C5 Fuel System question.....

[VAmagred01]

Will using fuel-system cleaners (e.g. STP) every couple-thousand miles harm the fuel system/engine/sensors of a C5? I've always done this every oil change on all of my other cars to keep the injectors clean and any moisture out of the tank but I'm always a little nervous when it comes to doing anything to this car. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
There is alot of grey area about additives, and what or how they work.
There is a chemical that is not supposed to use, Toluene. Most injector cleaners contain this chemical. There is usually nothing that you should really use on c5 injectors.
12345515 is what we use in the dealerships. However, usually, not unless we are finding a rough idle, hesitation, or some other drivability condition.
This is only used once every six months.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[VAmagred01]

Thanks for the info. Being that I use high octane (i.e. 93) fuel, I assume that my injectors don't get clogged as much as a vehicle that uses low octane (e.g. 87) due to less deposits? Can I purchase 12345515 from the dealership? And if so, are you suggesting that I use this every six months to keep my fuel system clean or just let the mechanics use it if they find a problem?

-Kenny

 

[vettepilot]

Be careful on how you think of octane ratings. They are not the detergents that one needs to keep the deposits under control, octane simply raises the combustion point to prevent premature ignition. So a high octane rating doesn't necessarily mean that fuel contains more detergents vs a lower octane fuel.
Look for a fuel that contains a quality detergent in the octane rating that is required by the vehicle.
I personally like Chevron when the price is not in the stratosphere, and lately it has been coming down, two weeks ago in this area Chevron 93 was 1.82 / gal, this week it is 1.69 .
vettepilot

 

[VAmagred01]

Good info...thanks a lot. I guess I should have taken that engines class.:duh

 

[danjack]

Additives in the gasoline

Chevron gas contains additives to clean your injectors already. I recommend it as the fuel of choice. Octane rating deals with the ability of the fuel to combust in the cylinder. The higher the rating the better it can be compressed prior to ignition thus more power. And we all want more power, right!

 

[VAmagred01]

To all....

Thanks a lot for the input. I'll start using Chevron in lieu of Ammoco. More power is definitely what we all want!

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
What is also not said about fuels, is that ALL must meet certain EPA standards for cleaning fuel injectors and the back facing of the valve heads.
In this, there is NO difference, as every single manufacturer of fuel must adhere to these guidelines.
After that, they add some additives of their own, to show that their fuels are the best.
After numerous test by independent testing facilities, including CARB, California Air Research Board, there was not 1 definitive advantage to use one brand over another.
The only reason to buy one brand over another, is a higher octane rating, like Sunoco 94. however, the 1 point different still did NOT make a substantial difference in power production on the dyno.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[VAmagred01]

Excellent info, guys! Thanks for your time and knowledge!

 

[Hib Halverson]

There are two basic types of pour-in injector cleaners, solvent-based and detergent-based.

Solvent-based cleaners have some kind of solvent (such as toluene, as c4c5 Specialist explained) as the active ingrediant.

Because solvents in high concentrations are harmful to plastic or rubber fuel system parts, the injector cleaner must be formulated such that the concentration of solvent is not high enough to cause any damage. Unfortunately, in most cases, this makes solvent-based cleaners that are marketed to be used on a regular basis, not very potent and not a very good value.

Detergent-based cleaners use detergents as the active ingrediant. Detergents do not harm plastic or rubber fuel system parts.

There are few detergent-based injector cleaners because they are more costly to make and, thus, their makers cannot compete with those solvent-based products that are mass-marketed.

The best-known detergent-based injector cleaners are Red Line Complete Fuel System Cleaner and Chevron Techron.

I've used Red Line's product for about ten years as both a preventive maintenance choice and to clear mild cases of injector fouling.

For mild cases of injector fouling, I suggest the "shock treatement" which is one bottle of Red Line Fuel System Cleaner per tankful of fuel for three sucessive fill-ups.

For preventive maintenance, I suggest a mix of 4oz. of Fuel System Cleaner to each 10gal of gas added every third fill-up.

 

[VAmagred01]

To Hib Halverson.....

Thanks! That's great input. Thanks for clearing this up for me.

-Kenny