Taking care of a car or truck engine is a task that we almost always assign to our mechanics, which is expected—you can’t really do much on your engine nowadays, besides checking the oil and coolant levels. However, going to a mechanic can be very expensive, even if the problem you have often requires a simple solution. One of the most common problems with any fuel injected engine is that the injectors that bring the fuel to the combustion chamber can get clogged up. If you think about it, these are one of the vital parts of the engine—no fuel in the chamber means no combustion and consequently a car that will lose its power, have worse fuel economy, and increased emissions.
If you’ve never experienced your engine losing power even if it was regularly maintained, you are one of the lucky few. Clogged up fuel injectors are so common that every auto parts shop has dozens of different so-called “fuel injector cleaners” that purportedly can clean your entire fuel system and make your engine work like new again. That is if it doesn’t have other problems already.
Here, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about fuel injector cleaners and we try to answer every question you have, like why they are needed in the first place, how to use them, should you use them yourself, or go to a mechanic, and so on.
How do fuel injectors work? Fuel injectors are one of the most important engine parts that are used to introduce fuel to the combustion chamber, where it is mixed with air and then combusted to create power. The injector receives the fuel from a high-pressure fuel pump and thanks to a very small nozzle, atomizes the fuel in very small particles so it can mix with air quickly. The best analogy we can think of is a deodorant—a bottle already under pressure that has a small nozzle that atomizes the liquid into very small particles. The fuel injector works much in the same way, with the only difference being that here the nozzle is even smaller and the injected fuel is almost misty in appearance. Newer injectors for direct injection engines even have several nozzles on the tip to help for a better air-fuel mixture. This is the way that every new internal combustion engine gets the fuel into the chamber, regardless if it’s a gasoline or diesel burner. The process is controlled by the ECU (the car’s computer), so the injector will always supply the fuel right when the engine needs it. Timing is very important, as injecting fuel too early or too late can cause the engine not to work as expected or even damage it. Considering the injector is a very delicate part, with very small canals and constantly under high pressure, it needs almost ideal working conditions, like extremely clean fuel and in the case of direct injection systems, a clean nozzle tip and a clean combustion chamber.
Benefits of a Fuel System Injection Cleaner
The benefits of fuel injector or pump cleaner fluid are as follows
Maximum fuel economy as well as efficiency
Reduce friction, wear & tear
Fight against rust and corrosion
Extend engine life and health
Immense improvement in power and performance
How are fuel injectors getting clogged up? Expectedly, the gasoline and diesel fuels that we put in our cars are never as clean as it should be. Apart from small deposits, the fuel that we get today has small amounts of water and some octane-boosting ingredients. All of these things can have detrimental effects on the fuel injectors, but the number-one enemy is definitely carbon buildup. This is something that happens to every engine with time—during the process of combustion, the majority of the carbon leaves the engine through the exhaust system, but some of it stays in the combustion chamber and in time it can block the passages of fuel and air-fuel mixture. Add to that the possibility of the injector rusting from the water in the fuel and some byproducts from the octane-boosting Ethanol that is being widely used today, and with that your car can start losing power and consume more fuel in no time. This is why keeping your fuel injectors clean is important—you not only lose power, but your fuel economy will fall off too. Clean injectors can save you money!
What does a fuel injector cleaner do? Fuel injector cleaners are additives that are meant to clean all those deposits in the injector as well as in the combustion chamber and help your engine work in optimal conditions, with the right air-fuel mixture. Think of them as detergents for your fuel system. These cleaners can clean the inside of your injector, but also the carbon buildup in the combustion chamber, behind the intake valve, around the spark plug, etc. All of them have active ingredients that help dissolve the deposits into much smaller pieces and then the engine itself ejects them through the exhaust system.
How do fuel injector cleaners work? Fuel injector cleaners are a mixture of complex chemicals, most of them solvents that can easily clean deposits. The main cleansing agent of these additives is a chemical called PEA or polyetheramine, which is a nitrogen-based detergent that is great at dissolving carbon deposits. In addition to that, PEA is very resistant to high temperatures, which makes it great for cleaning the fuel injector as well as deposits in the combustion chamber, where the temperature can go up to 1200-degrees F. Some cleaners contain other chemicals that the manufacturers claim it makes them superior to others, but scientific studies have shown that polyetheramine is best at cleaning carbon build up and you should always look for additives that contain this chemical.
What to look for in a fuel injector cleaner? Always look for a fuel injection cleaner that contains the detergent Polyetheramine (PEA), as it is the strongest cleaning agent. Some of the cleaners will have Polyisobutene (PIB), that helps remove water from the fuel and Polyisobutylene amine (PIBA), which is also a cleaning agent, but not as strong as Polyetheramine. Older fuel injector cleaners even have alcohol in them for water removal, but they can damage parts of the fuel system and are best to be avoided.
When do I use fuel injector cleaner? These cleaners are the easiest to use among any other engine additives on the market. They should be poured into an almost empty tank of fuel just before you fill up at the gas station and then the tank should be emptied by leaving the engine to idle or by driving the car. This means that they don’t work right away—you need to drive several hundred miles before you can feel the difference. Anyway, always read the instructions on the bottle – some bottles of cleaner are for only a small amount of fuel so maybe you’ll need more than one for a full tank. If your car was not cleaned for a long time and it has a lot of carbon deposits, one full tank of gasoline or diesel and a bottle of fuel injector cleaner might not be enough to effectively clean the injectors and the combustion chamber. When that’s the case, simply put another bottle of additive in an almost empty tank of gas and empty it by driving.
