Had a fuel induction service/intake valves cleaned on the 13 Sonata 2.4L DI

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I'll start off by saying I believe in doing maintenance before I have issues. The 13 Sonata 2.4L now has 67K miles and have used nothing but Synthetic 5W20/5W30 and 91 ethanol free fuel since I picked it up with 2K miles a couple years ago. I did replace the spark plugs around 50K, replaced the air filter a couple times, cabin air filter, wipers, tires, brakes, transmission fluid, brake fluid flush but otherwise is completely on factory parts. Engine uses no noticeable amount of Synthetic 5W30 oill per 5500-6K OCI.

I gave the dealer a call and asked about the fuel indiction service and intake valve cleaner and they every quickly told me they recommend this service every 30K on the GDI engines at a cool $175 out the door. Well. it has been over 67K miles so I went with it made appt and had the service done.

RESULTS: pocket is slight lighter, BUT do I have $175 worth of results? While the engine does sound every so slightly smoother and maybe it does seem to idle slightly better like its more balanced but TBH if I did not know I had the service done I don't know if I would notice the results..... Maybe because im using decent fuel and synthetic oil the carbon was less to begin with thus I did not have huge results? Im not sure...

Would I personally have the service done again on the Sonata? MAYBE. but not any time soon.. I will not have it done on the Forte.... I would have the service done though on a car ran on dealer bulk oil with long OC's and E10 plus fuel...

What are your thoughts on this Fuel induction Service for GDI engines Hyundai offers?
 
Rainman Ray's youtube channel recently did a video of a Sonata intake valve cleaning along with an entire intake manifold replacement. Apparently the intake manifold uses a dual-runner variable volume system to improve performance and the manifold was so gunked up that the variable runners were stuck in place.

If your vehicle uses his same system then you might consider a manifold removal and cleaning as a preventive maintenance task in the future.
 
It just depends on the engine in question. Circa 2007 TGDI BMW engine (N54) was every 40k miles. Circa 2009 BMW N55 is every 100k miles due to improved PCV system and even then the few photos I've seen show not so bad buildup at that mileage. Early Audi were really bad as well. VW engines seem to be hit or miss.

People are so quick to paint with a broad brush sometimes and worry. Worry worry worry.
 
Call me a skeptic. I often wonder if they even do the service if the engine is running well, and the customer isn't there watching. When I sold used cars we'd send them to a local shop that did FI cleaning service for a hefty price and did nothing more than pour a FI cleaner into the gas tank.
 
Unless they took your intake manifold off and media blasted your valves, you didn't get much for your $175. I did an intake-off valve cleaning on my Focus ST and I can tell you that even the best cleaners must sit on the valves for a while to be effective. Spraying it into the intake while running won't do it. I suspect that's the service you got.
 
At most, they slipped a nozzle for a cleaning solvent into the air intake and let the engine run for 15 minutes as a can of cleaner sprayed out. 30 minutes of labor and $10 worth of chemical for $175. Nice racket for the dealer.
Yep that's if they even do the work, it's even more lucrative if they don't do it.
 
Unless they took your intake manifold off and media blasted your valves, you didn't get much for your $175. I did an intake-off valve cleaning on my Focus ST and I can tell you that even the best cleaners must sit on the valves for a while to be effective. Spraying it into the intake while running won't do it. I suspect that's the service you got.
They won't do that for a measly $175.
 
Ever so often I do a couple of sprays into the throttle body while vehicle is idled at 1500 rpm with CRC IVD and a can lasts me about 30k miles. I think doing it routinely over anything else is most important. Still use an occasional PEA cleaner but more importantly I get the vehicle up to proper temperature and above 3K a lot. Driving in high humidity can help too and is much safer than a squirt pistol with water near a throttle body. If the OP didn't feel a lot then it could be that they weren't in awful shape to start with.
 
OP: I think you are seriously wasting money on fuel above 87 octane. The higher octane fuel is not better...

If you're worried about carbon build up, reduce your OCI. Like 4k miles instead of 5-6k.

Take that thing out for an Italian tune up once every 2-3 weeks if you don't get on it or have the chance to often.

The only way to know for sure if the procedure helped is to bore scope it...
 
If those valves are coked with carbon the only way to really clean them is to physically remove the carbon, and that obviously involves removing the intake. My brother-in-law is a service advisor, years ago I asked him about the induction service and he laughed and said, people that sell those services don’t have a soul. 🤣🤣
 
Yep that's if they even do the work, it's even more lucrative if they don't do it.
Agree, wouldn't be surprised is their shop labor rate is that per hour and the removal of an intake, media blasting valves, rotating engine to get cylinders to TDC, cleanup and manifold reinstallation surely books out more than 1 hour. If a media blaster had been used I'm sure the OP would have been hit with a significant "shop supplies" charge.
This was a can of spray job.
 
Okay.. So I will skip this service next time. I should of asked here first, but really thought the DI engines "needed" it.... I mean I guess some really do but the Sonata 2.4L probability is not one of them.

And well i don't know what I was thinking.. I thought they remove the fuel rail to clean the injectors, intake, throttle body/butterfly, and valves so to me 175 was reasonable lol.
The service tech told me it was a complelte. AKA full BG service.

Ugh I got taken.. by a dealership...:LOL: That's not like me, but they really made this service sound good and answered all the questions with satisfying answers..
 
OP: I think you are seriously wasting money on fuel above 87 octane. The higher octane fuel is not better...

If you're worried about carbon build up, reduce your OCI. Like 4k miles instead of 5-6k.

Take that thing out for an Italian tune up once every 2-3 weeks if you don't get on it or have the chance to often.

The only way to know for sure if the procedure helped is to bore scope it...
I only use the higher fuel because that's what's offered in Ethanol free..

The Sonata will pull a honest 36 plus mpg on the highway but never less then 29 unless your trying to get bad mileage.. plus when you give it some throttle It really does feel like the timing is bumped a little and is SUPER eager to rev up and go. It feels more peppy today than it did when new.

I am not afraid to exercise the RPMs on both 2.4's. The Forte with its 6650rpm redline is a lot more fun probably because of the shorter 6 speed and lighter weight.. but the sonata is smoother and 6 speed automatic always know what gear to be in... Even though they are almost the same engine minus DI and different transmission... They have completely different "personalties"... Italian tune ups are the norm.. and believe in them... ;)

Would a shorter OCI really reduce carbon?. I thought I was being super conservative with 5500-6K on synthetic.
 
Would a shorter OCI really reduce carbon?. I thought I was being super conservative with 5500-6K on synthetic.
I dont know about reducing carbon but with GDI 5500-6000 is normal schedule to me.. not severe.
 
Rainman Ray's youtube channel recently did a video of a Sonata intake valve cleaning along with an entire intake manifold replacement. Apparently the intake manifold uses a dual-runner variable volume system to improve performance and the manifold was so gunked up that the variable runners were stuck in place.

If your vehicle uses his same system then you might consider a manifold removal and cleaning as a preventive maintenance task in the future.
I wonder if using CRC Intake Valve Cleaner regularly would prevent such intake manifold gunk as well ?
 
If I had one of those direct injected vehicles I'd try something like Amsoil's Powerfoam. I don't know how successful it would be but I'd try a can or two and see if it helps.
 
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