Usually, there is an equipment named fuel injector cleaner which will help in cleaning fuel injectors  to remove the buildup of fuel varnish deposits & contaminants which clog the injectors and affect their operation. They require periodic cleaning for optimal operation. The experts in this field recommend fuel injector cleaning after the car runs every 25,000 to 30,000 miles or at least once in a year.

Fuel injector cleaning not only improves the overall functionality of the car but also helps in restoring and improving the engine’s performance, reduce the emissions and improve the fuel economy all together.

One great thing in fuel injector cleaning with the help of a fuel injector cleaner is that you can do it all by yourself without taking any help from an auto mechanic. However, if the injector is badly clogged, you have to  take an experienced mechanic’s help. Let us take a look at the various methods which are being used in cleaning the fuel injector.

Fuel Injector

Method 1: Utilizing the fuel injector cleaning kits

Fuel injector cleaning kits are available at any of the auto supply stores. Before connecting the kit, one necessarily needs to locate the fuel injector and take measures to prevent the fuel from entering the injectors. You can do this by the usage of tubing in order to bypass the fuel injector. This will enable the fuel to return to the tank or remove the fuel pump and clogging  the fuel return line. Once this is done, you need to disconnect the fuel pressure regulator.

You can connect the cleaning kit to the fuel input port & remove the fuel cap of the tank in order to release any pressure in the tank which may be built up by the kit. All you need to do is to open the cleaning kit’s valve till its pressure value matches with the injection pressure value.

Once the cleaning kit reaches the desired pressure value, then start the engine so that the cleaning solvent passes from the kit through the injector and removes the debris and dirt which are clogged in the fuel injector. This process will take a few minutes to complete. Once this is done, you can switch off the engine, remove the kit & reconnect the fuel lines, fuel pressure regulator and fuel pump. With this, the entire cleaning job is done. You can notice a significant difference in your car engine’s performance after the clean-up.

Method 2: Addition of cleaner additives to the fuel

Addition of the cleaner additives, also referred to as the deposit-control additives or detergents, to the fuel helps in controlling the accumulation of the debris and dirt in the car’s fuel tank. These specific additives help in reducing the overall volatility of the lighter components of the fuel. Though the fuel from the gas stations does contain some specific additives, some of the suppliers may not add the required amount of detergents and some even use one which is economically cheap and are lesser effective alternatives. So, you require to add additional additives to the fuel that you use.

One of the popularly used best additives is polyether amine (PEA). Though this is a bit expensive as compared to others, this is proved to be effective in keeping the injectors, combustion chamber and valves clean and this does not require any of the additional fluidizers.

Method 3: Manual cleaning

On-car cleaning may not be that effective as expected for the badly clogged injector because this cannot pass the cleaning solvent during the cleaning cycle. So, when on-car cleaning does not work, you can try out off-car cleaning that involves the removal of the injector from the vehicle and cleaning it. However, this necessarily has to be done at a well-equipped service centre.

Conclusion

These are the most popular methods that are being used for fuel injector cleaning by employing the various fuel injector cleaner methods.