How can I clean my Fuel Injectors or Fuel Injection system?

rokhill · 11-02-2003, 04:25 PM

Hi

Are there any products out there that would clean my Fuel Injectors or my whole Fuel Injection system. A mechanic friend of mine took a look at my fuel injection and said there is a lot of carbon build up in the system. I also seem to get sluggish performance and I don't get good gas mileage. Has anyone tried anything to clean their fuel injection system? I have an 96 cavalier with a 2.2 and 139,000 kms.

Thanks,
Rokhill

krebs128 · 11-04-2003, 05:10 PM

just go to auto zone or something and ask for some fuel injector cleaning solution. u just dump it in your gas tank and let it run through. STP fuel injector cleaner i think.

MtLeCe · 11-06-2003, 09:51 AM

You might want to change your fuel filter as well. If I remember correctly it should be along "frame rail" just follow metal line from gas tank. Then you will see it. Then just buy some fuel injector cleaner as well for the car. gotta love autozone for piddly stuff like this

el_oscuro · 11-09-2003, 01:41 PM

Lucas Oils makes a great little bottle of stuff.
$2.69 or so @ AutoStoned or Advance, wherever...
I think it's basically liquid vaseline...it's actually non-flammable, but makes your fuel burn "hot hot hot!"
Trust me, this stuff works, and you can put it in any car or truck.
Not everybody notices a diff, but if you have injector trouble, this is the stuff.

CollisionGuy · 12-08-2003, 02:32 PM

I checked with a technician in our mechanical shop and he said out of everything they have tried (and they've tried them all)the best product available for cleaning injectors is BG 44K.

Just for reference, our mechanical shop has 30 bays, 15 technicians and works on about 60 cars a day. http://www.smiky.com

thecommi · 12-09-2003, 01:05 AM

There are some shops that do Fuel Injector Refurbishing. Bassically they can do it on the car or off the car, (off the car is cheaper) they hook them to a machine and sonicaly clean them, usually around 30-40 dollars per injector. Alittle more expensive then trying a fuel system cleaner but they really dont do much, they are mostly all pretty much the same chemical since the amount of chemicals they use is regulated by the federal government. Pretty much haveing them "Refurbished" is a last resort.

onetime_77 · 12-10-2003, 10:34 PM

If you are going to use a feul cleaner I would go with one of the total system/complete system cleaners. They are a little more money (10-15 dollars) but at least they actually do some cleaning. I had a baretta in h.s. with injector problems and a friend of mine told me to do this:
buy 2 new filters.....when your tank is about empty change the filter....go fill up with some good gas/add the good cleaner. Drive that whole tank fairly aggresive. That gets things to heat up some and grab deposits, also the harder you are the more pressure can run through your lines. When that tank is about empty take off the filter and put on that second one. That way any crap that did get loose is not in the filter you are keeping on the car. I did that and my car ran much better. Not so much in low gears, but in 5th I didn't get a stutter anymore when gassing it. My mpg also went up about 4 afterwards. When you replace any filter it is always a good idea to do it on a low tank....and take off your gas cap to release pressure. I know many people that didn't and they got a pretty intense gas bath for a couple seconds

CollisionGuy · 12-11-2003, 09:56 AM

TheCommi and Onetime_77 both make excellent points.

Some injectors (in our experience a very small %) will require removal to be cleaned. Typically these injectors are in vehicles with tons of mileage and the owner has been less than particular about the fuel they use and doing proper engine maintenance. In these instances the use of cleaning equipment is often the best and most effective way. However if you don't meet these criteria, I'd suggest a can of 44K first. Most of the time, about 95% of the cars we work on, 44K will clean the injectors and restore the flow rate and fuel delivery volume to mfg's specs.

Additionally, if you're going to clean the injectors, definately clean the entire fuel delivery system. A professional strength poduct added to the tank will accomplish this without HUGE mechanics labor charge attached. (I know what our shop would charge to do a complete system cleaning....a can of 44K is a lot less expensive and does an equally good job.)

