Oil Catch Can Necessary For 1.5L Turbo?

[charleswrivers]

If you get a scope in there, post results please.

There was a post yesterday where someone did just this yesterday at 20k miles. There was a lot of buildup. I think I was on the oil thread. He posted a lot of pictures.

I think I'm getting a can...

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[Scarlet]

Totally unnecessary and might cause problems. Extra maintenance item. If it was important, Honda would have incorporated it.

To a point, sort of. The catch cans are likely not needed if keeping your car 100% stock as intended by the original build from Honda. Point your missing or ignoring, also not helping those actually curious on the forums, is that it is likely needed more and only becomes beneficial is for those that are not stock, running after market parts and most importantly, running more boost that stock.

For instance, I rarely found any blow-by in my can on my 2017 si until I installed all the parts I have now: Injen CAI, Injen Intercooler, AEM charge-pipe, PRL catless dp/up combo, Mishimoto Catch Can, and KTuner V2 running Vit's stage 1 Si tune, still minimal amounts, but still present nonetheless.

That's like saying all intakes are a waste of money, everyone here isn't feeling the 5-8 hp difference, but they are hearing a $300 difference. To each their own man.

So if your stock, not likely needed and a waste of money overall. If your NOT stock and running several aftermarket parts and running a target higher boost that stock, then yes these are beneficial in prolonging engine quality/life.

 

[charleswrivers]

If you get a scope in there, post results please.

Took a minute to find it... scroll towards the bottom...

https://www.civicx.com/threads/the-oil-thread.684/page-17

 

[andromeda]

OK, so what is captured for maintenance removal ? Some oil and a little water. More importantly, how much ? I certainly don't use one, but they don't look like they hold more than a cup or two. What's that compared to the vast volume of intake mixture through the engine over the same time ? ! And yeah, all that intake crap is just that.

 

[charleswrivers]

Not sure... I do know I've seen the inside of 3 or 4 port injection heads that had 5-10x the mileage of this engine and it didn't look anything like that. I've read up on some of the N54 stuff, which has some age on it as a DI engine and they've had issues. It stands to reason a lack of gasoline constantly washing across the valves is a difference. Other than a tiny bit of oil film, the inside of the heads I've seen looked pretty clean. Nothing like this.

This not going to be something we're likely to know the answer on until we've got a few more years of age on these motors. I'm on the fence. By the time it's a problem, I could probably just grab a junker head off a car for $50-100, clean it myself and swap.

 

[Mogadee]

OK, so what is captured for maintenance removal ? Some oil and a little water. More importantly, how much ? I certainly don't use one, but they don't look like they hold more than a cup or two. What's that compared to the vast volume of intake mixture through the engine over the same time ? ! And yeah, all that intake crap is just that.

A direct injection engine has the fuel spray directly into the combustion chamber. The stock tubing for the blow by gas routes it into your air intake to the combustion chamber. This path takes the oil particulates passed your valves and into the engine to be burned off but not all of it makes it into the combustion chamber. Some of the oil will deposit on your valves and will carbonize over time. This will build and build, reducing the amount of air that can flow in, the seal on the chamber, how easily air can flow in and some other things. In non-direct injection the fuel is sprayed in the intake channel where it mixes with air before entering the combustion chamber. That air/fuel mixture would pass over the valves cleaning them. This is also why fuel additives for cleaning injectors and such are less effective in direct injection engines as only the injector is being treated.

I came from a Mazdaspeed 3 that suffered from this. The bill to have them cleaned was ~$400, prices will vary per shop.

Here is what carbon buildup on a direct injection looks like.

 

[Design]

Took a minute to find it... scroll towards the bottom...

https://www.civicx.com/threads/the-oil-thread.684/page-17

That is the NA Accord 2.4. I don't think anyone has done a reading yet on the turbo DI powertrains (which is a whole other animal).

 

[danny185]

Well my dad has a Volkswagen CC and he had to go to the dealer for Carbon build up (the car wasent running well) when he took it to the dealer Boom carbon build up from the oil etc.

So they ended charging a lot of money to clean the intake manifold etc!!!

For now it might not be needed but when the car is older (40,000 miles mi dads CC has) and stock it makes for a great peace of mind in the long road.

Now if you are planning to run more boost and have more aftermarket parts then get the catch can!!! I installed mine a couple of days because I’m going to mod the Heck out of this car lol!!! So better some peace of mind knowing that the carbon build up will not be there!!

