I've been told that injection cleaners do nothing for DI engines. But it seems to me that the Direct injectors have nozzles and spray patterns that need to be maintained. So wouldn't products like Sea Foam and Gumout help the direct injectors?
Injector cleaner in Direct injection
- Thread starter loneryder
- Start date
You'll need a cleaner with PEA as the active ingredient, so if you buy Gumout, be sure it's one of the Regane variety. This will help maintain the injectors and reduce piston deposits. As you mentioned, it can't clean the valves, but the idea is that by keeping everything else in top shape you will help to mitigate the valve deposits by keeping blow-by to a minimum. Low noack oil is also key to keeping those valves clean.
I have NEEDED to use fuel injector cleaning products in my Hyundai GDI engine (2012 Gamma GF4D 1.6L) and Hyundai specifically recommends using Chevron Techron in the owners manual. That being said the best products I have used to date have been from Royal Purple, both their Max Atomizer and Max Clean products work exceptionally well and the effects last for several thousands of miles.
Though I have been a big fan of Seafoam products they are not all that effective when it comes to fuel injector cleaning at least compared to the aforementioned Royal Purple products.
Though I have been a big fan of Seafoam products they are not all that effective when it comes to fuel injector cleaning at least compared to the aforementioned Royal Purple products.
Whoever said that was slightly misinformed. Valve cleaners do nothing for valves in DI engines.
@Trav Has written about these injectors and the issues he has encountered professionally cleaning them in his injector cleaning business. IIRC he posted some pictures of DI injectors he has cleaned. The problem he has seem with quite a few of them is there is an internal "screen" for lack of a better term that fails [deteriorates] causing big problems with the injectors. No pour in cleaner is going to help with that.
As much as I dislike the purple dye in oils, I do have to admit that when it comes to fuel additives - It's hard to find products that work as great as Max Atomizer and Max Clean. But you pay a pretty penny. The only other product that provided nearly immediate (and always satisfactory) results is Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment. Under $6 at Wal-Mart gives enough Star Tron for 48 gallons of fuel.
Worth checking out is some of the diesel products. Stay away from the cetane boosters. The direct injection gas engines have high pressure fuel pumps and injectors in the combustion area just like diesel engines, the lubricity of gasoline is not much better than the ultra low sulphur diesel being pumped.
Its worth a shot to consider.
Its worth a shot to consider.
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2014
- Messages
- 2,847
Well, I think you’d be better off just buying top tier fuel and running that at all times, which is suggested by manufacturers anyway. Fuel has detergents in it and when you’re talking about direct injection, you’re talking about a very high pressure spray, so it’ll clean the injectors themselves (Hopefully) but not the valves.
But spending extra money on injector cleaners or fuel additives? I wouldn’t do it.
But spending extra money on injector cleaners or fuel additives? I wouldn’t do it.
Last edited:
PEA based cleaners help keep the nozzles clean but once they are clogged or partially clogged nothing in a bottle will clean them back to 100%.
Redline SI-1, Techron, some of the Gumout products will do as good a job as any Seafoam does very little if anything.
Some injectors found in a few engines eg Mazda, VW/Audi have a habit of burning the filters right out, the burnt filter particles go in the injector and in some cases damages the injector.
I usually see these at about 80-100K. I service a lot of injectors for the local Mazda dealer mostly Mazda 3 with no filter left at all just the brass ring.
Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
You need a separate aerosol cleaner that hooks into the air intake. As stated here the issue is that gas doesn't get to the valves so neither will any FI cleaner you put into the tank.
There's a whole new DIY cottage market blooming:
www.stp.com
www.crcindustries.com
There's a whole new DIY cottage market blooming:
Pro-Series Intake Valve Cleaner | STP®
STP® Pro-Series Intake Valve Cleaner is a DIY intake valve cleaning solution designed to remove hardened deposits without a costly engine teardown.
www.stp.com
CRC® GDI IVD® Intake Valve & Turbo Cleaner, 11 Wt Oz
Do you want to remove carbon buildup from the intake valve of your GDI engine without the expense of a costly tear down? CRC GDI IVD® Intake Valve & Turbo Cleaner is the solution you need! This intake valve cleaner uses a specialized formula to break down carbon deposits that choke your...
www.crcindustries.com
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 4,118
Injectors cleaners clean the injectors, piston tops, combustions chambers..... how is that doing nothing?
Toptier fuel along a bottle or 2 a year of a quality FI cleaner should be considered. Just alternate among the FI cleaners.
Depending on yearly miles, a spraycan or vacuum fed IVD cleaner once or twice a year is something to consider. Both of mine GDI cars get a yearly IVD cleaning... alternating among the products available.
Toptier fuel along a bottle or 2 a year of a quality FI cleaner should be considered. Just alternate among the FI cleaners.
Depending on yearly miles, a spraycan or vacuum fed IVD cleaner once or twice a year is something to consider. Both of mine GDI cars get a yearly IVD cleaning... alternating among the products available.
“Seafoam does very little if anything.”
Well, there is that terrific smoke show....
Well, there is that terrific smoke show....
The only product I have found that works okay is BG-44K.
The kia optima owner's manual actually recommends a bottle of their fuel system cleaner every oil change. I just use redline SL1 and run it thru the tank right before an oil change. The way I look at it is since the injector is in the combustion chamber which is a very harsh enviornment a bottle every oil change will keep the proper spray pattern and reduce costly repairs, from what Ive seen those high pressure injectors arent exactly cheap. Plus the cleaner the piston crown the less chance that a hot spot develops which could cause detonation. But its your money spend it however you want.
You've been told a half truth.
Injector cleaners do clean the injectors for DI engines.
They do not however, clean the back of the intake valves, since fuel is sprayed directly into the combustion chamber.
Yep, pale oil and lighter fluid smokes like crazy.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 4,118
