It may sound nuts, but you really can use walnuts to help clean your car’s engine and improve its’ performance. It’s through a process called walnut blasting. But before it conjures up strange images in your head let us explain how it works…

What is walnut blasting?

In short, walnut blasting involves cleaning the intake manifold and valves of a car’s engine through high pressure blasting of finely crushed walnut shells. A biodegradable abrasive, walnut shells assist in clearing carbon build up in direct injection car engines.

Why walnuts?

Walnut shells are a good medium, abrasive enough to lift carbon from a surface, but soft enough to not impact or damage the surface of an engine’s components. They are also a combustible material, so in the unlikely event that any go into the combustion chamber, it won't matter as it will burn off once the engine is running.

Why does cardon build up?

Direct injection engines are designed to improve a car’s fuel economy by injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber. A drawback of this configuration is the carbon deposit build up on the intake valves, formed when trace amounts of engine oil leak past valve seals as a part of normal engine operation, and then bake onto the valves.

There are a few telltale signs you’ll notice if your car’s engine has carbon build ups, including:

• Gradual loss of power over time
• Engine misfiring (not specific to a cylinder)
• Extended cranking / start times
• Random engine misfires
• Check engine light codes
• Sluggishness

Why should I have walnut blasting done on my vehicle?

Carbon build up interferes with the car’s normal airflow, altering the compression ratio, operating temperature and overall efficiency. Walnut blasting effectively removes stubborn carbon deposits from an engine’s intake valves, restoring original function. This process improves airflow within the engine, combustion efficiency and fuel atomisation, in turn resulting in reduced emissions and smoother performance.

What’s more walnut blasting is an environmentally friendly technique of cleaning your car’s engine when compared to chemical-based methods. Walnut shells, a biodegradable product, aid in minimising environmental impact by reducing waste and avoiding the use of harsh chemicals.

If you’d like to know if walnut blasting could help improve the performance of your engine just give us a call on 01202 694758 or email us at info@star-tech.co.uk