fuel Injector maintenance?

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
Is it necessary to use injector cleaner on a gas engine?

If so, what injector cleaner do you use and how often?
 
All gasoline you buy is required by the EPA to have a minimum level of detergent to keep vehicles running as clean and efficient as possible. Since it's in your fuel already adding more cleaner probably isn't going to accomplish much.
 
BG K44 (100 % Techron) or Chevron Techron Concentrate (50 percent Techron).

About 1 out of 10 will see a improvement in performance. That one probably has carbon build up on the back of the valves are a catalytic convert that's not working proper. Its a small chance a injector is gummed up dunno BUT that one will ask for a can to be drummed in the tank at each service... :)

Normally the check engine light is on with a catalytic convert efficiency code and one are two treatments cleaned it up. You will just have to try it if you do look for cleaner that has Techron in in the more the better..

Either way I like to add when the tank is at about 1/4 and drive it 100 miles before filling it up. Or use a top engine cleaning tool are a injector cleaning tool to apply it.

Do not use it on a fuel system were the vehicle sets up it may eat the rubber lines up in the tank...

Folks that run Top Tier fuel normally never have a injector/carbon build up issue. I am a firm believer BP is the best and will hunt for it if need be... If you have a GDI (Gas Direct Injection) engine by all means use Top Tier fuel.



http://www.consumerreports.org/car-maintenance/study-shows-top-tier-gasoline-worth-extra-price/

http://www.hcdmag.com/best-fuel-injector-cleaner/

BG k44 is the real deal with the most punch for the buck tho it double the price you get double the effect in one application. None of this is my opinion its a fact that has been proven by me on 100's of applications. That 1 out of 10 is a happy camper....
 
IIRC you are a GM man. When I worked at the Buick-Cadillac dealer GM sold a cleaner that some of our customers swore by that it worked. I think you were only to run it only so often at the most was like 5,000 miles ? I'd see what GM sells if you are putting it in a GM.
 
HOBO,
Thanks for your reply, very informative.

Most of the fuel sold in TH comes form the same refinery in Ill. So do some gas stations add more
detergent to the fuel?

Any idea if Krogers sells top tier gas? Marathon advertise fuel additives with the King, Richard
Petty. So is Marathon a top tier fuel?

geo
 
I run units that produce gasoline in the largest refinery in North America and have been here 25 yrs. From my personal experience and involvement in the industry I have concluded that the higher priced grades of gasoline are NOT worth the money. I drive 50 miles one way to work and for 25 yrs I have always bought the cheapest gas possible for my GM products. I DO believe in using a cleaning agent every 3-4 months and Techron is good and I also like Sea Foam. I have had NO fuel system failures in 25+ years and I routinely put 200K miles on a vehicle before trading. The lowest price gasoline that I buy is usually found at Murphy gas station at Walmart. I also buy my fuel additives at Walmart because they are usually cheaper.
 

I would say if its not on the list its not top tier..

Local Lowes foods sells cheap gas I can weed out some issues by recommending they buy there gas elsewhere :wink: immediately after they opened up the problems showed up at my door... I still see one from time to time they stopped getting fuel there the problems went away.

I brought fuel at Walmart one time my tow truck spark knocked and chugged it was the cheap arse fuel no doubt in my mind... If the tank is empty fuel issues show up with in a mile are so are rat now after a fill up.
 
If you are talking about a can of cleaner you pour into your gas tank you are not likely to notice any measurable improvement.

I have a Snap on fuel injection cleaner that hooks onto the fuel rail.
It is a pressurized canister with fittings and a regulator you hook up to an air line.
First you disable the fuel pump and adjust the canister pressure so the fuel pressure regulator does not return everything to the tank
OTC makes the cleaning solvent/fuel for it.
Basically you hook it up and run the engine on the solution for 5-10 minutes, shut it off and let it soak for half an hour then start it back up and let the rest of it flush the system out.

Personally I did not notice any big improvements but many customers said there mileage/power improved after a cleaning.
 
Ethanol is a cleaner, I think we have had less trouble since it became the norm. A lot of folks like to blame all their problems on ethanol, but I don't see it.
 

I found both the links you provided to be informative. However, the fuel injector cleaner web site listed sea foam as the best and suggests it be added via a vacuum line. Can someone explain to this county boy how sea foam into a vacuum can clean fuel injectors?
 
I have had and driven some of our multi-port fuel injected vehicles beyond 300k miles. I have added the fuel injector cleaners into the tank in my own vehicles, while my wife's and daughter's cars rarely to never get a treatment of a cleaner. I will dump a can of Sea Foam in a couple times a year. Can I suggest this has worked wonders? Probably not. I do tend to believe any sort of lubricity improvement may add longevity to the fuel injectors, though. I have heard of some who add just a small amount of 2 cycle oil to their gasoline. I have used a bit of Lucas fuel injection lubricant, too. I think the cleaning and lubrication probably did help an older engine run better after a tankful or two. I do tend to believe we can have build up on the top side of the intake valves where the injectors are injecting fuel during fuel and air intake. I have seen the Sea Foam treatment done through the vacuum line to aid in cleaning these deposits. I tried this for the very first time just this summer. I cannot clearly say I have seen a noticeable improvement in engine operation, performance, or economy at this time. These direct injected engines, I think, may be a little different animal though, but I have only had my first one for about a year and a half, and don't have enough experience to have an opinion yet.
 
Chevron Techron as Hobo says, best easily available in tank cleaner. 44K is good, too, but no BG rep in my area anymore. Techron is what comes in the GM injector cleaner bottles. The GM Top Engine cleaner was good to use through vacuum lines to clean valves, but the real stuff is no longer available thanks to Kalifornistan. GM current Top Engine cleaner won't take water spots off dishes, much less touch carbon.
 
At around 60k to 70k... a can of BG44k that is twice the percentage of chevron, and will do the trick.


However... new truly direct injection cars are now developing a new problem... as the fuel is truly directly injected into the engine, and not through the manifold, intake valve path, we are seeing the intake valves being coked up due to egr gas being injected through this path. In earlier engines, the gas was also fed through this path and kept is clean... but new direct injection engines dont have that benefit of cleaning anymore.


SOOOOOOOOOO..

some cleaner needs to go through the gas system and clean the injectors...

and.... some cleaner needs to go through the air path,, and clean up the intake valves...

in the last couple of years there are more and more service bulletins on cleaning up the intake valves.
 

What Hobo,NC said! Also found it interesting re BP gas.I've always gotten better fuel milage when BP was in the tank.
 

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