Let's hear the experience and opinions flow.
What oil brand, viscosity, and spec is the most resilient to contributing to intake carbon deposits on GDI engines.
I've read many threads, on many forums, for many different types of GDI engines. There is consensus that a full synthetic (whatever that means...?) shows clear signs of reducing the intake deposits. I suspect because of syns tolerance to high heat and a higher quality base oil with lower noack.
Most resilient oil to GDI intake desposits please
- Thread starter webfors
- Start date
It is not all due to the oil. How you drive the car is the bigger reason. Short trips are killers for GDI engines as they are for other engines as well. Lack of proper maintenance is another. Oil is just one part of the puzzle. You can run the very best oil but if you short trip all the time you will have problems.
Gasoline quality is another factor.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2023
Ok I'll ask again.
Does anyone have any evidence that intake deposits on GDI engines really matter? That it's causing any problems? Not the completely full cannoned up engines, that's obvious. But the usually amount we see.
Sounds to me it's like bird poop on your car, people thinking it won't run as long.
Engine design has a lot to do with the deposit
situation.
Early GDI engines from Germany, Audi and VW in particular,
had a serious problem with deposits.
Some MFG's took that seriously and did manage to
slow or reduce the amount that gets on the valves.
It's still a problem however. As mentioned, stop and go driving
is a large factor.
Hopefully, engineers will improve the PCV systems so that deposits
are reduce even more.
With the use of turbos by almost everybody, the situation is getting
worse instead of better short term.
Getting hard to find a smaller engine without turbo these days.
Add in thinner oil (0W-16?) and who knows.
The reduction in power happens gradually so some, maybe many, won't
notice, at least until the rough running starts to bother them.
Us here, will notice sooner than later.
My 2¢
As low NOACk as you can find. Some people say a catch can help but really depends on the engine design. Audi and BMW engines show zero improvement from catch cans. Mercedes six cylinder designs with more efficient PCV systems seem to do pretty well.
Really the solution is a hybrid injection system like the newer Audi designs that spray a small amount of fuel on the intake valves. Everything else, just budget in $500 every 40k miles for a manual cleaning or learn how to take off the intake manifold and do it yourself.
Originally Posted By: FlyPenFly
As low NOACK as you can find.
What is an example of low noack oil?
I have been using synpower 5w30 in my GDI sonata for the past few years at 3750 intervals.
At 50k the car pinged so badly, I had to run a GDI cleaner through the engine while it was running.
It cleared up most of the pinging issue but about 10k miles later it still pings when the car is cold under load on 87 octane.
I also run techron at every oil change.
Originally Posted By: FlyPenFly
As low NOACk as you can find. Some people say a catch can help but really depends on the engine design. Audi and BMW engines show zero improvement from catch cans. Mercedes six cylinder designs with more efficient PCV systems seem to do pretty well.
Really the solution is a hybrid injection system like the newer Audi designs that spray a small amount of fuel on the intake valves. Everything else, just budget in $500 every 40k miles for a manual cleaning or learn how to take off the intake manifold and do it yourself.
Seemed like it was a popular layman's opinion to find a low SAPS oil with a low NOACK loss like M1 5W30 ESP.
I'm wondering if PP Euro L (available at WM) might also fit that bill, but I haven't seen NOACK info for those oils.
Originally Posted By: Vuflanovsky
The OP is looking for a blanket answer to a non-blanket answerable scenario.
Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Seemed like it was a popular layman's opinion to find a low SAPS oil with a low NOACK loss like M1 5W30 ESP.
I'm wondering if PP Euro L (available at WM) might also fit that bill, but I haven't seen NOACK info for those oils.
Originally Posted By: JustinH
What is an example of low noack oil?
I have been using synpower 5w30 in my GDI sonata for the past few years at 3750 intervals.
At 50k the car pinged so badly, I had to run a GDI cleaner through the engine while it was running.
It cleared up most of the pinging issue but about 10k miles later it still pings when the car is cold under load on 87 octane.
I also run techron at every oil change.
So Mobil 5w 30 esp is a good choice for a gdi?, I have an 2017 5.3 silverado. I want to stay with a Mobil product. But I have not decided on which flavor. I just changed the factory fill 0w20 and put in Mobil EP 5w20. I will run it for the upcoming winter and then switch to a 0w 30 or 5w 30 just haven't figured out which flavor from Mobil. I do some moderate towing and feel a 0w or 5w 30 would be a better fit.
Amsoil
Redline
Pennzoil
esp in 10w
Still, your car needs to be driven long and sometimes hard. Short tripping, esp in cold is rough on DI engines.
Don't baby your engine
My wife has been driving her 2013 SFS 2.0T since we bought it new in 2012, in stop-and-go Miami traffic. We occasionally take it on road trips but for the most part, 90% city driving. After almost 90K miles (GDi deposits usually appear much sooner) and running mostly (not exclusively) 93 octane with the following oils, i can report not one single drivability issue. I previously owned a 1.6L Veloster that was sold with over 80K miles. No issues either. Maybe the south Florida heat works in our favor.
Oil...........Times used
VSP 5W30......10
M1 5W30.......03
M1 0W30.......02
VWB 10W30.....02
Edge 0W40.....01
Delo 5W40.....01
Devlac 15W40..01
(Might have left out a change or two)
Not one issue except for fouled spark plugs when changed at 40K.
Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: Vuflanovsky
The OP is looking for a blanket answer to a non-blanket answerable scenario.
GDI deposits have significantly more to do with engine design, ECU valve/injector timing, and fuel quality than with what oil you use. The overwhelming majority of engine manufacturers have GDI design figured out to minimize deposits. A poorly designed PCV baffle system or poor ECU mapping won’t be solved by running a low NOACK or low SAPS oil.
Originally Posted By: zuluplus30
GDI deposits have significantly more to do with engine design, ECU valve/injector timing, and fuel quality than with what oil you use. The overwhelming majority of engine manufacturers have GDI design figured out to minimize deposits. A poorly designed PCV baffle system or poor ECU mapping won’t be solved by running a low NOACK or low SAPS oil.
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