Are you of the opinion that the maintenance of your car should be done by a certified mechanic? Well, a lot of car owners believe so, because most of us buy cars out of necessity rather than out if the interest in cars. However, by sending it into the mechanic, you’ll definitely have to pay the price, and this may not be so ideal for people who are on a tight budget.

One of the most important things on a car’s maintenance schedule is the fuel injector and carbon cleaning for the engine's combustion chambers. What happens is that when the car burns fuel while it operates, the excess fuel not properly burned gradually leaves a residue which through time will build up on the combustion chambers and the injectors. The most common symptoms of dirty injectors and carbon build-ups is when the car sometimes stutter and lose power during acceleration.

This is more common in cars used in city driving, due to shorter travel distance and lower traveling speed. The short travel distance and lower speed will inhibit the engine from operating at its most optimum condition, causing the inefficient combustion. Usually, mechanics will recommend the fuel injectors and carbon cleaning to be done at intervals ranging from every 20,000 - 50,000km.

Today, we’re going to explore a very simple maintenance procedure to prevent these carbon build ups from happening. This is a method that may be as simple as a car wash. Basically, this is what is known as the Italian Tune-Up, a method that was reportedly developed by Ferrari!

Italian Tune Up is a method to burn off the carbon deposits in the combustion chambers by running the engine at its maximum load, forcing the injectors to flow more fuel to the engine which will purge all the unwanted build up in the injectors. This will increase the temperature inside the combustion chambers to burn all the unwanted build up away.

This method is rumoured to be used by Ferrari’s mechanics, as most Ferrari's usually spends most of its time in the garage. This leaves unburned fuel in the engine and injectors, leading up to carbon deposits building over time. Legend has it that the Ferrari mechanic will drive the car on the track for a few laps, running the engine at its maximum load, before returning it to the owner. To make it easier to understand, just think of it as your car doing cardio.

That’s the jist of how the Italian Tune Up works. But before you go around revving around the block, you should know how the entire process works and how you can safely do it without damaging your car.

Step 1

Before attempting this method, do a routine inspection of your car’s belts and fluid levels and make sure your car is not running low on oil and coolant. Also turn on the engine and listen for any grinding or rattling sounds because there are chances that the sounds are caused by wear or problems and this tune up may just break them. Finally, check for any leaks under the car or inside the engine bay. You have to make sure that the car is in a good condition because this tune up will put a strain on your car. Once you have made sure of it, warm the engine until it reaches a normal operating temperature before proceeding.

Step 2

The tune up requires you to let your car reach its maximum load, which is at the red-line of the RPM indicator. Just to be safe, do this at 200-300 rpm below the red-line. You’ll need to drive the car at a speed above 60 km/hr and get as close as possible to the rev limiter. The reason that the car needs to be driven at speed above 60Km/hr is because the wind generated at this speed will prevent the car from overheating.

Drive the car at this condition for 10 to 15 minutes, while paying attention to the temperature gauge. If the temperature gets too close to overheating, then shift to higher gear and let the car cool down. It is best to attempt this at a very late hour when the road is empty and the outside temperature is at its coolest. After 10-15 minutes, shift to high gear and drive the car around until it cools down.

Sometimes a faint smoke will arise from the exhaust pipe during the tune-up, this is normal. The smoke is caused by deposits getting burned. However, if there is too much smoke coming out or if the smoke is very visible, stop the entire process immediately. Remember, you have to always let the car cool down after every tune up before shutting off the engine.

And there you have it. The tune up that will help you keep your injectors clean for a longer time and prevent carbon deposits from building up too much. Do note that this tune up is not meant to replace your car’s scheduled maintenance. It’s more like a supplement between your maintenance sessions.

What do you think about the Italian Tune Up? Leave a comment below!