[Ao1]

Hi Steve, I went to pick up a part from BMW today and I noticed they were selling fuel additives for both petrol and diesel cars to prevent deposit build up. They recommend using one tin of additive per full tank of petrol. It’s £15.60 for a tin! The receipt stated Shell Helix Ultimate. I don’t think there can be any doubt that deposit build up is an issue if BMW are recommending using a tin of additive per tank of petrol, but at £15.60 a tin walnut blasting must work out cheaper.

[Russbmw]

All fuel additives are pointless, as they get injected into the cylinder at the same point the fuel does!

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by Ao1

Hi Steve, I went to pick up a part from BMW today and I noticed they were selling fuel additives for both petrol and diesel cars to prevent deposit build up. They recommend using one tin of additive per full tank of petrol. It’s £15.60 for a tin! The receipt stated Shell Helix Ultimate. I don’t think there can be any doubt that deposit build up is an issue if BMW are recommending using a tin of additive per tank of petrol, but at £15.60 a tin walnut blasting must work out cheaper.

Sadly buying a tin of fuel additive won't solve the issue of contaminated valves as we are dealing with direct injection petrol engine and a fuel additive though helpful will not therefore assist in washing the back of the valves as they used too many moons ago.

Fuel additives will assist though BMW from memory have their additives manufactured under line nice by TunAp TunAp do a can that roughly double the size for around the same money.

Originally Posted by Russbmw

All fuel additives are pointless, as they get injected into the cylinder at the same point the fuel does!

Very true, though to a degree a fuel additive can assist in other ways, the only way forward is to tackle the issue directly therefore walnut blasting-for us is the best way forward, Terraclean, Hydrogen cleaning though good in their own ways won't put this issue to bed.

[Phil325i]

And, as has been said before Steve, fitting an OCC and partial blanking of the EGR can also help. Won't eliminate it, but reduces the speed of carbon build-up...

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

And, as has been said before Steve, fitting an OCC and partial blanking of the EGR can also help. Won't eliminate it, but reduces the speed of carbon build-up...

Forgot the catch can Phil but yes moving forward these do all assist they won't solve the issue but pay a part, if your taking 335i then it's straightforward to sort as it's recognised plus there are options out there in the market place for you it's when you stray of that path and look at other models that you will be a little more taxed re your options bit they do work mines testimony to that.

If you have a Cooper S BMW are aware of a problem, if it goes too far apart from super knocking and contaminated valves you can also kill the breather system (thus is a 2 part affair one is within the rocker cover £230+VAT to supply the other sections within the inlet manifold £350+VAT from memory)downside is you can't as we've discovered replace just the rocker coved on these as BMW have modified these abs when replaced on their own create issues, replace the manifold as well issue goes, but it's a lot of money.

Peugot on the other hand knew this would be a problem they have a tech bulletin in place which is a cheap easy fix for the issue and involves a couple of blanks for the inlet and rocker and so I'm told in Mini's it works, which if you own a Mini might be worth visiting your local Peugot parts department to find out more, I have the tech bulletin on file somewhere which I'll post up once I find it

[mob17]

Funny how BMW write no additives on the fuel cap, and now sell them.

Another way to clean up CBU is to install meth i've read. Not a bad maintenance job

But i'm sure not a lot of people will want meth, so walnut blasting is the best alternatives for the intake.

[david in germany]

Steve, have you done any n43 engines? I have a 118i that is over 100k miles and the mpg has dropped about 2-3 and doesn't seem to be as peppy as it once was ( and not because I drive also a tuned 335i as well)! I have been trying to find out if the port sizes are the same on the 118i as the 335i because I recently picked up my blaster and want to do both of them.

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by david in germany

Steve, have you done any n43 engines? I have a 118i that is over 100k miles and the mpg has dropped about 2-3 and doesn't seem to be as peppy as it once was ( and not because I drive also a tuned 335i as well)! I have been trying to find out if the port sizes are the same on the 118i as the 335i because I recently picked up my blaster and want to do both of them.

Honest answer David is no we haven't done an N43, simply because no one asks for it.

The N54, Mini Cooper N14/N18 engine the odd N53 and N55 have all been done simply becuase people enquire and ask for the service based on what they have read on the net. There no doubt is scope for more engines to be done but as you've rightly stated will depend on the port size/shape as to whether safely the tools can be used.

Plus of course thre's scope for the Audi's etc. too but the same question needs asking as to whether safely the procedure can be carried out

[macck]

Hi Steve i have a n47 320d and idle has been a bit arodic recently. Hasnt been to bad since last service but my indy recons it could do with a walnut blast. Have you ever done any n47 320ds.

