Gave My Rado the Terraclean Treatment On Wednesday

[VR-Sixy 0]

I was offered this service by my local garage when the Rado went in for some routime maintenance on Wednesday. I had originally asked for the plugs to be changed, but for a few quid more (total cost GBP122.00 inc VAT) my man asked if i'd like this done instead. Had a quick 'Google' and decided to go for it.

 

Basically, they hook up this machine which looks a bit like an Air-Con re-gasser to the fuel feeds and flush it through with this super-refined fuel which gets rid of your carbon deposits inside the engine, cleans the injectors and the cat-converter and gives you a lot (though probably not all) of your lost BHP back. You also benefit from improved MPG and lower CO2 emissions. Have to say I think I was expecting a little too much with regard to the amount of power I got back, but there’s definitely a noticeable difference. When idling – it sounds a lot quieter. The pick-up and pull when going up through the gears is a lot smoother, and there does seem to be a little more effortless ‘grunt’ when you step on the loud pedal!!

 

Money well spent? Quite probably. I;ve not noticed any adverse effects as yet but it is early days and time will tell. Seemed to me that it was running better this morning (Friday) than when i picked it up from the garage on Wednesday evening.

[seanl82 23]

Always wondered about this after seeing it on wheeler dealers, but I've not seen alot of evidence of the benefits from people actually having it done. Keep us updated as to how it is come emissions time and if there's a noticeable difference then!

[davidwort 0]

better off getting your injectors ultrasonic cleaned off the car I reckon, and there's no way it's going to clean your cat, as for cleaning backs of valves and combustion chambers etc I've yet to see a before and after picture?

[VR-Sixy 0]

Always wondered about this after seeing it on wheeler dealers, but I've not seen alot of evidence of the benefits from people actually having it done. Keep us updated as to how it is come emissions time and if there's a noticeable difference then!

Well, my MOT is due at the beginning of October, so i'll let you know the readings when i get it done.

[seanl82 23]

I remember seeing a before and after of cylinder bores from a Mazda iirc when I investigated, but it was an online review rather than from Joe Public posting on a forum. The results were very good I must admit, but again without hearing something from someone that has no vested interest in the treatment, I'll reserve judgement on that front.

[fla 9]

wasn't there someone on the forum offering this service?

[P3rks 11]

What's wrong with the old water through a vac pipe trick? :lol:

 

I did it on an old engine and the results were awesome! If anyone's ever had a head gasket go so the coolant enters the chambers you might have noticed how clean that cylinder was.. Steam cleaned!

[seanl82 23]

I saw a bloke pouring about 3 litres through someone elses TB on a mk4 Golf in the car club a few months back! I just walked away shaking my head! :cuckoo::nono:

[P3rks 11]

Ouch! That's not the method. Your meant to use the smallest vacuum line possible and only do it at 3,000rpm+

 

It does sound pikey but its an old school hot rodders method. Same goes for the ATF trick.

[VR-Sixy 0]

I remember seeing a before and after of cylinder bores from a Mazda iirc when I investigated, but it was an online review rather than from Joe Public posting on a forum. The results were very good I must admit, but again without hearing something from someone that has no vested interest in the treatment, I'll reserve judgement on that front.

No vested interest here..... just happy with the results!! :)

[Billzeebub 1]

No vested interest here..... just happy with the results!! :)

 

sounds interesting. Keep us appraised regarding medium term benefits. Your car is looking lovely these days, always look out for it on my way to work

[seanl82 23]

No vested interest here..... just happy with the results!! :)

 

 

Sorry I didn't mean you personally bud, its good to hear from someone like you that has no vested interest I mean. The online publisher of the article I read probably get a commision through a link no doubt, and as mentioned the only other personal view I've read was from someone on here iirc offering the service. Think they were based in the Sussex area from what I can remember.

[fyldefactory 10]

My Dad had it done to his 2001 Jag XJ with 140 000 miles on the clock. He has noticed improved throttle response, MUCH smoother idle and a slight improvement on fuel consumption. Its worth it I reckon and as soon as I buy a corrado again - cant wait - it will be one of the first things on the list.

[VR-Sixy 0]

sounds interesting. Keep us appraised regarding medium term benefits. Your car is looking lovely these days, always look out for it on my way to work

As I do for you, but we've not bumped into each other as yet....... so to speak!! :)

 

---------- Post added at 8:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 8:16 AM ----------

 

Sorry I didn't mean you personally bud, its good to hear from someone like you that has no vested interest I mean. The online publisher of the article I read probably get a commision through a link no doubt, and as mentioned the only other personal view I've read was from someone on here iirc offering the service. Think they were based in the Sussex area from what I can remember.

I'm sure you didn't. I'm equally sure that the online publisher as you say got a nice piece of wedge for the review, as did Edd China for his glowing endorsement!!

