Valve Cleaning for 1.8t

[Aveoon]

Is this recommended? My car has 140k on it (1.8t quattro) and I seriously doubt the previous owner cleaned them. If so, is there any good DIY? I didn't see anything in the tech section or the search.

[daihashi]

Is this recommended? My car has 140k on it (1.8t quattro) and I seriously doubt the previous owner cleaned them. If so, is there any good DIY? I didn't see anything in the tech section or the search.

Remove head... take to the machine shop for a jet wash. Done.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[Tanzimur]

Remove head... take to the machine shop for a jet wash. Done.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

ye that'll cost u some sweet ass time to do, y not just run some lucas injector cleaner and v-power gas for all the time thatll keep em lookn good!!!

[sa_seahawker]

ye that'll cost u some sweet ass time to do, y not just run some lucas injector cleaner and v-power gas for all the time thatll keep em lookn good!!!

That's a short term fix. With 140k+ miles on the clock, he should be thinking about a head service anyway. Any reputable shop would be able to rebuild for you.

[texasboy21]

I had mine cleaned at 80K. They were not terribly dirty, but needed to be inspected as my timing jumped a tooth. At the same time I switched from REVO stg1 to APRs big injector file, but the car definitly ran well after it was done.

As others said its tedious AKA expensive if a shop does the work.

[SierraVFR]

140,000 miles Check engine light on. I just ran BG cleaner available at the dealer. It cost just over $50 but at least I know the valve and pistons are clean. Just injector cleaner does not clean the valves since the injectors are located in the intake manifold on the 1.8l Using a ball pump needle and small vacuum line the cleaner is siphoned into the throttle body at idle and then turned off for 45 min. to let the cleaner work. I do did not notice any improvement and I still have a P0420 code. Cal Cat is $1160 No after market avail. in Cal.

[EBG 18T]

I do did not notice any improvement and I still have a P0420 code. Cal Cat is $1160 No after market avail. in Cal.

034 offers a HFC and others have passed Cali smog testing with it. Price tags is ~$350.

[MikTip]

Is this recommended? My car has 140k on it (1.8t quattro) and I seriously doubt the previous owner cleaned them. If so, is there any good DIY? I didn't see anything in the tech section or the search.

Does it even need it?

Run premium gasoline like chevron that has techron already in it and the valves will stay clean!

I recently pulled my intake manifold and at 140,000 miles, my valves were dam clean!

Then all I run is premium gas and quite often chevron or shell.

You could boreascope the intake via the throttlebody and see if it even needs a cleaning?

[MikTip]

140,000 miles Check engine light on. I just ran BG cleaner available at the dealer. It cost just over $50 but at least I know the valve and pistons are clean. Just injector cleaner does not clean the valves since the injectors are located in the intake manifold on the 1.8l Using a ball pump needle and small vacuum line the cleaner is siphoned into the throttle body at idle and then turned off for 45 min. to let the cleaner work. I do did not notice any improvement and I still have a P0420 code. Cal Cat is $1160 No after market avail. in Cal.

Cal cat?

Let me guess a shop is saying you need a cal cat because you live in cal?

Call 034 askm about their $400 HFC if they can install it in the peoples republic of california?

Also if you drive to say arizona and have a cat installed and drive back to cali how would cali know you replaced the cat
In arizona?

[SoCal Driver]

I live in California too, and my dad is good friends with a local exhaust shop owner. I had this discussion with him a few months ago and this is what he explained to me.

Parts like the cat require a California Air Research Board certification number (CARB E.O.#). It's a way California can tightly regulate what parts are going onto vehicles and make sure their output is kept in check. For a part to get certified by the state it's extremely expensive and time consuming process. this is why you see a lot of performance parts that are "49 state legal" or say "not for use on public roads in California". Additionally, for a CARB certified cat, the outlet of the cat cannot exceed the diameter of the O.E. part it's replacing. Therefor CARB will not issue a CARB E.O.# to a performance cat. That last statement assumes a HFC has a larger outlet diameter than the stock unit.

