My idea is don't spray stuff into your engine if there's no sign of trouble.
My previous GDI powered 2017 Tucson gave me 6 trouble free years without messing about with the intake valves.
I do however clean the throttle body every 50,000 miles on the fuel injected cars I've owned.

CRC GDI Valve Cleaner Trial - Before and After (Never Again)

CRC GDI Valve Cleaner Trial - Before and After (Never Again)

www.scannerdanner.com

 

Valve cleaning on a hybrid sounds tricky. Might be worth letting the pros handle it.

 

I have almost 62,000 on my car now and the dealer said I should consider having the valves cleaned. I’ve done this on my VW but of course IT isn’t a hybrid. Maybe I should just let the dealer do it🤔

 

Found this with a quick Google search.

https://www.hyundai-forums.com/threads/intake-valve-cleaning-on-gdi-engines.692219/

 

Seems pretty strait forward I just wonder how the idle will be? To keep the engine running and not switching to EV mode may be the biggest challenge 🤔

 

Ask your dealer how to put the car in "Engine Maintenance Mode." (He might be a bit cranky about missing the high-margin revenue from doing the valve clean for you.) EMM is mentioned in the User Manual, and elsewhere on the Web, but without instructions on how to invoke it.

These are the instructions for an older Ioniq hybrid. If you are lucky, Hyundai kept the same programming.

1. Set the parking brake. Not needed but safety first.
2. Without touching the brake turn the car on by hitting the ignition button twice. Accessory mode.
3. With the car in park press the gas pedal to the floor twice.
4. Shift to neutral and press the gas pedal to the floor twice.
5. Shift back to park and press the gas pedal twice to the floor.
6. Holding the brake push the start button once and start the car.

If you do find out how to invoke Engine Maintenance Mode, please post it as a new thread. Other folks might be interested, now or in the future.

 

Well I did try that sequence but with no luck. Another annoying thing is when you open your hood you cannot see your tachometer which sucks. I had to get the sound of my car with the hood closed in my ear to know what 2000 rpms sounded like. I also tune my chainsaw carburetor this way so not a new concept to me. With the help of my mom we managed to tag team dispensing the sea foam version of intake valve cleaner into the throttle body while I held the accelerator at what sounded like 2000 rpms. The car didn’t stall out or anything while dispensing the product or bog down like some people had mentioned when doing this service on their cars. I followed the instructions on the can. I saw a big poof of grey smoke come out after the “hot soak” and things seemed ok. I haven’t had a chance to really try my car out driving in the city yet but so far so good. Just finished up changing its oil too. Tucson chores done…. Now GTI brakes 🚘

 

I Think you can hit the menu button to get back to the tach showing.

I used CRC on my Soul when I had that car directly into the valves and without doubt it did do some cleaning. I too got the smoke after the sitting time but also chunks came out.
I posted before someone in that forum pointed out he looked at the valves after and they were clearly cleaner but wondered if those chucks or pieces going through the exhaust/cat converter would cause any problems....

 

I will try that next time. Yeah the poor car behind me on that first acceleration 😂

 

For anybody who might find this thread on a search, here is a video with methodology and results of using the STP Intake Valve Cleaner. The before and after borescope views of the valves are impressive. Using a stick to hold the accelerator is a useful tip.

 

I just bought some Berryman intake and valve cleaner to try for the next time. In their instructions they say you can find an intake vacuum hose to use to dispense their product. The throttle body on my Tucson is down very deep in the engine which made it a real pain to access. Then trying to get the straw positioned correctly was ridiculous . Being able to access an intake vacuum hose would hopefully make this a lot easier. I’m not 100% sure which hose is the proper one to use. Do any of you have any insight on where this would be located? Any help much appreciated. I’ll post some pictures of my engine for reference when I get a second.

 

Just at Hyundai yesterday. They said the 3 stage engine cleaning should be done every 20,000 miles for $259.

They want to change the brake fluid every 2 years for $153.

I said no thanks. Just buy good gas and take a few hundred mile drive occasionally. Brake fluid is good for 4 years with no issue.

 

Literally flushing wallet of $800yr.. Sound like chain shop stuff to me

Never heard of 3-stage cleaning every 20,000 mile.

Keep that money in your wallet, put it into an investment fund

 

Try using sea foam to clean your intake valves.

 

Recommend performing an oil change after using the CRC GDI IVD Intake Valve & Turbo Cleaner treatment.
I also use Lisle 48700 Throttle Pedal Depressor to assist with keeping engine RPM at 2,000 RPM while performing the CRC GDI treatment (non PHEV HYundai vehicle):
https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/throttle-pedal-depressor

 

I’ve heard ots not good to clean the valves but a oil catch can should prevent the valves from getting carbon

 

The 1.6L engine has a built in catch can system incorporated in the valve cover itself. It is a different system than the older replaceable in-line device normally used. It is not even called a PCV on this engine. On the hybrid you can see it on top of the cover. It looks kinda like a tank turret and has a 5/8" or so line going down to the turbo. A catch can I think would be a waste of money

 

Most "carbon" problems can be treated with a good couple of hours drive at highway speeds (70-80 mph). That gets the combustion flow at peak temps and dries out the inside of the engine. Add a gas treatment as well to maximize the action. Take a road trip and enjoy yourself instead of spending a few hundred at a dealership.

I have never seen an engine with carbon problems unless it is only driven at city speeds or is a commuter where the speed and temps never reach proper operating parameters.

We used to laugh that older people would only drive in the city and take in their Cadillacs for a tune-up. The tecs would just get in them and make a 20-30 mile drive at 100 mph blowing out clouds of carbon and soot. No mechanical work but the flat rate would remain the same. The cars would drive like new. Driving all the time at city speeds kills cars.

 

Gas treatment with P.E.A.. Presently that's Gumout Regane every 3k miles.

 

Most Hyundai engines blow up before they ever need their valves cleaned.

 

Maybe the kid in Canada who blew his 18 month old engine up by tracking the car at high revs should claim he was "cleaning out the carbon." 🤣

 

You don't need any of that stuff. The following videos will show why

 

I fretted and fretted for a year whether to pay Firestone to clean the valves, then the engine blew out six weeks ago and Hyundai replaced it. Best $150 I never spent.

 

Oh my! that’s too stinking funny!

 

I finally got some pictures taken. Is the red circle the pcv intake? The other picture shows the location of the throttle body. I can barely even get a picture of it much less get my hands in there to take the thing loose to spray in the intake cleaner. That’s why I’m trying to figure out a different way to do this that’s easier.

 

I finally got some pictures taken. Is the red circle the pcv intake? The other picture shows the location of the throttle body. I can barely even get a picture of it much less get my hands in there to take the thing loose to spray in the intake cleaner. That’s why I’m trying to figure out a different way to do this that’s easier.

There is no PCV valve on these newer 1.6L engines. They have what is called a "pressure regulator valve". It is right under the hose you have outlined in the pic. It kinda looks like the top of a tank. On the backside of the valve cover right on the other side of that regulator valve is the hose that leads to the Turbo(if installed. Thats where a catch can would go if one wanted to waste their time.

 

Can a member confirm if the The Smartstream 1.6T valve cover (with incorporated oil separator) installed in the 1.6T Smartstream engine can be installed on the 2016-2018 Hyundai Tucson 1.6L Turbo G4FJ Gamma II T-GDI 4-Cylinder Engine, or totally different configurations?