 

[mugenx78]

Well my dad has a Volkswagen CC and he had to go to the dealer for Carbon build up (the car wasent running well) when he took it to the dealer Boom carbon build up from the oil etc.

So they ended charging a lot of money to clean the intake manifold etc!!!

For now it might not be needed but when the car is older (40,000 miles mi dads CC has) and stock it makes for a great peace of mind in the long road.

Now if you are planning to run more boost and have more aftermarket parts then get the catch can!!! I installed mine a couple of days because I’m going to mod the Heck out of this car lol!!! So better some peace of mind knowing that the carbon build up will not be there!!

I’ll say this, I have a 2016 1.5t and had a catch can when I had 7k miles. I have a mishimoto intake and I now have 16,750 and just did my oil change and from what I saw in the 1 year of driving (keep in mind I don’t drive all that much) the catch can was 1/2 filled. The catch can smelled like gas, carbon, oil and moisture mixed in there. I’m sure that isn’t good for engine so I’m glad I have it. Peace and mind that my intake manifold is cleaner than what it should be.

 

[danny185]

I’ll say this, I have a 2016 1.5t and had a catch can when I had 7k miles. I have a mishimoto intake and I now have 16,750 and just did my oil change and from what I saw in the 1 year of driving (keep in mind I don’t drive all that much) the catch can was 1/2 filled. The catch can smelled like gas, carbon, oil and moisture mixed in there. I’m sure that isn’t good for engine so I’m glad I have it. Peace and mind that my intake manifold is cleaner than what it should be.

For sure!!!!

 

[RunningHot2017]

Also, a question thats only about 10 percent relevant.

How often should these Sis be serviced?
What about one thats not totally stock?

 

[danny185]

Also, a question thats only about 10 percent relevant.

How often should these Sis be serviced?
What about one thats not totally stock?

Well man depends but I have friends that have Evos and STI (oil hungry) and they service them every 6,000 miles like every other car!

I threat mi car like a Lady drive her like a princes but when you want to go for it damn go right her lol!!!!

 

[batman900]

I’ll say this, I have a 2016 1.5t and had a catch can when I had 7k miles. I have a mishimoto intake and I now have 16,750 and just did my oil change and from what I saw in the 1 year of driving (keep in mind I don’t drive all that much) the catch can was 1/2 filled. The catch can smelled like gas, carbon, oil and moisture mixed in there. I’m sure that isn’t good for engine so I’m glad I have it. Peace and mind that my intake manifold is cleaner than what it should be.

I still may end up getting a can, but this is exactly why I'm not super worried about it. I don't know what Honda and Subaru have done to minimize the crud, but having that can half filled after a year is like almost nothing compared to my 2015 Silverado. I had an elite can on it and had to empty it every 1k miles, it would be around 1/2 to 2/3 full by that time with disgusting sludge yet no one is reporting any issues from it yet on the current platform when not running a can. It was a similar story when I had my WRX, people were getting catch cans and finding them almost dry after months.

I still want one for the piece of mind but I also wouldn't be real worried about it.

 

[mugenx78]

I still may end up getting a can, but this is exactly why I'm not super worried about it. I don't know what Honda and Subaru have done to minimize the crud, but having that can half filled after a year is like almost nothing compared to my 2015 Silverado. I had an elite can on it and had to empty it every 1k miles, it would be around 1/2 to 2/3 full by that time with disgusting sludge yet no one is reporting any issues from it yet on the current platform when not running a can. It was a similar story when I had my WRX, people were getting catch cans and finding them almost dry after months.

I still want one for the piece of mind but I also wouldn't be real worried about it.

To me it’s just the fact of knowing that it doesn’t have that much buildup. $180 vs the thought of having issues years down the road. $180 isn’t really a lot of money compared to per day if something ever happened years down the line. Also think the buildup has to do with peoples driving habits and wher they live (snow/rain/dry heat) as well. I read on another thread where the can would fill up at 5k miles and there would have barely any in.

 

[Loccust]

I ran one on my 2006 GTI after having to rip my engine apart to clean the valves myself after about 45K miles on the car. The can is worth it even though I am sure Honda has improved their direct injected engines. I have been running one since break in on my SI and with 4300 miles on it I have seen a minimal amount in the can, but that's junk that is not collecting on the valves.

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