[AllBlackBimmer]

I have a 2008 328i with 77k on it.

Owned it for the last 2 1/2 years and 40k...

I just had it to the dealer for oil and a brake flush (was a fair price and they give me a free loaner - was a f30 which was meh, but thats another story) Also get them to scan my car for any codes.

Well other than the brake flush, i was also "due" for a mircofilter change which they wanted to charge me $95 for.. no thanks, ill order one and do it myself for $40

But, they also "recommended" that I get my valves cleaned. This caught me by surprise a little. My SA said they recommend it every 15k or something and since my car has hit 75k, that is part of the "75k service"

..not sure what the dealer cleaning really involves... but it was quotes at $200! What are the even doing? dumpnig some techron in and calling it a day? Is this even worth it?

I thought dirty valves only really affected the 335 and turbo motors, I guess I am wrong? I have always used 93 octane sunoco gas - i do realize this is not a "top teir" gas, but would think sunoco has decent gas.

Should I pay the dealer to "clean my valves"?
is it worth it?

Or should I just get some techron and try to do some cleaning myself or what?

[Delta0311]

Get some Chevron and call it a day. You should be using it every 4-5k miles. I checked my valves when I was changing my valve cover gasket in my old 328 (around 85k miles) and the valves look almost brand new. So as long as you use good gas there is no need to have any special cleaning done. The dealer is just trying to clean out your wallet.

[J38]

Why don't you ask them if it's walnut blasting?

[Kolyan2k]

Don't know what valve cleaning is but 93 gasoline has nothing to do with it. And what you are thinking is Carbon buildup which effects DI engine (has nothing to do with turbo) and 328 is not DI.

Why not ask them what they do? Its obviously not walnut blasting since its 328 and its only $200 bucks. Might be some BG-brand cleaning stuff....

[vapore0n]

This is the injector cleaning service, which I get email specials for $175. Just buy a bottle of techron and be done.

[CoffeeBean]

Yes, absolutely no need for that. If you're using any kind of gas that's not cheapo mom & pop gas there's no reason to clean your valves because well... they're already clean.

[135Pats]

Your motor is port injection. Gasoline washes over the valves and intake runners every time you get on the throttle. DI is a much messier process, hence the need to manually clean the valves and runners.

No need don’t waste your money.

[benjlv]

with a port injected motor there should be no need for this service or any other fuel injector cleaner or whatever snake oil additive someone wants to sell you.

[///M3NACE]

They recommended me close to 3k worth of things for my e36 m3 when i brought it in for an oil change. I had every single thing they said replaced or changed out. I explained to him and he was thats what the computer tells me. I never reset anything on that car but keep a careful check on everything. What I didn't know what that one spring has a hairline crack on it and wanted 1200 to replace that alone. He showed it to me and the tech even told me don't even worry about it and get some coilovers for it lol

[Delta0311]

When I was at the dealership a few months back an SA was telling a client that the price of a low beam bulb change on his 5-series was going to be $500. He then went on to explain to the clueless customer how these are special bulbs and not like regular halogens. Well that part was true but the price he quoted the guy made me almost crack up.

I have a 06 330i with 130k miles on it, when I pulled the intake manifold off the intake valves looked brand new, spotless, its a unnecessary up sell, pass on it, 335i different story, walnut blasting every 50k.


Get some Redline Fuel Injector cleaner from your local auto store $10.

[AllBlackBimmer]

Originally Posted by index1489

I have a 06 330i with 130k miles on it, when I pulled the intake manifold off the intake valves looked brand new, spotless, its a unnecessary up sell, pass on it, 335i different story, walnut blasting every 50k.


Get some Redline Fuel Injector cleaner from your local auto store $10.

do you think redline is better than techron?

even though the intake valves looked clean, what about your injectors?

I'm going to have my injectors cleaned off the car by RC Engineering in California, ultrasonically off the car is the only real way to clean them.

Redline and Techron are about the same but Techron comes in many forms different bottles ect, some versions of it are not so good, thats why I always recommend Redline.

[Three_thirty_I]

Does the 328i have the N52 or N53 engine? This would make the difference in this matter - N52 is port injection as mentioned above, and N53 is direct injection...

This is what my N52B30 intakes looked like late last year when I replaced the DISA flaps and had the intake off:

08 would be a N52 or N51 port injection.

[Route 16]

Remember to empty the gas tank and change your oil after using techron.

[F32Fleet]

SA probably thought u had a DI motor.