Keeping a diesel fit

[alogbe]

I have a 2000 Audi A4 1.9 TDI which has done 125,000 miles without giving any engine trouble. It's been serviced according to the book and in addition it's had the oil and filter changed in between the scheduled services - i.e. twice as often as Audi recommends. So it's been treated well and it runs well.

I find that even though I drive fairly briskly, I hardly ever take the engine speed much over about 3,000 rpm - there doesn't seem to be any gain.

A couple of friends, both engineers (which I'm not), have told me - independently - that once in a while I should put the car into a low gear, take it up to the engine limit, and keep it there for maybe 10 seconds. Not just the red section on the rev counter (which begins at about 4,500 rpm), but right up to the point when the limiter stops it going any further. The idea, they say, is to burn off or clean off deposits around the injectors which have probably resulted from my driving style.

Is this an old wives' tale, or is there some merit in it? It goes against my instincts to stress any machine unnecessarily.

[chrisvrscrx]

They are right. These deposits build up especially on your turbo VNT mechanism, this causes it to stick open or closed. Ive always been told diesels need ragging every once in a while because of the way they burn fuel, they are much dirtier than a petrol engine.

[Col]

Totally agree.

You need to excercise the turbo and ensure the VNT mechanism operates throughout its entire range.

[devonutopia]

Mine's kept fit by being run every day (usually) and during one journey I will try to use max boost to clean it all out a bit, especially if I've been pootling. This is only done once the engine is warm though. My car's been ultra reliable, even though I'm running 100% stock power.

[Singlespeed]

Relying on the limiter to control the engine at maximum revs is a bit dangerous in my opinion.

It would be much safer to use all the revs up to the red line, once every now and again, rather than trying to blow away the cobwebs with a quick fix.

A brisk run before MOT time is a good idea, or your engine may well have some spoty youf testing your limiter to clear the exhaust system, to pass the emisions test. Ive heard of some places doing this stationary, ie - not under load :zx11:

Don't rev the engine to the red line or limiter without a load on it. Infact don't rev it without a load, full stop...

But hey, it's your engine ;)

[Loofer]

Relying on the limiter to control the engine at maximum revs is a bit dangerous in my opinion.

It would be much safer to use all the revs up to the red line, once every now and again, rather than trying to blow away the cobwebs with a quick fix.

A brisk run before MOT time is a good idea, or your engine may well have some spoty youf testing your limiter to clear the exhaust system, to pass the emisions test. Ive heard of some places doing this stationary, ie - not under load :zx11:

Don't rev the engine to the red line or limiter without a load on it. Infact don't rev it without a load, full stop...

But hey, it's your engine ;)

I'm going to be a bit thick here... but what do you mean by 'load'? When is it with/out a load?

I guess I need to give a bit of a pelt as I rarely go over over 2000rpm!!

Having said that, I couldn't convince myself to go past the redline!

[bora(ing) nick]

I'm going to be a bit thick here... but what do you mean by 'load'? When is it with/out a load?

I guess I need to give a bit of a pelt as I rarely go over over 2000rpm!!

Having said that, I couldn't convince myself to go past the redline!

No load is when the car is not in gear.... or is in gear but wheels allowed to turn freely (ie if it were on axle stands)

With load is normal driving....

I do a regular trip from Manchester to Anglesey and back again weekly, pushing the engine quite hard most of the way.... The A55 is a brilliant road, just too many Volvos with cameras.;)

My engine gets blasted most of the time and has just done 23K miles in between services on the long life regime. :biglaugh:

Nick

[Eshrules]

under or without load is another way of saying 'at standstill' if you rev the backside off a car whilst stationary, it doesnt do it any good.

id disagree with not revving it to limiter though... no harm will be done 'as such' as the rev limiter is there for that very reason. once warm, take the car for a good blast down the motorway, i usually do it when i'm moving from a freshly joined motorway, leave it in 3/4 gear dependant on your box and carry it to 70/80, by which time your limiter will more than likely have kicked in.

you'll notice the difference once you've done this, the car will respond and run a bit better.

id say you ought to do this at least once a month IMHO Col & Chris know their stuff and it isnt the first time i've heard this mentioned about Tdi's.

[Eshrules]

The A55 is a brilliant road, just too many Volvos with cameras.;)



this much i can vouch for, on both counts.... when it's quiet (around 12am/1am) it is a brilliant road to be on.

i stayed at a travel lodge just off the A55 for valentines and we went for a midnight mooch, i must say it was jolly good fun!

[cbrpaul]

i think it is good to have a " blow out " now and then also ,


I drive steady most of the time but every now and then when shes fully warmed up and usually when im on my own , i keep my right down for abit longer , vrooooooooooooom :D

its quite surprising the performance to behonest , and you can feel the engine wanting to go for it too !!!


:beerchug:

[bora(ing) nick]

this much i can vouch for, on both counts.... when it's quiet (around 12am/1am) it is a brilliant road to be on.

i stayed at a travel lodge just off the A55 for valentines and we went for a midnight mooch, i must say it was jolly good fun!