 

Truth to tell, and i'm not sure if i'm imagining this, but the performance seems to be getting better and better as the days go by. It's absolutely pulling like a train now and i've noticed slight changes to the engine note as well. :)

[Banana Man 0]

wasn't there someone on the forum offering this service?

 

That would be me :)

 

I don't get on here much anymore as sold my 2nd G60 last year (now running an S6) Still offering the Terraclean service in Sussex area if anyone is interested :)

[Walesy 0]

Hehe, I was just doing some searching on Google for this Terraclean treatment and this thread appeared, small world! I've not logged on here for ages, everything's changed!

 

I've been offered this treatment for free by a client of mine. He offered to treat my 2.5TDI T4 which is on close to 180k miles, and as much as I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, I'm not too convinced by it! I think on lower mileage engines it might be OK but surely with an engine on high mileage like mine it can't be good to completely clean it of carbon deposits? My engine runs very smoothly , idols perfectly, gives decent power and MPG, so I'm inclined to go with a theory of 'if it 'aint broke, don't fix it!'

 

When you're having an engine rebuilt, don't they have to use some sort of paste when re-seating the valves to replace the carbon build up?

Edited August 11, 2013 by Walesy

[davidwort 0]

When you're having an engine rebuilt, don't they have to use some sort of paste when re-seating the valves to replace the carbon build up?

 

 

There's loads of unanswered questions, and when it's so hard to get clear unbiased scientific comparisons you have to assume it's mainly snake oil. Slick-50 anyone?

I though't I'd ask the guys at the independent garage my dad works at if they knew anyone that had it done and their thoughts, generally it seems they were of the opinion that it might help de-coke and old engine, but they'd never suggest sending a modern customer's car for it, but for older cars we're talking old-fashioned carb or pre- multi-lambda cars where fuel management is not the best, certainly not as clean running as anything built in the last 10 years.

 

I've stripped a couple of old vw blocks down and I'm always surprised how free of deposits they are, even on early k-jet engines, a bit of hard deposits on the backs of valves and often a bit of grime on the piston tops but nothing that massively affects performance .When you clean up valves, lapping them in is essential to maintain a gas-tight seal, so I'd say even if a cleaning treatment was effective enough to remove any of the valve-back deposits, not stripping the head and lapping the valves back in can't be a good thing. If you just want to clean a bit of soot out of the exhaust ports take it for an Italian tune-up :)

[Banana Man 0]

Seem to recall you saying the exact same thing more than a year ago David, whoever told you that modern engines don't suffer from carbon related issues obviously don't deal with modern engines.

 

2009 2 ltr tfsi intake valves after 25k

 

 

Audi A3 tdi egr valve

 

 

My 170k miler 4.2 v8 s6 avg'd 15mpg when I got it with hydrocarbons being 176ppm, now doing a respectable 22-24 mpg on the shortish journeys I do with hydrocarbons being reduced to 25ppm, lambda and co% are also bang on.

[zeb911 10]

Blimey thats an eye opener

[davidwort 0]

pictures of a gunked up tdi egr valve isn't comparing apples with apples though is it? and how exactly is a system that puts detergents into your fuel going to do anything to an egr valve?

 

and I've yet to see an engine with soot build up on the intake side, has it been running in reverse???

 

so, where are the independently verified results of two banks of the same petrol engine stripped down, one treated and the other not?

[Banana Man 0]

How about pictures before and after of egr and cooler of a A3 tdi would that help (probably not)

 

If anyone wants to do an independent test they are more than welcome to, if they want to go to the expense of stripping 2 engines down before and then replacing gaskets and running one engine through terraclean and the other same process without terraclean and then stripping both engines down and replacing gaskets again, it is an expensive route just to prove a point, but there is no one stopping them.

 

Go speak to people that have actually had the service done and see what the response is!!!

 

Anyway heres a few pics before and after terraclean of the EGR and Cooler from an A3 tdi

 

Terraclean egr tool

 

Before EGR

 

After

 

Before

 

after

 

and I've yet to see an engine with soot build up on the intake side, has it been running in reverse???

Dave I don't know whether you have heard of it but EGR stands for exhaust gas recirculation, it is a method of further reducing NOx gases by re introducing them to the inlet manfold, that is how inlet valves also get introduced with carbon, especially on direct port injection vehicles as the tops of the inlet valves never see any direct fuel contact to wash any soot build up off unlike older conventional port injection systems, a certain amount of oil which seep past stem seals will also build up on the tops of the inlets as they get burnt onto the surface and with no direct contact with fuel this will carry on to build up causing loss of performance over a period of time..

 

If you don't believe in the process you don't believe it really is as simple as that I really don't care if you don't believe we don't expect to accept the product the response from many thousand of people that have actually tried has been very positive.

 

By the way there are no detergents used in the petrol terraclean system, refined fuels and technology are the only things needed to get results that off the shelf products can't achieve!!!

Edited August 12, 2013 by Banana Man