What is a good fuel injector cleaner that actually works?

[klucz]

Yes, an Italian tune up with a can of 44K in the tank will get things nice and hot and hopefully burn some carbon off the valves. This also allows better cleaning of the injectors at full flow. All out cruising in 4th gear has always worked for me (my speedo only goes up to 85mph). 4 Polish beers afterwards are also recommended, but definitely not before. Your average Polski brew has twice the alcohol content of most common beers.
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84 Westy 4spd sold

[Ken J]

[Californio]

Mechanic THINKS the injectors are clogged, and expects you to deal with it? He didn't do the simple Bentley test? It seems to me one of the things we pay mechs for is diagnosis, not, "hmm, maybe it's the injectors." YMMV but that's MHO.

[syncrodoka]

At close to $100 a hr. for labor I would try a can of cleaner too. For the cost of 1 hr labor you could try the cleaner, go buy a bently and do the test yourself and still have some change for a beer at the bar left over.

[Californio]

Sure, but you don't need a mech for that. I'd try FI cleaner first, too. Before I took it to a garage.

[vanjoe]

Ya it sucks that I took it in before I did the cleaner. I went to oreillys and I put Valvoline and Lucas in. I will try both of these first and see what it does. When I took it the other day to smog the guy probed it first without charging me. It was still just a little rich and he is pissed that the shop didn't get it down. He told me to take it back to them. He was mad that you can tell the idle isn't right and they are not addressing that. He suggested that I go to Joe's Buggy Haus in Grover Beach. I have gotton some parts from him so I took it over there and he didn't look at the van but want to see the smog numbers. Joe is a really cool guy. I didn't bring it there in the first place because he doesn't have a sniffer ow machine. But he really knows these vans. To him it looks like a injector issue. Possibly one not spraying good which could be causing the erratic idle. I think he may be right because that is the only thing I didn't check. I briefly looked it over in the Bentley and the test seems a little confusing. So I am going to try the cleaner first and then look over how to perform the test and try that if the cleaner doesn't work.

[Sodo]

Has it occurred to anyone that fuel additives, left in the system for long periods, are a contributor to the vent tubing/system failures?

I wonder if it makes sense to do it only at the start of a big trip or full-tank run, so you don't leave that stuff in your fuel lines too long.

Just an idea. Might be difficult when your intent is to clear things up PRIOR to a big trip.

The reason I came to this idea is because my brother doses his van often, and all his NEW fuel tank vent hoses (from Rieby's) cracked and fell apart after 3 years.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Wildthings]

[n2wheelies]

italian tune up. can one charge for that? could be a small shop, by the on ramp...


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'87 Vanagon Weekender 'ELNINYO'
past vw's...
'09 EOS 'petal'
'78 scirocco
'66 T2 panel dead tour vehicle, 'mr bus'
'67 13 window
'95 eurocamper 'charlie' (phish tour vehicle)
'03 Mk4 TDI 'steve'
'04 W8 Phaeton 'david'

[chris garrett]

I have never believed that fuel injector cleaners were worth a damn. Google it and you'll find a lot of testing that says I'm right.
Here's one I just found:

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/engine/impp-1106-fuel-system-cleaners/

Professional cleaning and servicing is the only way to go.
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'89 Vanagon, 2.5 Subaru

[Mark Lewalski]

Honestly, if you want to do it right and get real before and after results showing the improvement, get them out of the van and into a fuel injector cleaning service. I did mine in conjunction with a fuel line upgrade.

I found one online in the local Tampa area. Mailed the injectors in a small box, picked them up a week later on my way back from Orlando.

Bright and shiny, with a page of data showing flow rates before and flow rates after. No guessing about additives working or not. You would be surprised at the difference. $75 bucks one time.

Mark
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'89 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg "Bluestar" (given to and owned by my son now)
'87 Vanagon Weekender
'74 Thing

[Butcher]

[chris garrett]

[Butcher]

I agree. That is why I'm not a fan of snake oils.

[?Waldo?]

I don't really deal with gasoline engines, but for diesel fuel injectors, Lubro Moly Diesel Purge absolutely makes a significant noticeable difference. There is absolutely no doubt that it works.

[dhaavers]

I'm certainly not a guru by any means, but I have come across about two on the internets...

Any VW engine advice from tencent life a/k/a Chris Corkins I take to be gospel truth, the best possible
based on his considerable education and experience, at the time of it's posting at the very least.

Having said that, FWIW and at the risk of being accused of parroting:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=278577&start=0

- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Merian]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-11-26/...tive-it-is
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[Merian]

'Both Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have issued factory service bulletins advising the use of concentrated Chevron Techron in repair procedures for vehicles with certain mechanical problems.'
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[msinabottle]

I have used BG-44K, Techron, MMO and SeaFoam in Winston's gas, as well as buying his fuel from Top Tier stations.

All I can say is that when I did finally pull Winston's injectors to install his metal fuel lines, they WERE SPOTLESS. And I had never had them cleaned or rebuilt. Old mechanics and people I greatly respect suggested all those additives, the MMO also for top-end lubrication.

They appear to have worked.

Best!
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'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[IdahoDoug]

This is a tough thread to get resolution on, but I agree the best solution is to avoid getting deposits by using quality fuel such as Chevron. I use it whenever I can and completely ignore pricing when its one of the choices while on a road trip. I have also used Techron in the bottle as our research showed it worked decades ago.

One comment is that you will get the best bang for the buck NOT using Techron during a road trip but around town before you go. One aspect of its cleaning is cylinder deposits, where upon shutdown it soaks into carbon deposits on valves and pistons. Upon startup, the deposits are now flammable for a bit and they are burnt off by this startup/shutdown process. So agree with others this works.

I have also had good luck with the SeaFoam product in extreme problems (bad varnish from old gas).

I have also used the BG products but not enough to form an opinion.

As a cautionary tale, I think I turned my mitsubishi van into an oil consuming engine by aggressive use of the SeaFoam. I got the engine running but not real well. I put a max allowable concentration in the fuel and it ran like a champ but then started to burn oil. I think it loosen SO much crud in the cylinder that a lot of the chunks got into the rings and they are not properly flaring upon combustion. Possible chunks in the oil control ring lands as well. Who knows? I may do it again expecting different results to see if it really is insanity....
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader