There are a multitude of different products for cleaning the fuel and intake system of today’s modern gasoline car and truck engines. Some products only clean a portion of a vehicle's fuel and intake system, while others are more comprehensive. This article looks at the benefits and pitfalls of different additives and cleaners.
The Benefits of Clean Fuel Injectors
Overtime, fuel injectors for gas engines can develop a build up of carbon, gum and varnish. Dirty fuel injectors can lead to some of the following problems.
- loss of power
- rough idle
- hard start up
- excess fuel consumption
Keeping the injectors clean will help to eliminate some of these problems. The two basic methods for maintaining a clean fuel system are additives and flushes.
Fuel Injector Cleaner Additives
Pouring an additive into the fuel tank is one method for maintaining clean fuel injectors. Additives are normally used along with every routine vehicle maintenance service, or every 5,000 miles. Most products are designed to remove carbon, gum and varnish. It’s a very simple method to help maintain clean fuel injectors. Unfortunately most fuel additives only clean the injectors. There are other vital components that an injector flush service may clean that additives will not.
Fuel Injector Flush Cleaning Service
As fuel is ignited, the gases can cause carbon build up throughout the engine and exhaust system. Additives normally clean injectors but leave other components dirty. A good injector service can clean those other vital components, but not all flush services are created equal. When shopping for a flush service, the car owner should ask the auto shop if the following components would be cleaned.
- injectors
- throttle body
- valves
- combustion chamber
- catalytic converter
- O2 sensors
- cat monitor sensors
Many injector flush services will only clean the injectors, while others may only clean certain components. Certain components, like the throttle body for example, may need to be cleaned separately as part of the service.
A flush service maybe more expensive than a fuel additive, but the benefits could out weight the cost of a more comprehensive flush. First a more comprehensive service flush will clean more components than a fuel additive. Secondly, a flush service doesn’t have to be performed as often as an additive needs to be used.
If the car owner plans to keep their vehicle for many years, there may also be some benefits to other types of flush services. Read about the pros and cons of an engine oil flush and automatic transmission flush. Vehicle maintenance is important to keep a vehicle running in top shape for many years and flushes can add to the car’s longevity.
James Clausen - Clausen received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration in Automotive Management and Marketing at Northwood University, graduating ...
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