I was at a lube shop the other day when the manager advised I should do Chryslers recommended fuel system cleaning where they hook your car up to a machine and pump chemical through it.
He tole me the bottle stuff (I use Chevron or Valvoline) has alcohol which will leave deposits on my spark plugs. Is this fact or fiction?
Do I need to spend 60.00 every year for a fuel system cleaning?

 

They were trying to make money off you. Lube shops ALWAYS try to sell this stuff to make a little extra money. Here's what you should do if you're really concerned about it:

1. Look it up in the owners manual. I'll bet it doesn't say anything about it.
2. If it does, take it to a DEALER and ask them if it's necessary, and if it is, let THEM do it.

Them darn sand snakes...

 

Absolutely not. Get a can of BG 44K and put it in a gas tank that has at least 1/2 full. Do this twice a year. It's about $20 a can. Takes about 300 - 500 miles to clean. I've used this on several vehicles every year. No probs as yet.

 

I've been using the Chevron Techron stuff for years, longer than I can rememeber. No less than every 1500 miles. Works great, never any problems. Used in Fords, Chevys, and a KIA. The bottled Techron is a concentrated version of the the stock Techron additive in the Chevron and Texaco fuels.

 

I've always used Techron too (just before every oil change), and have never had any kind of fuel or injector problems - so I guess it does what it is supposed to do. I have however, switched to Seafoam after doing some checking around.

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpTechGas.htm

 

The mechanics in the shop use EssentiaLube, a "blending agent". It works well in the fuel at 1 oz. per gallon, after the initial 2 oz. per gallon initial application. My injectors and throttle body are clean after 92,000 miles in my 4.6 F-150, and my mileage is holding at 16 mpg., highway. Reformulated gasoline plays havoc with injectors if not dealt with.

 

Don't know about sea-foam... but Techron works as advertized.

A 23 year Ford truck tech told me to effectively clean dirty injectors, the chemicals are so hot they must be injected into the fuel rail directly or they will damage other components upstream. IMHO, this type of cleaning is done on as "as needed basis", not PM.

 

I use Techron also. Never any problems. Costco has it in 4 16 oz bottles in a pack at a good price. Can't remember exactly, but seems about $10 or $12.

 

I have a MC that sits a lot. The petcock got so you could hardly turn the fuel on. One tank of gas with techron added and it started moving like new again. THAT is purt good varnish remover in my book.

 

There is no alcohol in Techron and is the recommended gas additive by all three American car makers as an injection system cleaner. Seafoam is about 80% alcohol and I am surprized that more folks don't lunch an engine when they pour this stuff into a hot engine. I can only imagine how many cracked pistons there are on the street because of it.

 

Flash, Have you any experience with Schaeffers Neutra 131 fuel additive?

Also, what is your take on slowly pouring water in the intake of a hot and revving engine? I heard it can remove carbon deposits.

 

I have used the water method several times. I did about 2 liters of it poured in slowley, at about 1500 RPMs. Seemed to work fine.

 

Water injection as a carbon remover has been used since WWII that I am aware of. Some of our fighter aircraft used it to enhance high altitude performance and the bi-product was no carbon in the combustion chamber. While this can be employed successfully with an engine that is allowed to reach normal operating temps by idling from a cold start, introducing water into a HOT engine (like just coming off of the hiway) can be fatal to an engine. Pouring it in too quickly can result in a hydrolocked engine. I would suggest misting it in if you want to attempt the process. With the lean burn engines of today, head temps and piston temps are considerably higher than years ago. Introduction of a non-gaseous liquid is going to cause metal parts to crack from thermal lose. It can be tricky but I don't think you could introduce enough to do any damage in mist form, say from a hair spray bottle or the like. I am not familiar with the Neutra product. Might want to see what the formulation is and if it is an alcohol base, forget it. You can buy STP cleaner which is alcohol based ( or at least the last time I saw a formulation on it) for just a little over a buck at Wallys. MOST engines don't need cleaners and with todays gasoline formualtions, carbon deposits are kept at a minimum.

 

The Neutra Fuel Stabilizer MSDS says 10 to 20 % alcohol, so not the base. The stuff is around $15 a gallon ($20 a gallon once it is shipped). I have to buy it 4 gallons at a time and because of the low flash point it has to be shipped haz mat. Here is the info:

Product data:
http://www.schaefferoil.com/datapdf/131.pdf

MSDS:
http://www.schaefferoil.com/msdspdf/131.pdf

 

TP, always a pleasure to hear from you. The MSDS is far too general to make any determination but I would assume that it uses a naptha of sorts as the base or carrier fluid. It wouldn't surprize me that they also are using a little ester in their formulation. Fuel stabilizers work by causing a film over the top of the fuel which keeps the fuel from gassing in the presence of air/oxygen. I would suspect the naptha compounds because of the alcohol. Naptha agents burn HOT and the alcohol would lower the burning temp.