Fuel Injector Cleaner

In the late 1980s, the more widely used carburetors started getting replaced by the fuel injections system. The fuel injection system is used for mixing fuel with air, which is to be fed in to the cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The device ensures the even and proportionate mixing of air with fuel (gas or diesel). As this system constantly comes in contact with oil and fuel it needs frequent but proper cleaning using only prescribed techniques. Hence, the importance of fuel injector cleaners has increased as more and more people had to deal with various problems. But, how does this particular cleaner work? And, which is the best method for cleaning fuel injection systems? Let us try to answer these questions.

Need for Fuel Injector Cleaner

Why is fuel injector cleaning required? The main reason is the deposits that accumulate on the injector tip, and it can get progressively worse. When an engine is first shut off after a long use, it is still very hot. This is the time the deposits are formed. This time is referred by technicians as the 'Heat Soak' period. When the engine is shut off the circulation of the coolant stops and at the same time, engine temperature rises for a while, till the outside air begins to cool it off. The little fuel remaining on the injector tip bakes and the more volatile liquid component evaporates away which leaves the solid portion of the fuel behind on the injector tip. This porous mass of fuel and oil deposit consolidates on the injector and the process is known as Coking. The process of coking only occurs in the heat soak period and is not seen while the engine is running. Obviously, the functioning of the fuel injector is hampered by these deposits and that's when we need cleaners.

The Process of Cleaning

There are a number of methods used for the cleaning process. To begin cleaning, you can go for a fuel injector cleaning kit. Once you have a kit, go through the user's manual that will make you ready to begin the process of fuel injector cleaning. To start, you will need to determine the location of deposits and shut the fuel supply to make sure that fuel does not flow through the injector while you are doing the cleaning job. You can use a bypass tubing or remove the fuel pump to prevent the fuel from entering the injectors.

The other most commonly used method is by putting cleaner additives in the fuel tank. These additives reduce the volatility of the lighter components of fuel thereby minimizing there evaporation when the engine is shut down. But, they have a couple of drawbacks as well. The ability and effectiveness of these additives in removing heavy deposits is not established. Moreover, the volatile components of fuel are after all the most energy efficient components, and if they are suppressed, a car's fuel economy gets hampered. Another drawback is that the additive's flow rate and spray patterns have not been studied up on, which is a critical aspect in the working of fuel injectors.

Rail flush kit is another form of cleaner. In this procedure, the fuel pump is out of action. The fuel supply lines are then removed and connected to a system that supplies a concentrated injector cleaner directly to the injector via the fuel rail. The cleaner acts on the deposit layers thereby cleaning the system. Here, the advantage is that in this system you can aggressively make use of concentrated cleaners and get desirable results.

The simplest method with the highest effectiveness is the method of manually cleaning the injectors by removing them from the car. This method also has the advantage of testing the injector flow patterns and rates before and after cleaning to confirm the effectiveness of the process. The most obvious and the only disadvantage with this method is the elevated labor cost and time due to the action of removing and refitting the entire system.

Hence we can conclude here that the fuel injection cleaning process is not a hard one. There is just a need for a general awareness on what is the best for your car. There are many options available at auto parts stores, but keeping the above points in mind you can make a wise choice for yourself.