In CA, a smog shop is to inspect items like the cat to ensure its O.E or has a CARB E.O.# stamped on it. Now most smog shop techs don't actually check the cat. But, if the cat is in the engine bay like our cars there's a better chance of the tech acutally checking it. Most time the tech just checks to make sure there is a cat in place. But with tighter and tighter regulations coming down the pipe in CA we might see more smog shops techs actually following the rules. So even if we drive to another state and have any cat installed when we go to smog the car we might run into problems. Most of shops in CA will only install a CARB certified cat because they are afraid of getting in trouble if the state finds out they did.

It really sucks, the state has really taken away all the fun of owning a car, and guns, and pretty much everything else....

[MikTip]

I live in California too, and my dad is good friends with a local exhaust shop owner. I had this discussion with him a few months ago and this is what he explained to me.

Parts like the cat require a California Air Research Board certification number (CARB E.O.#). It's a way California can tightly regulate what parts are going onto vehicles and make sure their output is kept in check. For a part to get certified by the state it's extremely expensive and time consuming process. this is why you see a lot of performance parts that are "49 state legal" or say "not for use on public roads in California". Additionally, for a CARB certified cat, the outlet of the cat cannot exceed the diameter of the O.E. part it's replacing. Therefor CARB will not issue a CARB E.O.# to a performance cat. That last statement assumes a HFC has a larger outlet diameter than the stock unit.

In CA, a smog shop is to inspect items like the cat to ensure its O.E or has a CARB E.O.# stamped on it. Now most smog shop techs don't actually check the cat. But, if the cat is in the engine bay like our cars there's a better chance of the tech acutally checking it. Most time the tech just checks to make sure there is a cat in place. But with tighter and tighter regulations coming down the pipe in CA we might see more smog shops techs actually following the rules. So even if we drive to another state and have any cat installed when we go to smog the car we might run into problems. Most of shops in CA will only install a CARB certified cat because they are afraid of getting in trouble if the state finds out they did.

It really sucks, the state has really taken away all the fun of owning a car, and guns, and pretty much everything else....

So find someone selling a good used Audi cat for much less and have it installed!

Currently Audi USA is selling "rebuilt" cat-converters, as indicated by their parts number, 8E0131089DX. The "X" means rebuilt.

Who's rebuildin them for Audi?

Their OE, so just because their OE they pass CA's radical smog laws!

A used one is OE....but I know most shops in Cali wont touch it...

Find a local Audi DIY type an pay him some cash to install it!

I played the musical cat game back east for a number of years....just gotta be able to wrench your own Audi!

[MikTip]

140,000 miles Check engine light on. I just ran BG cleaner available at the dealer. It cost just over $50 but at least I know the valve and pistons are clean. Just injector cleaner does not clean the valves since the injectors are located in the intake manifold on the 1.8l Using a ball pump needle and small vacuum line the cleaner is siphoned into the throttle body at idle and then turned off for 45 min. to let the cleaner work. I do did not notice any improvement and I still have a P0420 code. Cal Cat is $1160 No after market avail. in Cal.

Were the 02 sensors changed first?

[SierraVFR]

Good input guys, Thank you SoCal Driver you totally validated what I was hearing and believed to be the case. There have been no indications there is a o2 sensor or the camshaft sensor problem other then P0011 and that code has not come back. Yes America, In California the visual inspection is part of the drama. BTW, I have to put the stock airbox and breather flange tube back in as well. I ponied up and paid the $1160 + ($250 deposit core charge) I am not interested in playing games with every 2 years changing parts to please C.A.R.B California Air Resources Board.

[IgorBoi]

Good input guys, Thank you SoCal Driver you totally validated what I was hearing and believed to be the case. There have been no indications there is a o2 sensor or the camshaft sensor problem other then P0011 and that code has not come back. Yes America, In California the visual inspection is part of the drama. BTW, I have to put the stock airbox and breather flange tube back in as well. I ponied up and paid the $1160 + ($250 deposit core charge) I am not interested in playing games with every 2 years changing parts to please C.A.R.B California Air Resources Board.

I don't know where you did your Smog check, but I am from the same area and when I did mine, it literaly took me 5 minutes, the guy barely even opened the hood up, he checked that I have a CAT and just passed me