One thing I want to point out again, 44K is a professional strength product. BG doesn't sell it to the public because it is stronger than over the counter products you find at the gas station or in a parts store. If you decide to try it...DON'T get it on the paint, it will damage the finish. DO use it according to the directions, if you use it in a stronger solution that directed it will eat seals and gaskets. Unfortunately I found both of these out the hard way :-(

Accurate FI · 09-27-2012, 02:57 PM

Additives are okay for preventitive maintenance, but your fuel injectors have small filter baskets in them that an additive can not clean. The best thing to do is pull your fuel injectors, and send them to be flow tested and utrasonically cleaned. We charge $17.00/injector for automotive top feed injectors. This includes before and after test data, cleaning, replacing the filter baskets, and replacing the o-rings and pintle caps if needed. Let me know if I can help you.

Tech II · 09-27-2012, 08:19 PM

I agree with Accurate FI.......basically, anything you put in the gas tank is for maintenance only......it generally will not clean a clogged injector....

Most shops have equiptment that attaches fuel injection cleaning solution directly at the fuel rail, under pressure, to clean injectors.....

Only way to know if the cleaning works, is to do a flow test on each injector, before the cleaning, and then afterward, and compare.....

GM has started using direct injection in it's engines, the last few years....it will be interesting to see how long these injectors last, and how difficult it will be to remove them from the heads, over a period of time........I personally don't get it...you make the injection system more expensive to repair, and yet with the added cost of two fuel pumps, some high pressure fuel lines, is it worth it? There doesn't seem to be any huge increase in gas mileage....

Accurate FI · 09-28-2012, 07:32 AM

You are right about the added cost, but having the fuel pass through the injector at a higher pressure atomizes the fuel more completely which means more of the fuel is being spent during combustion and less is going out the exhaust. same thing for having the fuel delivered directly into the chamber instead of going through the intake and mixing with the air. So in therory, you should see better gas milage, more power, and less emissions, but all of that comes at a cost.

Tech II · 09-28-2012, 01:58 PM

I agree in theory.....but for the size engine they are putting this system in, I don't see any difference in gas mileage....thus more cost with no increase in gas mileage.......check out the complaints on gas mileage on the Chevy Equinox.......

j cAT · 09-28-2012, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by planetoffice69

Any new idea to clean the fuel injectors??? pls share with me

fuel filters need replacing. the bigger the engine the more frequent the replacing. this helps reduce particles from getting to the injectors.

keeping the fuel tank above 1/4 at all times reduces debris growth.

using techron fuel system treatment along with 3-4 OZ of marvel mystery oil cleans injectors and you will see the engine will run smoother.

injectors need cleaning and lubrication every 4,ooomi or so I have found.

MPG is not going to be affected too much but a properlly working injector will save fuel.

once the injector is damaged/plugged up then its gone.

Accurate FI · 09-29-2012, 07:50 AM

90% of defective injectors can be brought back to "good as new" We recondition thousands of injectors. The only time we can not bring them within spec is if the coil goes bad, or if the pintle valve is damaged or if the pintle valve seat is worn from harsh abrasive chemicles in the fuel (rare). Off car, flow bench testing and cleaning is the absolute best way to maintain your injectors. And at a fraction of the price of replacing them. For example, we charge $17 per injector (no charge if we can't bring the injector back into spec.) which includes replacing the small filter basket in the top of the injector, before and after test data, and new o-rings and pintle caps if needed.

rkvons · 10-03-2012, 01:00 PM

If you are convinced that your injectors are fouled up enough to require off the car cleaning, go to the junk yard and get a set of injectors for your vehicle and have them cleaned ahead of time. Then simply swap out yours with these. Only 1-2 hours of work and not difficult. Now you have your old set that you can send to have cleaned the next time, if required. If you are crafty, you can clean them yourself. But still, do the swap thing. You wanna minimize your vehicle downtime.

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