will surely have to take it to a workshop, unless you have more advanced knowledge of mechanics.

car carbon

Improper fuel and air mixture

  • dirty injectors: when the car injectors they don't pulverize diesel well, the mixture together with the air is not done homogeneously inside the combustion chamber. This will cause areas of high fuel with little air and vice versa. The remedy is very simple, except in especially serious obstructions. It will suffice to apply a injector cleaner or a pre-ITV treatment liquid.
  • Power injector fatigue: the injectors of direct injection systems (common-rail or pump injector) are piezoelectric, so they do not have fatigue. However, the systems indirect injection (older but still in circulation), carry mechanical injectors. In some cases it may happen that the needle does not close the fuel outlet hole properly. This causes that droplets fall into the cylinder when it shouldn't and the mixture is unbalanced. The result is higher fuel consumption, worse mixing and black smoke.
  • Problem with fuel pump or common rail: This is very rare, but it can happen that inject more fuel than you should for a more serious internal problem. Whether it is a pump-injector system or one of common rail. In these cases, a warning light should come on in the car's instrumentation and it should come into emergency mode. It is fortunate that it is rare, because its repair can be very expensive.

How to prevent excess carbon

If your engine has no problems, but it generates carbon like any diesel with a certain age, you can still minimize their occurrence. You only have to buy a few healthy motor habits. The normal thing here is to listen to advice such as not to accelerate too much at low revs. And although this warning is not wrong, it is somewhat inaccurate. The best thing you can do is drive whenever you can within the regime in which the car gives its maximum torque. A range of revolutions indicated by the manufacturer itself.

E.g.: a 1.9 hp Seat Toledo II 110 TDI delivers its maximum torque from 1.900 rpm to 2.750 rpm. So the ideal is to take it whenever possible between those two values. Interval in which the engine gets better quality explosions.

How to remove carbon

Revolutionize car to remove carbon

To clean and remove carbon of our car's engine, we can follow a series of tips that will help us a lot to reduce the black smoke emitted by the exhaust pipe.

First of all it is advisable circulate for a while in a normal way for the engine to reach its optimum operating state. Then you have to rev it to about 3.000 or 3.500 rpm, so that the exhaust gases come out with enough force to clean the interior of carbon. For this it is best circulate on the highwayfor about five or ten minutes. At that speed enough air will enter the radiator so that let's not give him an unnecessary heat going so high revs. It's good do this periodically once a month, for example.

One of the first benefits that we are going to notice with this operation is that our car it will circulate looser and happier. In addition, we will also notice that fuel consumption will be lower, something that our pocket will surely appreciate.

If you are interested in everything related to the car smoke, Do not miss the items:


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      Patrick said

    Very good site, you learn a lot

      Michael Antony said

    Very good site, a lot of information and well explained, because every time my car is touched in the NISSAN service, they leave a noise in the front part, like a loose sheet, specifically when they touch it in exchange for brake pads, grinding of discs, adjustment/tuning of brakes etc. , in itself, everything that has to do with the tires, a very annoying noise, last time they told me it was a loose plate and supposedly they screwed it and the noise disappeared, this time when grinding the front discs, it appeared again, now They tell me that they are the bumpers of the chest, and at the moment they do not have them in stock, I think, that it does not go there, but we are going to buy the bumpers to eliminate possible causes, what will it be?
    congratulations for the site, Greetings !!!

      Savino said

    Great explanation, I would never buy a car with the turbo again, there are always problems, they changed the turbo, with a scrap one, the car runs better, but, the engine is not strong, on a steep slope, it does not pull, and slow , even with the second gear, it goes to the minimum, even when I press the accelerator it does not respond, it is likely that it is some valve or an electrical sensor, I accept any advice to try to fix it myself, it will not be difficult, the mechanics are very expensive and the maioria, they don't know much, they are only interested in billing,