Store bought Self Fuel Cleaners or Service Department Fuel Cleaning?

[Yoop33]

Apparently, my 5.4 needs a little work and the dealer is wanting $179 for a Fuel Cleaning which includes:
Fuel Injector Cleaner
Intake Valve Deposit Cleaner
Air Intake Cleaner

Does this seem worth it to anyone compared to buying the pour in liquid cleaners?

 

[08T1]

I have had great luck with Lucas.

But I know some people would claim snake oil.

Good luck!

CJ

 

[Russell Lewis]

I have used Lucas. It made my MPG worse pen and paper not lie-O meter.

Sea foam worked 10000x better IMHO for off the shelf. If you have compressor buy the one tool fits on fuel rail works the best.

 

[ExplorerTom]

So I just sent my injectors off to be cleaned. That cost about $180. And I guarantee that cleaning was 10x better of a cleaning than what the dealer will do for the same price.

And frankly, the pre-cleaning test of 7 of the 8 injectors actually looked pretty good- 1 was completely blocked. I've been running quality gas and a bottle of Techron/STP every now and then. The unknown is that the fuel filter may have been original at 170k miles when I changed it a couple years ago.

I'd pass on the dealer service.

 

[Adieu]

Apparently, my 5.4 needs a little work and the dealer is wanting $179 for a Fuel Cleaning which includes:
Fuel Injector Cleaner
Intake Valve Deposit Cleaner
Air Intake Cleaner

Does this seem worth it to anyone compared to buying the pour in liquid cleaners?

Air intake cleaning:

Undo several screws under hood, remove the intake, and just clean it with whatever, like a baby wipe or something. It is highly unlikely that it'll be nasty or difficult.

Spray some MAF cleaner on the sensor while it's off. Easy.

5.4 tritons don't get CBU issues like some modern motors, so it won't be a mess or a challenge

Injectors:

2 bolts to pull up fuel rail and they can be unspected, they just snap in place.

If there's a serious mess on the spray tip you can just let it soak in a variety of $3 - 10 injector cleaner additives. You can also, afaik, apply a 9v battery to the contacts to make it spray and observe if the pattern is good. Maybe manually feed some injector cleaner thru it like that (NOTE: serious eye protection needed and don't get that on your skin either, it'll eat away at your skin)

Intake:
for that money they aint taking it off an soaking it or walnut blasting....and it probably doesnt need anything like that anyway.

Theyre charging you to have a technician pour a bottle of fuel system cleaner in your tank methinks.

 

[Adieu]

So I just sent my injectors off to be cleaned. That cost about $180. And I guarantee that cleaning was 10x better of a cleaning than what the dealer will do for the same price.

And frankly, the pre-cleaning test of 7 of the 8 injectors actually looked pretty good- 1 was completely blocked. I've been running quality gas and a bottle of Techron/STP every now and then. The unknown is that the fuel filter may have been original at 170k miles when I changed it a couple years ago.

I'd pass on the dealer service.

Depending on the year, you couldve just gotten 8 new injectors for around that same price maybe just a bit more.

Shouldve just swapped the one bad injector yourself imho.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Depending on the year, you couldve just gotten 8 new injectors for around that same price maybe just a bit more.

Shouldve just swapped the one bad injector yourself imho.

New injectors are twice the cost of cleaning/testing.

And to be honest, I didn't realize one wasn't flowing.

 

[Adieu]

What year is your truck? Hardly twice the cost afaik

 

[chart75]

Need to do this on my wife's 07. Least expensive options I can find are reman's for $17.75 each (ebay), or new $28.78 each on Amazon. Didn't realize how easy these are to replace until now (watched a youtube video).

 

[rjdelp7]

$179, for mechanic to spray the throttle body and pour a bottle into the tank? You can do that yourself, for $20. They make a kit, that hooks up to fuel rail. The motor runs on cleaner for about twenty minutes. Modern engines, hardly see clogged fuel injectors. The spray pattern can get reduced. Running a good fuel treatment will usually help. Injectors can be re-built. There are kits available. The one I saw, had new filters. Apparently, each injector, has a filter.

 

[ExplorerTom]

What year is your truck?

I'm not sure.

Hardly twice the cost afaik

$22 each for cleaned and tested. New Motorcraft go for $35-$42 each. So maybe not technically twice, but close enough.

And clearly I spent more by getting them cleaned. But now I know for sure mine are flowing as they are designed. A brand new one out of the box should as well- but not always.

 

[chart75]

$179, for mechanic to spray the throttle body and pour a bottle into the tank? You can do that yourself, for $20. They make a kit, that hooks up to fuel rail. The motor runs on cleaner for about twenty minutes. Modern engines, hardly see clogged fuel injectors. The spray pattern can get reduced. Running a good fuel treatment will usually help. Injectors can be re-built. There are kits available. The one I saw, had new filters. Apparently, each injector, has a filter.

Looks like rebuild kits run about $20. Has anyone replaced their injectors with aftermarket parts? Curious if they worked well, and if so, did they last?

 

[Oldnerdguy]

My experience with fuel additives has been decent. But I usually add more than or at least the max amount called for. I try to run the vehicle hard after adding or spend some time on the interstate to get some good flow through the system. Usually I have noticed worse gas mileage on that tank of gas and maybe the next but it usually gets better a tank or two later.
I have tried many brands. I don't know that I have had any better or worse results with any particular one. Generic to Seafoam. From my years in manufacturing, they all probably come from the same manufacturing plant with just a tweak in the formula and a different bottle.
On my car (99 GT some motor work and a Procharger), I took the injectors out and took to a local Mustang guy to be cleaned and flow tested. (He had bought a flow system from a closed shop and did this process for enthusiasts.) The before and after was different in the numbers and one was out of the variation limit. Luckily he had one there that was in the limit and we just traded out. It has been some years since I did this. I am not sure if I gained much from this but I seem to remember it running a little smoother.

 

[07xln]

I’ve had great success with Seafoam. Can in the tank, half a can through the vacuum line to clean the intake/valves and half a can in the oil.

Stuff works great

 

[1997SCEBFEX]

I use Lucas or Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner about every 6 months.
also change the fuel filter yearly.
++ on doing it yourself if you're so inclined.