Best Fuel Injection system cleaner ?

David, the favorite seems to be Chevron Techron in a can, but nothing beats pulling the injectors and sending them off for a proper cleaning by a specialist. It runs between $15 and $20 per injector and is well worth doing at every, or every other major.

 

I would add that when you use the Techron add it to a half to quarter tank of gas. This increases the concentration and improves performance of the product.

 

Lucas injector cleaner and lubricant works very well. I think it is best in breed.

I have heard that Techron eats rubber, as in fuel lines. That may be old information, the formula may have changed, the newer rubber may have changed too.
I will say it worked well for one of my cars in the mid-late 90s. But I used it sparingly.

DavidJ

 

The lucas injector cleaner and lubricant doesn't do much at least according to extensive readings I've done online. Techron seems to be the preferred choice.

 

The first bottle of techron I purchased was 12 bucks in an auto parts store, now I found a 6 pack at Costco for 19.99. I use it in everything at that price

 

Techron or BG 44K or Seafoam are great for maintenance/occasional cleaning.

InjectorRx or a similar company to clean and verify pattern.

 

They are different concentrations, though the bottle sizes appear similar (nice marketing trick no?). You have to read the bottle and dilution rates to catch it. Basically with the Techron at Costco, you need to use two bottles to match what is commonly sold in the auto parts store. Or use one bottle in half a tank... IIRC the Costco ones are good for 12 gallons, the auto parts store ones are 21 gallons.

I have no idea if these products work, but have used Techron and lately Lubro Moly fuel injector cleaner. Perhaps once per year in the Ferrari, twice per year in the daily driver BMW. After many years of use, I had the injectors removed, tested and cleaned in both cars, and neither had any serious issues. I think the worst on either car (and only a couple) had high single digit flow variation. But would the results have been the same, had I not used any additive?

 

After running a bottle of injector cleaner through a tank of gasoline, change the oil. Techron and the like will get into the oil.

 

?? Just like gasoline does? If Techron in getting into your oil, you have bigger problems...

 

Not the same. Very different bunch of molecules. Engine condition not really that relavent. I discussed this with the folks at Oronite. (chevron subsidiary that manufactures additives)

 

Thank you for sharing. Good to be cautious. What would be the potential negatives?

 

I use Techron a couple times a year. Then send your injectors out for professional cleaning every several years. Not bee a really big deal. I replaced my injectors so I have a back up set. Probably not a bad idea.

 

Still seems odd. I buy Chevron gas almost exclusively. There is Techron in Chevron gas. Maybe not at the concentrations that adding a bottle of Techron to a tank amounts to, but it is still there. So your statement would imply that using Chevron gas requires more frequent oil changes. But what is bad about Techron in oil? Many parts of the lubrication system can be susceptible to build-ups, and many additives can be applied to both the fuel and oil systems, e.g. Seafoam (mentioned above). Could a few molecules of Techron really warrant an immediate oil change?

The topic of injector cleaning comes up frequently in general aviation. Probably the best response I've heard in those discussions is that gas is a solvent.

 

+1 Techron and Costco too.

 

Like you said, techron is in Chevron gasoline ( as well as Texaco branded gasoline). All fuels are required by the EPA to have a deposit control additive. The amounts in gasoline are much lower (orders of magnitude) than when you add a bottle of techron or other DCA to your tank.

When I got my 328 I did not know the history of what fuels were run in the car. I talked to my buddies in the fuels engineering group at Chevron and they suggested I run two bottles of techron through the car (two tanks) and then change the oil.

 

The best fuel system cleaners have Poly Ether Amines. PEAs for short. Chevron calls theirs by the trade name Techron. The Redline brand SI-1 is version is more concentrated.

 

Ed,
As a previous owner of an 87 328GTS, I can tell you, if you have the original steel injectors in your car, consider replacing/upgrading to the later brass ones. Just get the Bosch part number and order online, they are the same as used in the period 4 cylinder Mercedes of the day. I paid around $20 an injector (12 years ago!), so I am sure they have doubled in cost now. But on a hunch, I had them replaced during some suspension work and the tech tested the original ones, and two were leaking and two others had messed up patterns, they were like a straight pencil stream. After the swap, the car pulled much more smoothly and stronger to redline...very noticeable!

 

Injectors were one of the first things I had replaced when I got the car back in '08. They were the original steel ones.

 

injector cleaners are primarily preventative measures and not really equipped to clear a clogged injector... if injectors are suspect of being clogged they are best cleaned / rebuilt by a specialist... as you mention giving the cleaners a try should confirm the final direction to go... good products have already been mentioned... there is one other that has worked for me is a product called Startron... they have a web page... the Startron approach is by using enzymes to clean vs chemical reaction... it also conditions blended fuels preventing their breakdown... it is my primary additive now... it is available everywhere

 

I am about to pull my injectors out, I did the cleaning, it helped but they are leaking and running lean at full throttle. I can not find the thread about the company that cleans and tests your old injectors. Any help?

 

Never used them personally, but this place is recommended in forums in the NW:
WitchHunter Performance - Injector Cleaning & Flow Testing Services

For my BMW daily driver I just went to this place: (I didn't want to pull them out myself)
Doctor Injector they removed them, tested, cleaned, replaced some parts and reinstalled in about 2.5 hours and charged $450 or so.

 

Fuel injection Corporation in Livermore. As for Bob and tell him I sent you.

 

Is this the one that gives you the before and after readings? I saw it on a post but can not find it again---