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Injector Cleaner: Does anyone know about it?
WonderMink
Adventure!Candy IslandRegistered User regular
Adventure!Candy IslandRegistered User regular
I am going on a road trip soon and am trying to get the best gas mileage I can. So I thought I should run some in cleaner through the car.
So, What Fuel Injector cleaner is best to use? Does it make any difference? Should I just get the cheapest and dump it in the tank?
So, What Fuel Injector cleaner is best to use? Does it make any difference? Should I just get the cheapest and dump it in the tank?
and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
but they're listening to every word I say
but they're listening to every word I say
WonderMink on
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Injector cleaning isn't inherently evil, but it's best done sparingly. If you're noticing stalls or hesitation, sure, run a bottle through. Regular use, on the other hand, can be really hard on tubes, seals, gaskets, or pretty much anything made of rubber. Most fuel companies (Shell and BP for instance) already have detergents in their fuel blend, so there's really no point in using injection cleaners unless you think you have an injection problem. It's not a routine maintenance kind of thing.
If your engine is running fine and you just want to optimize fuel economy during your trip, get a tune-up if you're due for one, get an oil change (make sure you use the right grade of oil! Using 10W-30 in an engine that wants 5W-30 can cut your fuel economy by as much as 2% or 3%), and be religious about keeping your tires properly inflated (another easy 3%). Most of all, drive conservatively. Better braking technique alone can improve your fuel economy TREMENDOUSLY (I've seen people's MPG jump by as much as 20% just from more conservative use of brakes), and unless you have a sports car, keep in mind that you get optimal fuel economy at 55 to 65 MPH -- you know, the speed limit.
and maybe some other stuff too.
I already drive quite nicely.
but they're listening to every word I say
http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html
Top tier pft. I need that extra 10 cents!
but they're listening to every word I say
and at 6 years, your car could probably use a tuneup... oil change, new plugs (OEM only), wires, air filters (intake and cabin), fuel filter
a transmission drain and fill (i'd avoid a flush, it tends to fuck things up), and a brake fluid replacement would be good as well
all of this stuff can be done inexpensively in your driveway
Yes. Engines with a higher compression ratio can exhibit knocking if non-premium gas is used (though in colder months it's probably fine to use mid grade). If your car doesn't require anything over 87, you don't gain anything by buying premium gas.
Top tier gas has nothing to do with the octane rating. It has to do with how much detergent the gas contains. There is disagreement as to whether more detergent than the minimum standard is beneficial or not, but the list of auto companies that endorse top-tier gas is pretty compelling.
I've had it for about six years. It is 15 years old.
About seafoam... you supporting that brand or knocking it?
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Per the website:
Gasoline retailers must meet the high TOP TIER standards with all grades of gasoline to be approved by the automakers as providing TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
So that regular you put in to save 10-20 cents has at minimum more than enough detergent as the premium ultra plus if you're buying from a top tier retailer. Which is almost everyone except BP and Exxon... and god only knows what wally-world and other grocery stores use.
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I will let you guys know how it turns out.
but they're listening to every word I say
Also, just a bottle of Chevron Techron would work as well, and it might be the cheapest thing to try. Just pour it into your tank when you have about a 1/4 tank of gas, and just get the rpms up high and go down the freeway for 5 miles, then fill up with gas.
All youre asking for is to have your car start burning oil, because itll clean the carbon buildup off the piston walls, weakening the seal of the rings and let oil seep into the combustion chamber.
Run it through the vacuum hose if youre going to run it at all. Itll clean out the throttle body but leave the combustion chamber relatively untouched.
DEFINATELY DO NOT run it in the crank case.
If youre dead set on running it through the gas tank, burn that entire tank in a day and get the oil changed immediately after. But i would totally not do it. Its also really hard on seals and other rubber parts (like, you know, your fuel line).
Id just buy some lucas injector cleaner or the STP stuff, and run that. It really does make a difference if you use it sparingly. Use it too much and youll again ruin the seals and lines on your engine.
Changing the sparkplugs, wires and distributor cap are probably the best things you can do, maintenance wise, and those things have no way of causing any adverse affects to your car.
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Pulling in Seafoam through the vacuum line will make the Seafoam part of the intake charge and won't leave the combustion chamber untouched, no?
Also, cars can have multiple vacuum lines, so it's possible to pick one that bypasses the throttle body completely (e.g. the brake booster vacuum line).
I mean look at it this way, you can either spend 10 dollars and do nothing but cause potential harm to your engine, costing you hundreds of more dollars in either engine repairs or replacement, or you can just go the regular normal route everyone else goes of sparkplugs, wires, distributor cap and oil change, and have your car keep on running fine.
I run seafoam on all my old cars but ONLY through the vacuum lines and only every 100k KM or so. So its not like im saying its a crap product, it just has the potential to cause more harm than its worth when used in certain ways.
And yeah im mistaken, by throttle body i meant intake manifold.
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Oil change later this week along with spark plugs. May have to take it in for plugs, because there are three that are only accessible by going underneath. Dunno if I want to do that.
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i support it... i'd use half a bottle in the gas tank, and the other half sucked into a vacuum line... but read up the proper directions online just to be safe
I don't think "top-tier" gasoline here refers to premium etc... but rather to the brand of gas and individual mixtures.
Don't put premium in a car that takes only normal unleaded, as it will actually worsen your mileage and run less efficiently.