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Once in a while, it is important that you carry out thorough cleaning on your car. This can include washing the engine bay and also cleaning the fuel injectors.
But is it possible to clean the injectors without removing them? Well, that’s possible, and that’s what we’d share in this article – how to clean fuel injectors without removal.
When the injectors are clogged, it can restrict fuel passage into the engine, which in turn, may decrease the performance of your car.
In a bid to keep your engine running smooth and maintain good performance, cleaning your fuel injectors is an important task.
Why Should You Clean Fuel Injectors?
Fuel injectors are among the most critical components that contribute to the seamless performance of your engine. When your fuel injector is clogged, you may notice a loss of acceleration and a visible drop in your car’s performance.
It is advisable to clean fuel injectors after 30,000 miles, especially when your car doesn’t seem to deliver the best performance as it used to.
More so, cleaning fuel injectors helps in improving fuel efficiency and contributes to the general performance of your car.
How To Clean Fuel Injectors Without Removal
Firstly, you need a fuel injector cleaning kit; there are many of them out there, and you need to pick the one that’s best suited for your car engine.
Also, you need to check your car’s manual to see if the manufacturer recommends following specific steps or using specific tools for cleaning your car’s fuel injectors.
Once you’ve verified the cleaning kit for your engine, continue with the steps below.
Prerequisites:
Go ahead to purchase the recommended fuel injector cleaner kit for your vehicle. Also, be careful to purchase a PEA cleaning fluid, too. Typically, fuel injector cleaning kits come with canisters and a hose you can attach to the fuel injector and fuel rail.
It is best to look out for a cleaning fluid that contains PEA (Polyetheramine) – PEA guarantees better results because it dissolves thick carbon deposits more quickly and effectively than other ingredients.
If your car didn’t specify the type of fuel injector cleaner you should use, don’t bother, most cleaning kits are suitable for all cars. However, ensure to read the manual that comes with the kit, or ask the seller if you could use it for your car.
It’s either you purchased a full kit, or you can purchase a cleaning fluid, and then purchase other items required for cleaning fuel injectors.
More, it is imperative to say that cleaning fluids containing polyisobutene (PIB), will only prevent new deposits but won’t remove existing ones, while those containing polyisobutylene amine (PIBA) is able to remove deposits, as well as prevent new ones from building up.
However, none of these ingredients, PIB and PIBA, are as effective as PEA; thus, you should go for PEA cleaning fluids.
Step 1: Drive the car into the garage
Drive the car into the garage or a comfortable space – you may even decide to wash the car before cleaning the injectors.
Different cars have different engine layouts; you need to review your vehicle’s engine layout to point out the location of your fuel injectors.
You can find the location of your fuel injectors by looking at your vehicle’s manual or search online. Usually, fuel injectors are situated under the hood of a vehicle.
Step 2: Buy a fuel cleaning system
Purchase “Run-Rite” fuel cleaning system. It helps to pass the cleaning fluid through the fuel injectors without taking out any component. To use the Run-Rite tool follow the steps below:
- Unscrew the top and pour in the injector cleaning fluid
- Keep pouring the fluid until the Run-Rite tool is full
- Now, hang the Run-Rite tool on your car bonnet and connect the other end to the fuel rails (screw it onto the fuel injection rail).
Step 2: Locate the fuse box
Locate the fuse box and disconnect the fuel pump relay. This would turn off the fuel pump, so your car doesn’t get fuel during the cleaning process. It’s not going to damage your engine, just pay attention to the next steps.
Step 2: Connect air supply host to power
Hook the air supply host to power the tool. Afterward, activate your pressure gauge and make the pressure in the system to be 5 pounds less than the operating pressure.
Step 5: Start the vehicle
Go in and start the vehicle. Your car would start running and after a while, it would be done – this is when you know that the cleaner has done its job.
Firstly, you’d see the cleaning going into your injection rail, and after a while, you’d discover that the fluid is all gone into the system and then air starts going in – that’s when your car would stop.
How To Clean Diesel Injectors Without Removal
The steps to clean diesel injectors without removal are the same as what’s explained above because diesel is mostly used as a synonym to fuel.
Recommended Readings:
- How Do You Know If Your Fuel Injectors Are Clogged?
- Best Wax For Black Cars With Scratches
- What Causes A Torque Converter To Fail?
- How Many Miles Should A New Car Have?
- Can You Buy a Car With Zero Miles?
Conclusion
The method explained above is just about the only way you can clean your fuel injector system without taking it off. Other ways of cleaning fuel injectors will have you disconnect them from the fuel pump and then pour in the cleaning fluid manually.
The video above provides a clearer understanding of how to clean fuel injectors without removal. If this looks too technical for you, ensure to have an auto technician do it for you, or engage your mechanic. The process doesn’t take long – cleaning fuel injectors takes approximately 10 minutes.