2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

Fuel Injector Cleaners???? should they be used???

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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 08:48 PM
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Fuel Injector Cleaners???? should they be used???

??? the manual says not to use any additives????? how do you clean dem?
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 08:49 PM
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From: Van City
OOO n my car is 88 turboII 48000km.
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 08:56 PM
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one more thing....should i use zmax??? or any engine treatments??? oil treatment?
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 08:57 PM
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The only other way to clean injectors is to remove them and send them to get professionally cleaned. If your having seriuos problems with your injectors that you know about then you'll need to have them professionally cleaned anyway because using those fuel injector cleaners wont do squat to fix them. Its really only a preventative maintenance item.
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 08:58 PM
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so then should the be used? i heard fuel injector cleaners mess up rx7s??
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 08:59 PM
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i also heard that that myth is false.
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:00 PM
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We're had very good results with Redline fuel injector cleaner.
Others have had good results with Chevron Techtron concentrate in the bottle.

One to two bottles per years seems to be good preventive maintenance.

If you use "high octane" gasoline consistently, these fuels have a high amount of additives and detergents already in the mix, so I doubt you'd have problems.


-Ted
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:00 PM
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ok wat about the oil treatments???? zmax?? duralube engine treatment? that kinda stuff
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:02 PM
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I have a 88 TII also and ive never used fuel injector cleaner, nor do i use any kind of synthetic oil. TII's are kinda delicate when it comes to abrasive chemicles so i would stay away from them.
If you need to get your injectors cleaned you should do it the right way and have them professionaly cleaned.
By the way what exactly is going on with your car that you need to have them cleaned?
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:04 PM
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im jus wondering...because couple people tell me not to use fuel injector cleaners no matter wat and to becarful of using engine cleaners carb cleaners n so on
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:06 PM
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I agree with rylAssassin. Nothing in a bottle can beat the service provide by places like rc-engineering or cruzinperformance.com
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:06 PM
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dont fall for that zmax ploy.

read this: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/02/zmax1.htm

"The agency alleges that enhanced performance claims for the product are unsubstantiated, that tests cited to support performance claims actually demonstrated that motor oil treated with zMax produced more than twice as much bearing corrosion than motor oil alone, and that the three different products - an engine additive, a fuel line additive and a transmission additive - were all actually tinted mineral oil."

if the product was that good, oil companys like mobil ;which have 10000000 x more money then the zmax jokes, would have found this stuff long ago!
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:07 PM
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Don't bother with oil additives.
Change your oil with a good, quality brand every 3,000 miles, and this is the best you can do for your engine.
Castrol, Valvoline, Pennzoil, Quaker State, etc. in no particular order...


-Ted
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:18 PM
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From: Van City
91 octance gas food for fc?
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:19 PM
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91 octance gas good for fc?
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:38 PM
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If your car is a Turbo you should probably use 91 octane. I have an '87 Turbo II, and rebuilt my engine a few months back and have been using 87 octane most of the time since then with no ill effects. But I've pretty much stayed below 3000-3500rpm the whole time, so I didn't think it would really matter. I've got about 2,500 miles on the rebuild now, and last week one day I took it up to about 5,000rpm and I started to hear a pinging. I filled up on 91 octane last time I got gas, and tried it again and that didn't happen.
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Old Nov 21, 2003 | 09:52 PM
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From: Van City
ah ok ok thanks man
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 04:21 AM
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I have used a couple of bottle of Chevron Techroline with no noticeable results, am using 87 octane in my 88 vert, and it runs great, especially since the plugs and wires were changed.
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 07:36 AM
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Icemark has commented in the past that in order to see any decent results from fuel injector cleaner you should use it as 2 to 3 times the recommended doseage.

I'd link to his post, but I can't find it.
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Old Dec 18, 2003 | 07:22 AM
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I'm surprised that this thread isn't getting more feedback. I am having trouble passing emissions and a few people have told me that I should get my fuel injectors cleaned. One person suggested that i mix a certain type of paint thinner in my gas and run a tank of that to clean them. My REAL question is "Are there any positive or negitive results from using an out of the bottle fuel injector cleaner"?

-Max
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Old Dec 18, 2003 | 08:45 AM
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Originally posted by homey_v
ok wat about the oil treatments???? zmax?? duralube engine treatment? that kinda stuff

Are you looking for a quick fix in a bottle???

Easiest way - maintain your vehicle and use good quality gasoline. If you suspect your injectors are dirty, pull them and have them professionally cleaned.

Snake oil additives do nothing that oils such as Castroil gtx CHANGED REGULARLY can't do. Remember, if the oil orings are shot or wear on metal surfaces has casued a part to be out of spec, nothing on this planet dumped into the crankcase will fix it.
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Old Dec 18, 2003 | 09:16 AM
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I think everyone is just interested in some preventive matainence. If some injector cleaner helps to keep the carbon buildup down and also keeps my engine running longer than if I had done nothing...well that might be worth 2 or 3 bucks every year.

Does pre-mixing clog the fuel injectors? I've seen a few posts that imply that pre-mixing oil in your gas tank will "gum up" your injectors. Is that true?

-Max
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Old Dec 18, 2003 | 09:19 AM
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Originally posted by MaxJenius211
My REAL question is "Are there any positive or negitive results from using an out of the bottle fuel injector cleaner"?

-Max
Generally at recommended levels, most "pour in the tank" fuel injector cleaners are useless for cleaning anything, but very very minor deposits.

But both the Chevron Techroline, and Redline injector cleaner seem to work (again on minor deposits) when used at 2 or 3 times the recommended levels, but can effect the octane of the gas being used.

So if they (the injectors) are noticeably dirty (I/E leaking) then nothing will help them other than having them professionally cleaned ultrasonically and chemically.

So, positive results = makes you feel better and may clean a very very small amount of crud

Neg results = may lower octane, will shrink wallet or bank account.

And to reply to some of the earlier posts, the majority Oil additives have been proven over again to at best do nothing, at worst to cause both short and long term engine damage. If you are using good quality oil, adding anything (even MMO) to the oil system is probably the biggest waste of money you can do and potentially dangerous to your engines health.
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Old Dec 18, 2003 | 09:44 AM
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Berryman B-12 is some strong **** (you have to be 18 to buy it in Texas), and it solved a few problems. I ran almost a full can of it through a full tank of 93 octane gas, and it runs a little better.

Plus my injectors stopped peroidically flooding too.
Other stuff like STP or Pennzoil are just really just to ease people's minds that they are "taking care" of their car by buying a $2 fix-it liquid.
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Old Dec 18, 2003 | 10:09 AM
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I used to believe in injector cleaner, until I actually looked at what was in it. Basically, a slight concentration of the same chemicals found in gasoline (benzine, acitone, etc.) Pouring a few more ounces of this stuff into a tank of 50 litres isn't going to do anything.
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