I keep getting reminders from my dealer that I need to have my fuel injectors cleaned. Is this something that actually helps or is it just a way for them to stick me for an extra repair bill?
Save your money...unnecessary service on a Prius. Will not increase MPG. No benefit if vehicle is running smoothly. Will not necessary prolong the life of the metals and plastic used in the F.I. component system. If vehicle has a rough/ lump idle then you can look to a fuel inj. issue and clean or replace. If a performance vehicle, even new injectors, can have their spray pattern optimized; not necessary in a Prius. If you wish to keep your fuel system clean and also help with carbon build up in the combustion chamber, use top tier fuels only and add some Techron (or like product) through the fuel tank and then change the motor oil and filter to flush out the residue the Techron loosened.....IMO. I am with Mendel above...dealer snake oil.
These days most name brand gasoline has enough fuel injection additives already. It used to be recommended prior to almost universal use of additives which, for the most part, were included because of the widespread use of fuel injectors. Mass air flow sensors and throttle bodies sometimes need cleaning.
Believe it or not, they may not even know they are sending it out. Comes as a "complimentary" service to the dealer when they purchase things from say "reynolds & reynolds" or some other company. (They access your customer list, and send these "complimentary emails" as a service to you the dealer to help bring in additional service income.) Just hit the unsubscribe link - easiest thing you can do there.
Good advice, mostly. I give all my vehicles an appropriate dose of Techron at each oil change .....myself. Highly unlikely that anything that the fuel treatment "removes" will end up in the crankcase though. No need for an extra oil change. But if you are REALLY worried about that part, do the Techron treatment one tankful BEFORE your scheduled oil change. Oh, and yes the dealer's recommendation for injector cleaning is mostly unnecessary and/or way overpriced.
Then please explain how oil gets dirty? Might it be combustion byproducts that blow by the rings and enter the crankcase. So if the dissolved deposits and the chemicals that are solvents to those deposits are likewise able to bypass the rings' sealing with the cylinder walls, do you really want that gunk and those solvents (the enemy of oil) in your oil for the next 5k miles? I'm for using Techron every 30k or so miles two tanks run low before an oil change especially if you are running that oil change the intervals most manufacturers now suggest. Remember most gas has those solvents already but in much smaller dilutions.
The suggestion of changing the oil immediately after a dose of carb or injector cleaner pre-supposes that: 1) There is a large quantity of deposits that will be removed and 2) That a significant percentage of what is loosened will get past the rings. Neither is true......in most cases. The "Dirt" that gets into the oil happens over THOUSANDS of miles and part of it is the components of the oil itself breaking down.
I bought the Toyota Brand Fuel Injector Cleaner. my car didn't seem any different after using it.. Grats Toyota you win again!!
If you want to clean carbs or injectors, use sea foam. Sea foam cleans and stabilizes fuel and removes any water/moisture in the fuel. Z917VL ?
Here we go again. Another "convert" to the SeaFoam snake oil marketing hype. The company that sells the stuff does not even call itself a chemical company or an automotive company; the name is "SeaFoam Sales". They are really good at sales. Their product is a jack of all trades and master of none. If you want a really good carb, injector or fuel system cleaner......use Berrymans B12 Chemtool or Gumout. All others are wanna bees. Techron is good for injector maintenance but B12 and Gumout are better heavy duty cleaners.
