Has anyone had their fuel injectors cleaned like this?

mscromer · mscromer's Garage

There is a automotive shop by me called Lee Myles automotive(They are located all over the US but there's not many of them). They do alignments, oil changes, tune-ups, transmissions and so on. They have a fuel injection cleaning system where they hook it up directly to the fuel rail and run the engine on this cleaning fluid. The guy said it is Porsche authorized(I don't know for sure if it is). Has anyone had this type of cleaning system done with these guys or any other system like this, and if so was it worth it.

swimmingly · 04-10-2006, 01:57 PM

Try going to http://www.witchhunter.com/

I know a lot of people have had success with them. According to their website, taking the injectors off the car is the only way to do a thorough job.

I also know that a friend of mine who used to work at a repair shop said what they'd do for a "fuel injector cleaning" was dump a bottle of Techron and drive it around for a little bit. I have this feeling that what you described is probably somewhat similar to this practice.

mlue · 03:24 PM

A few years back I had a problem with my wifes '91 Integra running like crap, it just didn't feel right. After changing fuel filter, plugs, magnecore wires, cap and rotor, they even check for a clogged CAT; the only thing that worked was cleaning the injectors. They connected a bottle of concentrate plus some gas connected to the fuel rail and made it run at idle until it was finished. It made an immediate difference in my case because the injectors were badly clogged. Cost was $69 not bad from where we were.

Would removing the injectors and having them cleaned have been better... maybe but the car ran great after and I only had to feed it an occasional bottle of techron to keep it going.

What ever works man... .

Razorback1980 · Razorback1980's Garage

I know many mechanics that do that type system, but I don't know if it's Porsche approved or how well it actually cleans. I plan on taking mine off and sending to witchhunter. The price is right and their reviews are good. With them not removing the injectors, you really don't "see" just how well they perform after the cleaning.

bleucamaro · 04-10-2006, 03:31 PM

I'm sending mine to witchhunter this week. With him, you get before and after flow charts and he tries to balance the flow for all injectors. worth the $15/per if you ask me.

HiFiGuy66 · 04-10-2006, 04:19 PM

I have had my injectors cleaned like that on both my previous car and my current one.

It made a huge improvement with the BMW, especially idle smoothness. I'm not sure I can tell the difference with the Porsche.

I guess YMMV...mine did.

Kevin0323 · 04-10-2006, 05:21 PM

Wow, this place is literally a block away from me!

Brando · Brando's Garage

I thought the proper procedure for thoroughly cleaning injectors was to take them off, run a cleaner through them at higher PSI, ultrasonic treatment in a penetrating fluid and then flow test.

Then take them apart and manually adjust the inside valves so that they all (in a set) flow almost exactly the same per injector.

The bottle of techron and spirited drive method... If you're going to use a gasoline additive buy a bottle of the swepco injector cleaner, add it to ¼-tank full, slosh it around and drive it hard.

VINMAN · 04-10-2006, 06:17 PM

Ive cleaned my injectors that way on a few of my vehicles. Always worked out fine, and had a noticable improvement.Especially on the 944

Granite 944 · 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mscromer
There is a automotive shop by me called Lee Myles automotive(They are located all over the US but there's not many of them). They do alignments, oil changes, tune-ups, transmissions and so on. They have a fuel injection cleaning system where they hook it up directly to the fuel rail and run the engine on this cleaning fluid. The guy said it is Porsche authorized(I don't know for sure if it is). Has anyone had this type of cleaning system done with these guys or any other system like this, and if so was it worth it.

Well, I don't know if its "Porsche authorized" or not. Will it work, and do a decent job of it? Depends. On several things. And "those things", are what bother me here. Sounds like a come-on/gimmick thing. I'm thinking that their betting on an easy fix and score here. Just my .002.

I think its a bunch of crap, myself. Run!.... don't walk away from them!

If your gonna do it, do it right. Have them cleaned and tested properly, and with professional equiptment. The injectors......themselfs..........outta the car.

Witchhunter! BTDT. Can't get much better, IF at all.

EDIT: Are ya gonna notice a difference with doing this either way? Depends on whether or not there was an issue with those injectors in the FIRST place.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

99% of the clogs are at the screens in the fuel rail (intake) side of the injectors. You send injectors in and the screen is removed, the body back flushed with solvent maybe in an ultrasonic tank, flow tested then new screens fitted.

The injectors you get back may not be the ones you sent in should one be horribly tarnished in the internal passages and not cleanable. Injectors can not be taken apart (although one company I contacted said they could take them apart!).

Do it your self with a foot or two of hose that fits over the exposed discharge end of the injector, 100 psi shop air and some clean fresh solvent. Clamp the hose on the end of the injector, fill it with solvent and run the 100 psi air through it -- backwards -- a few times.

Before you put the injectors back on the car consider flushing the fuel tank and lines including the fuel rail (which can rust inside IF water sits in it).

Granite 944 · 04-10-2006, 07:45 PM

Hugh, for $15.00 and shipping, is it really worth it?

PhillysMostWntd · 04-10-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
99% of the clogs are at the screens in the fuel rail (intake) side of the injectors. You send injectors in and the screen is removed, the body back flushed with solvent maybe in an ultrasonic tank, flow tested then new screens fitted.

The injectors you get back may not be the ones you sent in should one be horribly tarnished in the internal passages and not cleanable. Injectors can not be taken apart (although one company I contacted said they could take them apart!).

Do it your self with a foot or two of hose that fits over the exposed discharge end of the injector, 100 psi shop air and some clean fresh solvent. Clamp the hose on the end of the injector, fill it with solvent and run the 100 psi air through it -- backwards -- a few times.

Before you put the injectors back on the car consider flushing the fuel tank and lines including the fuel rail (which can rust inside IF water sits in it).

ya i tried this and only got an loud bang, a soaked shirt, and gas everywhere. scared the **** out of me, i dont think i'll be tryin this again anytime soon.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Granite 944
Hugh, for $15.00 and shipping, is it really worth it?

Add in the two weeks transit then decide for yourself.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by PhillysMostWntd
ya i tried this and only got an loud bang, a soaked shirt, and gas everywhere. scared the **** out of me, i dont think i'll be tryin this again anytime soon.

Solvent. Not gas. In the almost two years working at VW dealers I never seen or heard of your "malfunction" in back flushing injectors. Then you have entertained me with many of your mechanical approaches.

PhillysMostWntd · 04-10-2006, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
Solvent. Not gas. In the almost two years working at VW dealers I never seen or heard of your "malfunction" in back flushing injectors. Then you have entertained me with many of your mechanical approaches.

ya as soon as i heard the bang i immediately knew i did something wrong.. so i need solvent then not gas?

Kevin0323 · 04-11-2006, 08:29 AM

I was told A 50/50 solvent of matchsticks and gas worked well... I haven't tried it yet as I can't afford the matchsticks.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by PhillysMostWntd
ya as soon as i heard the bang i immediately knew i did something wrong.. so i need solvent then not gas?

And a hose that will take the 100 psi. Injector pintel springs are not at all very stout so it is interesting that the fluid in the hose would not go back through the injector. Or did you try to do this on the intake side of the injector rather than the discharge (engine) side of the injector?

PhillysMostWntd · 04-11-2006, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
And a hose that will take the 100 psi. Injector pintel springs are not at all very stout so it is interesting that the fluid in the hose would not go back through the injector. Or did you try to do this on the intake side of the injector rather than the discharge (engine) side of the injector?

no, it was the discharge side. i had fuel line hose and clamps that i tightened until i thought my injector would crush under the pressure.

wow.. someone find me a dunce cap.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Do you still have that injector?