Know How To Clean Fuel Injectors
Imagine yourself not knowing how to inhale oxygen, or eat food necessary for healthy living. Well, there is the same risk involved when car-owners are ignorant of how to clean fuel injectors.
The windpipe of an adult serves as a conduit for the air inhaled through the nostrils to the lungs. In the same vein, an injector in a vehicle is a device in the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), that supplies fuel for combustion under pressure in the form of atomized sprays.
You have most probably used Petroleum Jelly on your skin before. The raw materials for the production of both the jelly and its plastic container were obtained from petroleum fractions. This is enough evidence that petroleum and in extension, fuel, contains chemical compounds called "hydrocarbons"(olefins and paraffin). Although the fuel producing refining process of petroleum leads to a separation of these various fractions, a little percentage of these chemical groups still remain in fuel we put in our vehicles.
Hence, after an odor, fuel injectors get dirty and eventually clogged. This is a result of the solidification of these other chemical compounds around the fuel injectors. Maintenance and quality of fuel used can affect the time taken for this to happen, dirty and clogged fuel injectors are in the auto-world, often termed "inevitable."
A vehicle with dirty fuel injectors possesses the following symptoms:
- Increase in fuel consumption
- Misfiring engine (this is commonly associated with an abnormal sound)
- Over time in exhaust emissions
- Overall reduction in vehicle performanceIt is, therefore, important that individua
ls learn how to clean fuel injectors to ensure optimal performance of their vehicles.
Guidelines On How To Clean Fuel Injectors
For the ardent "DO IT YOURSELF" (DIY) practitioners who have time on their hands, you can also combine spare parts and materials here and there, to get your own homemade fuel injector cleaners.
For this purpose, you would need:
- A carrier liquid or solvent as it is commonly known
- Safety approved fuel can
- A powerful electrical source
- Fuel Pressure
- Fuel Transport
- Standard and high-pressure hoses
Your electric fuel pump with a pressure range of 30-40 psi will suffice. This can be gotten from a modern vehicle. The pump will also need a regulator to prevent it from overshooting the required pressure range. This can be gotten from your Cosworth EFI and hooked onto the fuel line after your engine's fuel rail.
Using a standard fuel hose, move fuel from your safety approved fuel can to your fuel pump. It is important you mount an external pump at a height lower than the fuel can to provide the necessary pressure.
Next, move fuel from the pump to the fuel rail and subsequently to the fuel pressure regulator using a high-pressure hose. A standard hose can be used to return fuel coming out of the regulator to the can.It is also important all your equipment is hung on any strong platform you find handy.
About 12 volts is needed to power the pump and cycle your fuel injectors. Connect your Jumper cables to any available automobile battery. To power your injectors, you would need a wiring harness. You can either get the Consworth or GM V-6.
You would need to mount a catch basin or receptacle to collect the liquid you pass through the fuel injectorsYou can use methylated spirits or vodka for your solvent to avoid intense odor. Then add a sizeable volume of any of the fuel cleaners listed below.
Note: It is important this procedure is carried out in a well-ventilated garage.
If you decide the DIY steps are stressful, you would need to buy a fuel injector cleaner kit. Read the accompanying literature to ascertain if that particular product is compatible with your vehicle. You might also need to purchase the cleaning fluid as it is sometimes sold separately.
Which Product You Need to Choose?
Considering cleaning efficiency vis-à-vis price, below is a list of the best fuel injector cleaners you can buy:
- Liqui Moly Jectron Fuel Additive - This is considered the most effective cleaner.
- Chevron Techron Concentrate Plus Fuel System Cleaner – This is a widely used product and has had quality reviews overtime.
You can also get:
- BG 44K Fuel System and Injector Cleaner
- Royal Purple Max-Clean Fuel System Cleaner and Stabilizer
- Lucas Fuel System and Injector Treatment
- Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment-Concentrated Gas Formula
- Sea Foam SF-16 Motor Treatment
- Red Line Complete SI-1 Fuel System Cleaner
To get more detail, you can see about: Fuel Additive
Step to Clean Fuel Injector
After purchasing any of the above, you can then do the following:
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This quick fix is one way of playing your role in reducing the volume of poisonous gasses emitted into our atmosphere daily and ensuring our vehicles perform optimally on the roads.
Remember that you are only as safe as the air you breathe in and the car you drive.