How often should I use fuel injector cleaners? There is a difference in opinion on this topic. Some mechanics will advise you to use a fuel injector cleaner every year, or every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, before the oil change. Additive manufacturers will even instruct you to use it every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. These are not rules. We would advise against using these additives on new engines, as in that circumstances they can even help build carbon build up, which was scientifically proven in some research. Our advice is to use fuel injector cleaners on older engines before an oil change, as well as engines that are often used in cold climate and driven on shorter distances or in congested stop and go traffic. In these situations, carbon builds up much faster and using a fuel injector cleaner will help in maintaining the optimal working conditions of your engine. Using a higher quality gasoline or diesel fuel will also help against clogging up of the injectors and less carbon build up, so be sure that your car always gets the best one.
How will I know that my engine needs a fuel injector cleaner? Engine with a lot of carbon build up and clogged injectors will start losing power, begin to consume more fuel, rattle at idle and have ignition problems. However, all those symptoms can be due to other parts of the engine, so be sure to always maintain your car routinely by regular oil, oil filter and air filter changes as well as spark plugs in the case of gasoline engines.
What can I expect after a fuel injector cleaner treatment? You can expect several improvements on your engine after treating it with a fuel engine cleaner, but these results won’t happen immediately — you often have to drive a few hundred miles for it to work. Improvements include regaining power and enhanced throttle response, better fuel economy and fewer vibrations at idle. For best results though, it’s best that you check your spark plugs and air filter as well, as they can also help your engine run better.
What type of fuel injector cleaners are there? There are several types of fuel injector cleaners out there. The basic ones will only clean the fuel system and the carbon build up inside the combustion chamber. However, there are cleaners that will also stabilize the fuel or even boost the octane value to help the engine run smoothly even on lower quality gasoline. Some of them will even have lubricants that can help maintaining the fuel system of your car for longer periods of time. You can recognize all these products right away – they will either have “3 in 1” or even “5 in 1” description on the package. Read thoroughly on the benefits of every single one before buying.
How to Use Fuel Injector Cleaners
Keeping your fuel injectors clean play a huge role in how efficiently your car’s engine is running. Using fuel injector cleaners is an easy way to make sure your car is operating at its peak and also getting better fuel efficiency.
Using fuel injector cleaners is a pretty simple task and anyone can do it—there is no need to go to a mechanic. Before you begin, it’s important to use a fuel injector cleaner on a close to empty gas tank just before you’re about to fill up at a gas station.
Buy the right fuel injector cleaner for your engine: All fuel injector cleaners are not created equally. Most of them will work on any type of fuel, but there are some that will work only on gasoline, diesel, or ethanol blends. Also, you should check if it works with turbo engines, if you have one, or with catalytic converters. Read the instructions on every package thoroughly, so you can be sure that you’ll buy the right one for your engine type.
Check the instructions for the right amount of fuel injector cleaner you need: The instructions will help with measuring the right quantity you need for the size of your tank as well. Almost always, one bottle of a fuel injector cleaner is enough for one tank, but if you have larger or smaller than the average fuel tank, you may need to put more or less of the additive.
Be sure that the fuel level in your car is low: Fuel injector cleaners can work even if you put them inside a full tank of fuel, but it’s best to put them inside an empty tank, so they will mix with the fuel better.
Remove the fuel cap: Remove the fuel cap, as every cleaner should be mixed with gas.
Pour the fuel injector cleaner into the fuel tank: Open the bottle and pour the fuel injector cleaner. Use the funnel if one is provided with the bottle so nothing spills out. Some bottles have additional measuring devices on them (attached to the bottle) – be sure to fill them with the right amount of cleaner before pouring it into the tank.
Refill your tank with fuel: After pouring the fuel injector cleaner, you should refill your car with gasoline, diesel or any type of fuel that your car uses. That’s why it’s ideal you are at a gas station while doing these steps. Dispose of the empty bottle responsibly.
Empty the fuel tank by driving your car: This is self-explanatory, but there are some things to consider if you want the best cleaning. -It’s best to drive your car at the highway or at higher speeds. In doing this, the pressure in the fuel system will be higher, which can help the cleaner remove the deposits easily. This will also help in cleaning the carbon deposits inside the combustion chamber and eject them through the exhaust. -Use higher engine rpms. You can do this even when the car is stationary, or when driving. In other words, don’t hesitate to press that gas pedal, as it will help in better cleaning.
Repeat steps 1 to 7 if needed: One bottle of fuel injector cleaner usually does the trick if your engine has deposits inside or some of the injectors is stuck. However, if the engine is still not working as normal, you can repeat steps 1 to 7. These additives don’t have adverse effects on the engine and using them more than one time is not a problem.
Conclusion
The owners of the car must properly take care of it. They must know that the engine requires much more care than the car. It is crucial to know and understand the process of those expensive maintenance services provided to the car. To avoid unexpected damages, one must regularly provide their car with a fuel injector cleaner. It is important to provide good services regularly. The fuel system must always be clean to prevent unnecessary trips to the mechanic shops.
Thank You
@ CR's Autozeal
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