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I'm not certain that I would go as far to call them 'snake oil'. In older cars with higher miles that are experiencing fuel system/carbon related problems, you could see some improvement. I would agree with horseshoez that the use of fuel injection cleaner in a late model Acura is highly likely to be a waste of money. You would be better off to replace your air cleaner prematurely.
I'm not certain that I would go as far to call them 'snake oil'. In older cars with higher miles that are experiencing fuel system/carbon related problems, you could see some improvement. I would agree with horseshoez that the use of fuel injection cleaner in a late model Acura is highly likely to be a waste of money. You would be better off to replace your air cleaner prematurely.
Here's the thing, I often see folks saying their injectors are carboned up; after tearing down literally hundreds of engines since the dawn of the fuel injected era, I have never once seen a healthy engine with carboned up injectors. That and only a few "unhealthy" engines (burned intake valves) exhibited carbon on the injector, but not in a way which would impede the injector from functioning properly.
Can you describe the mechanism for how an injector would become carboned up, even after several hundred thousand miles?
Here's the thing, I often see folks saying their injectors are carboned up; after tearing down literally hundreds of engines since the dawn of the fuel injected era, I have never once seen a healthy engine with carboned up injectors. That and only a few "unhealthy" engines (burned intake valves) exhibited carbon on the injector, but not in a way which would impede the injector from functioning properly.
Can you describe the mechanism for how an injector would become carboned up, even after several hundred thousand miles?
I'm not sure I can describe the mechanism, but I have seen plenty of older cars with port fuel injection with dirty intake manifolds and intake values. I'm not a professional mechanic, but know that early versions of fuel injection were often pretty crude - excess fuel, poor spray patterns, etc. You aren't saying that you have never seen an injected engine from the 80's or 90's with carbon in the intake manifold, on the back of the intake valves or piston tops are you? It was common place.
Just for the record, I agree with you that a modern engine with direct or port injection does not need injector cleaner. I'm not referring to anything built in the last twenty years. Perhaps I should have been more clear in my earlier post, it was not meant to be a challenge to you.
Forget injector cleaner. Your biggest problem is going to be gunk buildup on your intake valves due to direct injection. If anything, you're going to want to get some CRC GDI intake valve cleaner. So you don't end up with this.
I'm not sure I can describe the mechanism, but I have seen plenty of older cars with port fuel injection with dirty intake manifolds and intake values. I'm not a professional mechanic, but know that early versions of fuel injection were often pretty crude - excess fuel, poor spray patterns, etc. You aren't saying that you have never seen an injected engine from the 80's or 90's with carbon in the intake manifold, on the back of the intake valves or piston tops are you? It was common place.
Correct, carbon in those areas was common and there is nothing any "fuel injector" cleaner could have done to prevent/reduce them.
Originally Posted by gregwils
Just for the record, I agree with you that a modern engine with direct or port injection does not need injector cleaner. I'm not referring to anything built in the last twenty years. Perhaps I should have been more clear in my earlier post, it was not meant to be a challenge to you.
Forget injector cleaner. Your biggest problem is going to be gunk buildup on your intake valves due to direct injection. If anything, you're going to want to get some CRC GDI intake valve cleaner. So you don't end up with this.
This is a very different scenario, and absolutely nothing fuel injector cleaner can help with. The only thing the manufacturers can do the prevent stuff like this is to follow Toyota's lead, two injectors per cylinder, one small one for the port to wash the back of the valve and the main one in the cylinder.
06-13-2019, 07:25 AM