I'm normally on it around 6am on a monday morning, on my way to RAF Valley, on Anglesey.... you stopped in towyn if i remember correctly, thats about half way to where i work.

Anyway back on topic:biglaugh:

Nick

[MalcQV]

I'm normally on it around 6am on a monday morning, on my way to RAF Valley, on Anglesey.... you stopped in towyn if i remember correctly, thats about half way to where i work.

Anyway back on topic:biglaugh:

Nick

Some fantastic tunnels too :p

[Eshrules]

Some fantastic tunnels too :p

whereabouts are these tunnels?

its sad, but i love going through tunnels with the windows down,listening to the turbo :Blush2:

[MalcQV]

whereabouts are these tunnels?

its sad, but i love going through tunnels with the windows down,listening to the turbo :Blush2:
Conwy tunnel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A55_road#The_Conwy_Tunnel)

[Loofer]

Okey dokey... If any of you see a silver Bora with black smoke billowing out the back of it on the M62 (west) tomorrow morning then chances are it's me... doing something good for my car!:approve:

[onzarob]

Totally agree.

You need to excercise the turbo and ensure the VNT mechanism operates throughout its entire range.

This applies to all cars, My dad (Fully trained Mechanic) used to tune up my Grandads car (Ford Cortina mk3) by taking it out for a blast. just because my grandad use to pootle about in it. he always felt the car had been tune;)

I give my TDI a blast in 3rd a couple time a week up hilland on an open road, chuck the rubbish out really.

I was speaking to the local garage when i had the MOT done and he says that some of the diesels tested fill the garage with soot when they do the emissons test, just becuase they are driven so easliy!!!

[MalcQV]

Conwy tunnel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A55_road#The_Conwy_Tunnel)


and the
Penmaenmawr and Penmaenbach tunnels.

They do sound good :)

[Marts Golf]

when you take your tdi in for its mot unfortunatly they hold it on the limited for the machine to read the opacity of the smoke which determines whether the car passes or fails its test, just a example if you roll up to a 306 d turbo if they carpet it they tend to smoke quite a lot the vws seem not to do that unless thery are getting a bit tired as far as i know diesels are fitted with a guvenor that makes the engine sit at its safest capability that the manufacturer set it at so effectivly you could sit on the guvenor for a while this is how some of the big trucks pull there load up hills sorry to bore you all lol:p

[Eshrules]

Conwy tunnel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A55_road#The_Conwy_Tunnel)

i dont think i've been that far along, i usually do from manchester to towyn, so i probably come off before i even find these tunnels, must make a point of having a good run out some time :approve:

[bora(ing) nick]

i dont think i've been that far along, i usually do from manchester to towyn, so i probably come off before i even find these tunnels, must make a point of having a good run out some time :approve:

Tunels start a about half an hour after the towyn turn off (23A if i remember right ;) ) past Llandudno.

It's good on the way there, but on the way back is better :biglaugh:...

Instead of going through the mountain, you go round the outside of it, Colin Mcrae style :p

I'll be setting off for home around 12'ish, should be in my local for 2 depending on traffic :approve:

Nick

[teccyjim]

The best thing I have EVER done to ANY vehicle is use 'Forte Diesel Treatment'. I cannot rave on about this product enough, its superb. It's supposed to be a 'trade use only' product and as such is not for retail sale unlike the other garbage Halfords sell (stp, redex, slick50 etc...). My friendly MOT station told me that they use this stuff first if a car fails its emmissions test, add to the tank, drive for 10 mins, retest and usually it passes and much cheaper than a few hours labour to diagnose a fault.

I used as per the instructions, add to full tank. Drove from oxford to york, didnt notice a great deal of difference. By the time i had used 3/4 of the tank I could have sworn somebody had remapped my car. My fuel consumption has gone up but only because im actually enjoying driving the car now rather than 'using' it. This stuff crops up on ebay from time to time, the seller is called thezoomroom i think, and its cheaper than buying from your MOT station (if they'll even sell you it).

At under a tenner, it's a bargain. Give it a try.

jimbo:beerchug:

[Clinterous]

Never seen this thread before...

I've only hit the red line once in my tdi in last six months, as loathed to do so, especially now with 180k on the clock.

But, I have noticed it's not running as smooth as it was and MPG gone down a bit, so perhaps a blast will do it some good! Especially as I'm getting a remap done on Sunday:D

[chrisvrscrx]

I've been meaning to try this for ages. I think I'll take the plunge and buy some. I'll report my findings.

[ini]

I think that a long motorway journey once a month, of at least 3 to 4 hours solid driving, is absolutely vital to turbo and CAT/exhaust health.

Leave the car in 4th and sit at 3500rpm for an hour or so.

Prolonged high engine & exhaust temps seem to be the key to burning off VNT/CAT/head deposits, especially on a higher mileage car.

My car was always much better to drive after a days motorway journey. Much more smooth & powerful, and stayed on power right upto 4500rpm in all gears even on steep hills (in 5th).