[david in germany]

Originally Posted by old grey steve

Honest answer David is no we haven't done an N43, simply because no one asks for it.

The N54, Mini Cooper N14/N18 engine the odd N53 and N55 have all been done simply becuase people enquire and ask for the service based on what they have read on the net. There no doubt is scope for more engines to be done but as you've rightly stated will depend on the port size/shape as to whether safely the tools can be used.

Plus of course thre's scope for the Audi's etc. too but the same question needs asking as to whether safely the procedure can be carried out

Thanks for the follow up, guess I will need to find out myself.

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by macck

Hi Steve i have a n47 320d and idle has been a bit arodic recently. Hasnt been to bad since last service but my indy recons it could do with a walnut blast. Have you ever done any n47 320ds.

It may help, thing is on a diesel when you've got these symptoms you need to check certain things likes like the cars running carefully, if the values start to fluctuate then you need to do a bit more digging.

These cars are as you may know to have issues like injectors if one has a high value a second may be working harder to compensate as an example and as you increase the revs things get smoother back off the throttle after a second or so the symptoms return, seen these goes undiagnosed elsewhere before coming to us, likewise low pressure sensors as well.

Thing is all if not most diesels we see must be coked up yet unless there's an issue as described above they don't have poor tick over.

So yes it'll help, if you see how caked up they get remove bing this crud will benefit, whether it'll be the done deal for yours hence why befjte we do the procedure we always request a disgnostic check is carried out to look at such things.

[macck]

Originally Posted by old grey steve

It may help, thing is on a diesel when you've got these symptoms you need to check certain things likes like the cars running carefully, if the values start to fluctuate then you need to do a bit more digging.

These cars are as you may know to have issues like injectors if one has a high value a second may be working harder to compensate as an example and as you increase the revs things get smoother back off the throttle after a second or so the symptoms return, seen these goes undiagnosed elsewhere before coming to us, likewise low pressure sensors as well.

Thing is all if not most diesels we see must be coked up yet unless there's an issue as described above they don't have poor tick over.

So yes it'll help, if you see how caked up they get remove bing this crud will benefit, whether it'll be the done deal for yours hence why befjte we do the procedure we always request a disgnostic check is carried out to look at such things.

Thanks for reply Steve. Will get injectors diagnosed first before i get walnut blasting done think dealers over here are looking near £500 to complete job.

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by macck

Thanks for reply Steve. Will get injectors diagnosed first before i get walnut blasting done think dealers over here are looking near £500 to complete job.

Its 100% worth doing, you've just got to find a place thstll be able to interpret the car, the faults you have and find a solution, luckily on adversely, if luckily is the right answer finding injector faults is a wee bit easier than say a 330i, smooth running tests will help if required you can on the diesels carry out a simple leak off test as well.

But as said we're only kinda guessing the smart play I'd say is get it diagnosed before ploughing forward with your wallet

[old grey steve]

Now this is for me interesting: Why! Because the valves you are about to see have been walnut blasted before, but not by us, but by someone else.

The car in questions has done 111.000 miiles and 22 months ago at 72k it was also walnut blasted. So what we saw when the inet was taken off was this:








and the ussual after shots:








The interesting thing for those who want to know is that this car was equipped with a catch can and PCV valve(though this was done post the 1st walnut blast and after some 25k or so mileage)

Goes to show that if like me you own one of these cars eventually you'll either re visit the proceure or if you have a 335i(or indeeed a 325i/330i)and you haven't had it done or think you'll never need it becuase you think your cars running spot on then think again.

Funny thing is this car only came in for this






a leaking oil filter housing gasket assembly(common 335i issue)and you've got to partially remove the manifold to get the housing out, we had a look as the customer had also twigged that it would be exposed and the above was what we saw.

Car sounded much better post work too

[Russbmw]

That is interesting given it has a catch can! What the hell!

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by Russbmw

That is interesting given it has a catch can! What the hell!

Catch can was installed a fair while after the 1st walnut blast had taken place Russ, it was interesting to see the results after the mileage done and you see the results for yourself.

I'm tempted to whip my manifold off for a look as it's almost 2 years since mine was done(just for a look)but every single 335i I've seen 100% has had coked valves, like wise 325/330's suffer too though their contaminations more gooey than the more stubborn stuff found on the 335i(due no doubt to the higher combustion temps associated with being turbocharged)