Originally Posted By: stockrex
Hi folks,
someone who knows more about the topic pls educate us:
1. Why fuel injectors fail?
2. Do they wear out with miles?
3. Clogged/dirty - what gets clogged or dirty and techron type cleaning agents, how do they help clean?
The newer type ones seldom fail. "Failure", in my experience, is generally an electronic issue, often caused by pressure cleaning the engine.
I have not experienced them wearing out. Though, if they were run with dirty fuel, I suppose it could be possible. (I am referring to gasoline injectors....Not diesel.)
What caused issues back in the bad old days of early electronic injectors was stop and slow driving, where the injector didn't get a signal for a big shot of fuel, and the injector would get heat soaked, causing varnish like deposits to form. Techron type cleaners were developed to remove these deposits. These cleaners are now present in almost any fuel you buy, to varying degrees. If an engine is running a bit rough, it can be worth it to try the cleaner.
I have not experienced any injector problems for at least 20 years, despite having vehicles with 250 to 300k on them. It is mature technology.