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It's been said in the Zetec forum that sometimes you need to have a garage professionally clean your fuel injectors if they get gunked, because the solvent you put in your tank won't do the job very well. I've been having trouble for a while which I'm becoming fairly convinced is poor fuel delivery (recurring "too lean" CEL, several other possible causes already investigated), and my next move is going to be to pull out the fuel rail and see if I can find any signs that the injectors are gunked. Like, squirt some gas into the air and see if it comes out in a good even spray.
My question is, if they do need cleaning, do I really need to pay a garage, or is there some reasonable approach I could use? Haynes says I should not mess with injectors at home... Is it safe to just open them up and use chemtool, or would I never get them back together right?
96 GL Zetec ATX, white with pinstripe, nickname " Sam Smooth " mods so far: CTA intake with homemade heat shield, KVR drilled front rotors & carbon pads w/ 500° fluid planned mods: exhaust (want to keep it quiet), e-ram (awaiting installation), diablo chip involuntary mods: compression increased after head gasket failure
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Whoa, Nelly...
"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
(That was a ten-foot pole, and I am not going to be using it anytime soon!!!!!)
lol (corny, I know, sorry.. it is 0145, and I need sleep!)
Ray
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There are companies that will do off-car cleaning of fuel injectors for $25/each. Finding one that is local to you might be a different problem unless you want to send them off... Linder Technical Services http://www.lindertech.com will sell you cleaned/balanced injectors for $25/each, and I think they give you $3 back as a core charge (not sure). I think they even come with a printout verifying the flow rate. I'd suggest giving them a call.... Brian
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I would find a reliable shop to do this job.
However are you sure it's injectors.
I hade trouble codes PO171/PO174(too lean).
I found a split hose at the PCV valve which was causing a vacuum leak.Replaced hose, cleared codes and all ok. No CEL light.
Might want to check all vacuum hoses before forking out on injectors.
Gleschu
gleschu
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I had the same problem, and like gleschu before me it was a crack in a vac hose causing the lean condition.
99 CSVT Green/Tan 13,700Km
# 84 of 2760
For Sale
96 Contour GL 2.5 ATX 120,000Km
K&N Air Filter
Mobile 1
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I just had my SVT injectors cleaned. Saved me buying a new injector. They had been standing for a while and one would not close. Anway after an ultrasonic bath and lots of flushing with solvent on their special machine, the injector came good. Moral, do not leave fuel in you injectors for a long time, flush with WD40!
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send them to rc engineering. They will have them back in one week fromt he time you ship them. I had my 19lb injectors cleaned. They come back with a before and after flow test worksheet.
My total turn around time from ship to return was 1 week.
check out the website for more info.
98 SE
BAT Big Brake Kit "C", Throttle Hang Fix, B&M Shifter, Lightly Cracked Secondaries, BAT Euro Handling Kit, 20% tint, Removed Ding Strips, ES Motor Mount Inserts, Borla CatBack, Apexi SAFC, HighTower Rear Brace, BAT 19mm rear bar, MSDS Headers & Y, AFE 20-35008 filter, ClutchMasters Stage 1, Fidanza FlyWheel, SVT T.B.
====OnOrder====
svt uppers and lowers,
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Believe me, I have looked and looked for vacuum leaks. I recently took apart the PCV and EGR plumbing just to check them (and replaced the PCV valve), to no avail. This is why I was becoming suspicious of the injectors: because (a) someone was just talking about them, and (b) I've checked almost everything else.
But now I am unsure again. I checked the plugs last night. It was my understanding that an engine with the right mixture is supposed to have tan spark plugs, whereas a lean one will have whitish plugs and a rich one will have dark sooty plugs... right? Well, despite the lean code, the plug color was rather dark. Brown on the insulator, near black on the metal rim (but not fluffy). All plugs the same, which shoots down my theory that maybe some cylinders were lean and others were too rich in compensation. These plugs almost (but not quite) look like it's running rich rather than lean. Which makes me think it's the oxygen sensors.
But I voltmetered them and was assured that the readings showed were working right. Also, running rich should rob mileage but not peak power, right? I've lost significant power (and a bit of mileage too).
I'm as baffled as ever. I don't know whether to buy oxygen sensors on speculation, buy a vacuum pump and try finding the leak by pumping out various hoses and see if air gets back in, or spend $400 for a good shop to find what's wrong.
96 GL Zetec ATX, white with pinstripe, nickname " Sam Smooth " mods so far: CTA intake with homemade heat shield, KVR drilled front rotors & carbon pads w/ 500° fluid planned mods: exhaust (want to keep it quiet), e-ram (awaiting installation), diablo chip involuntary mods: compression increased after head gasket failure
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How long do oxygen sensors last, anyway? Maybe they're old enough that it would be no great extra expense to replace them now. I've got not quite 60,000 miles.
96 GL Zetec ATX, white with pinstripe, nickname " Sam Smooth " mods so far: CTA intake with homemade heat shield, KVR drilled front rotors & carbon pads w/ 500° fluid planned mods: exhaust (want to keep it quiet), e-ram (awaiting installation), diablo chip involuntary mods: compression increased after head gasket failure
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Originally posted by Paul Kienitz:
It's been said in the Zetec forum that sometimes you need to have a garage professionally clean your fuel injectors if they get gunked, because the solvent you put in your tank won't do the job very well. I've been having trouble for a while which I'm becoming fairly convinced is poor fuel delivery (recurring "too lean" CEL, several other possible causes already investigated), and my next move is going to be to pull out the fuel rail and see if I can find any signs that the injectors are gunked. Like, squirt some gas into the air and see if it comes out in a good even spray.
My question is, if they do need cleaning, do I really need to pay a garage, or is there some reasonable approach I could use? Haynes says I should not mess with injectors at home... Is it safe to just open them up and use chemtool, or would I never get them back together right?
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