If you notice black or grey smoke exiting from your exhaust pipes or notice your diesel engine struggling to accelerate or sputtering, you may need to check your fuel injectors. Clean and functioning fuel injectors are vital to ensuring your engine is running at peak performance and efficiency.
Your vehicle’s fuel injectors ensure the engine gets an adequate amount of fuel at the right time. Fuel injectors have intricate holes that are used to distribute the fuel in a spray pattern. Knowing how to clean your diesel injectors is critical to optimize the car’s engine fuel economy and performance.
It’s best to deep clean your car’s injectors at least once a year or every 30,000 miles. Take into consideration that you’ll need more frequent cleaning if you drive in harsh weather conditions. You can occasionally add a fuel injector cleaner to your car’s fuel system every 2,000 to 5,000 miles to mitigate accumulation and a massive buildup of grime or dirt.
Why should you use a diesel injector cleaner?
- Prevent engine malfunction. A dirty and clogged fuel injector may transfer harmful solid particles into the fuel system that may damage internal engine components. It could also prevent the fuel supply to the engine, which can lead to engine failure. The diesel engine acts as a lubricant for the engine, and if the supply is limited, it will cause friction, and initially, the engine will stop working. Ensure that you keep your fuel injectors clean to keep the valves, pistons, and tubes free of solid deposits and well-lubricated.
- Improve fuel economy. Fuel injectors are responsible for distributing fuel by spraying a fine mist of fuel to your vehicle’s engine—the precise and more controlled the spray, the better the fuel economy. Add a bottle of your favorite fuel injector cleaner to your fuel on your next visit to the gas station. Doing this once a year can adversely improve your fuel injector’s performance.
- Boost your engine performance. A clean fuel injector will ensure your engine’s health and ensure it’s performing at optimum levels. This improves the vehicle’s throttle response, increases horsepower, and smoothens rough idle. Also, the cleaner it is, the more it ensures there’s no friction in your engine’s metal components preventing hefty repair and replacement costs.
- Safer for the environment. Dirty fuel injectors will cause smoke to be emitted from the exhaust pipes. Diesel fuel generates a lot of carbon buildup in the fuel system. The dirty fuel is then passed through the filters and onto the fuel injector nozzles. It’s then transmitted to the cylinders, which causes smoke to come out of the exhaust pipes. Most injector cleaners dissolve carbon deposits, debris, and other deposits that may lead to harmful emissions. A clean fuel injector means no smoke from the exhaust, ensuring a cleaner environment for plants and animals.
How do you use the diesel fuel cleaner on your vehicle?
- Buy a fuel cleaner that’s compatible with your engine. Diesel fuel cleaners are affordable, easy to use, readily available, and ensure your engine is cleaner. They can assist your engine burn fuel more efficiently by mitigating the buildup of debris around the injectors.
Check the packaging to be sure that the cleaner you buy is compatible with your engine. If you notice the packaging doesn’t mention whether it’s for diesel or gasoline engines, check to see if your engine type or car model is indicated on the list on the packaging.
- Ensure that your engine is turned off, and your fuel tank is empty or almost empty. Before you add the cleaner in your tank, ensure that the engine isn’t running and remove the key from the ignition. This is because if the engine is on, it will still actively burn fuel. It would also be best if your tank is empty or almost empty to ensure that the cleaner can flow and work through the fuel system at a concentration high enough to clean it effectively. If the car was off, you could start the engine and leave it for a few minutes. Then, switch it off, so that it warms up.
- Pour your choice of cleaner into the fuel tank. Based on the size of your fuel tank, the amount you need to add may vary. A larger engine with a big gas tank will require more injector cleaner. You can check and confirm the packaging and the required amount of fuel injector cleaner for your gas tank. You should replace and install a new fuel filter when adding the additive to your gas tank. When doing so, ensure that there’s no air trapped or present in the filter or gas chamber.
- Fill the fuel tank with enough fuel and run the engine for a few minutes. Once you’ve poured the right amount of fuel injector cleaner into your gas tank, fill your tank with diesel, switch the engine on, and keep it running for 2 minutes. Then, shut it off for 10 to 15 minutes. This interval will give the fuel additive the time it needs to soak in the grime, carbon buildup, and dirt in the fuel system. After the fuel injector cleaner has had time to soak, restart the engine, and drive it for half an hour. This will let the cleaner do its magic by cleaning the fuel injectors while behind the wheel. If it’s safe to run the engine hard, do so. Placing the engine under pressure builds up heat and compression, which will maximize the entire cleaning process.
Conclusion
Ensuring your fuel injectors are always clean will help ensure your vehicle’s engine is always performing at optimum levels. Use the right cleaner that’s compatible with your car and follow the guideline to ensure a smooth cleaning process. Do routine cleaning to make sure that your fuel injectors and the fuel injection pump stay in top shape. It will also save you the cost of having to buy a new fuel injection pump. But then, if they are damaged and you need new ones, check out https://goldfarbinc.com/collections/stanadyne-injection-pump for the best collection.
