Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Fuel system cleaning

10K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  Muroc 
#1 ·
Hi all! I'm looking to clean out my fuel systems any suggestions? I read that when people do it at home they use seafoam? I hear good things and bad things, how do you go about performing a fuel system cleaning at home?

I have a 2002 tj with 76k miles and the previous owner never performed maintenance on her! :(
 
#3 ·
I've been using Chevron Techron in all my vehicles for years. When I originally did the research, I I found out it was the only fuel system cleaner approved by Bosch (maker of injection and fuel system components).

Techron and a Top Tier gasoline is all you need.

I'm lucky enough to have two local Exxon (Top Tier) stations that sell no methanol premium. I use that whenever I can, even if the engine requires only regular.
 
#6 ·
You really don't need the premium gas. Top tier supplier rating is based on detergent content and availability (see how the bias goes to the big guys?)

Regular octane gas will get you the same level of protection.

I've been using Chevron Techron in all my vehicles for years. When I originally did the research, I I found out it was the only fuel system cleaner approved by Bosch (maker of injection and fuel system components).

Techron and a Top Tier gasoline is all you need.

I'm lucky enough to have two local Exxon (Top Tier) stations that sell no methanol premium. I use that whenever I can, even if the engine requires only regular.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I'm a strong believer in keeping certain things clean in the engine but I haven't worried about the fuel system being clean in nearly 20 years since all the gasoline manufacturers finally started including enough fuel cleaning additives. Dirty fuel injectors, for example, used to get dirty and clog up in the 70's and 80's but the automotive manufacturers pushed the gasoline manufacturers to up the level of fuel cleaners in all US manufactured gasolines which cured the issue.

I used to have a collection of new truck dealerships as customers and all of the mechanics basically said the same thing... none of the newer mechanics had never seen a truly dirty/clogged injector, and the older mechanics said they hadn't seen one in 20 years.

Those $99 fuel system cleaning services new car dealer service writers push so hard is just a way for them to make extra $$$ for the shop and mechanics. The mechanics I spoke to over the years all agreed privately to me that it's nothing but a rip-off which is why I asked them in the first place... it was already my opinion that it was.

Personally I wouldn't waste my $$$ on it. Clean out the throttle body with a good aerosol throttle body cleaner like from 3M, it does definitely get dirty, but I wouldn't waste my time or $$$ adding cleaning additives to the fuel system. Not to mention the gas filter was designed big enough to be a lifetime filter and is not normally an item that ever needs to be replaced.

Yep if I lived in a 3rd world country I'd be the first to pour in a bottle of Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner every couple of tankfuls. That's good stuff when it is needed :)
 
#5 ·
Thank you guys for all your responses! I'm really trying to get her in tip top condition, before I start putting any money into her for mods and upgrades, I'm going to go through all the routine things no matter how pointless they may seem (most, if not all from home, whatever I can accomplish from home I will). Right now I'm working on replacing some damaged parts and taking the rust off and coating it with a rust prevention solution. Then onto the next project!


I'm glad that I went with Tecron in the end :)
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Read carefully. I wrote I buy NO METHANOL premium even if the engine requires regular. There are plenty of reasons to use 100% gasoline that you just might want to look up. I wrote nothing about getting better performance from higher octane in an engine designed for regular gasoline.

NO METHANOL is preferred and it's only available to me as premium. If I could buy NO METHANOL gasoline in regular grade, I would use it in engines designed for regular.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I read premium and naturally assumed you were buying 93 octane since that is the common nomenclature. I wasn't trying to insult your intelligence or claim you were making more power, just trying to make sure their wasn't a misconception about the system cleaning properties between different octane grades of gasoline.

For what it's worth, I work as a design engineer for fuel injectors. Prior to that I was at Bosch for 10 years in O2 sensor development and have several patents related to their design.

I've read some things about gasoline.
 
#9 ·
I live at 5,200 feet and 91 R+M/2 is the highest locally available octane. That said, I have a lightly modded Mustang that was dyno tuned at sea level on 91 and runs perfectly up here on mid grade 89. If 100% gasoline was available in 89 R+M/2, I'd use it just as I would gladly run 100% gasoline 85 R+M/2 regular at this altitude in engines designed for 87.

(By the way, I also never mentioned 93 octane! :))
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top