Exhaust restrictions & increased backpressure alter turbo function, which also helps clog up the VNT mechanism, and alters limp mode parameters.

My next TDI will have either a high flow CAT installed, or a pressure sensor installed pre-CAT.

[teccyjim]

Never heard the idea of running the car in 4th for an hour at motorway speeds before, does it definately work? I do loads of motorway driving, might be worth a try! I recently cleaned out my EGR and inlet manifold manually and was quite frankly disgusted by what i found. It was hard to imagine how air was getting from the intercooler and through the inlet manifold!!! Think the combination of cleaning it all out and the Forte treatment have altered the car completely. For example this morning I went from Selby to Clifton Moor just outside York (roughly 17 miles) and from cold I still managed 58.9mpg (av). All roads are 60mph 'A' roads and part 70 mph dual carriage way. I was well impressed! These 90bhp AGR motors aint the quickest but they are bloody cheap to run!!!

Jimbo :biglaugh:

[Captain Answer]

This is a good idea for ANY car, running it up to its potential once warm every now and then for an hour or so with a spirrited drive will help clear away deposits on your engine, particularly your valves

[The Glove]

I make a point of taking up to the limit fairly regularly on the motorway. This week just happened to be when there was some chav corsa trying to climb into my boot.... Left him in a james bond style smoke screen. Never felt better, cars good too:biglaugh::biglaugh:.

Will give this Forte Diesel Treatment a go.

[teccyjim]

For under a tenner it is well worth a go. Consider redex or stp treatment will cost you £4.99 and slick50 is £14.99. There is simply no point in buying them.

Products like Forte are used by the trade which means they must work and are safe when used in accordance with the instructions, leaving the dealer/garage liable for any damage caused by misuse. Products like Redex are almost 'too' safe for fear of breaking your pride and joy and being shafted with a huge bill (Tesco fuel problem springs to mind).

So in summary: Forte= far stronger-use it properly, awesome effect. Redex etc= marketing hype with fancy packaging and terminology that you or I couldn't care less about, weak (too safe), poor effect.

Ive used their petrol treatment too in my old honda accord vtec. The effect was far more noticeable than any other additive but nothing quite like the diesel treatment. My friend followed me for a mile or two on the way back from the gym and said he was amazed how it didnt smoke at all.....At my recent MOT the emissions were lower than all others for which I have records.

Jimbo

[Isoproturon]

Where can we buy this wonderful snake oil?

[chris954]

Where can we buy this wonderful snake oil?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Forte-Service-Treatment-Kit-Diesel-Engine_W0QQitemZ270209133698QQihZ017QQcategoryZ431 20QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[chrisvrscrx]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Forte-Service-Treatment-Kit-Diesel-Engine_W0QQitemZ270209133698QQihZ017QQcategoryZ431 20QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm not sure i'd use that seller. The title is for a diesel car and he says these two products will give your 'PETROL' engine that little bit extra on its next service.


I think this is supposed to be really good!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Millers-Power-Sport-4-Performance-Diesel-Fuel-Treatment_W0QQitemZ170191388416QQihZ007QQcategoryZ 72205QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[The Glove]

Yeah just looked at that Fortes seller myself

Anyone know if its one treatment one 400ml bottle or will one bottle do a few treatments?

Cheers

[teccyjim]

Yeah just looked at that Fortes seller myself

Anyone know if its one treatment one 400ml bottle or will one bottle do a few treatments?

Cheers

Yes, it's just one treatment.

The instructions should say add to a 'typical' full tank of fuel (so 50-70l) and for anything bigger you do it to a certain ratio. Look for the seller 'thezoomroom'. You should let your fuel run down until the warning light comes on- before people pounce on me and tell me I shouldn't do that, the idea is you pour the treatment in first so it starts to disolve all the deposits in the tank and fuel lines, then add your fuel.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Forte-Diesel-Fuel-Injector-Cleaner_W0QQitemZ120219816717QQihZ002QQcategoryZ28 641QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ive tried the 'Millers Power Sport 4' and was impressed but after using the Forte treatment, it seems to have lost its effect. Still got half a bottle in the boot....

Hope this helps,

Jimbo

[SMEG]

Hi, you can get Millers Diesel Power Sport 4 from Halfords, and it really does what it says on the tin.

[Loofer]

Although I know we're talking about fuel treatment here rather than an engine flush... here's an interesting thread I started last year
http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=12161&page=2

Basically getting rid of sludge/deposits from a high mileage engine could have an adverse affect.

Hope the Forte/Millers dosn't have the same side affect in terms of removing sludge

[teccyjim]

It just cleans the fuel lines an ultimately the injectors and nozzles. If you have 'sludge' in your fuel system, something has gone awefully wrong! Agree that certain build-ups/deposits are a factor in an engines tollerances particularly with high milage cars- stops leaks from appearing/occuring etc. My Bora has just done 67K and is (now!) running spot on.

jimbo