Keeping your fuel system clean helps us in many phases of our lives, be it driving to places or generate electricity for our homes so the process that powers our engines i.e. combustion comes with an unavoidable consequence called the engine deposits, which can eventually form at different places in the engine.
Petrol can leave a surprising amount of contaminants in your fuel system, some of the contamination can accumulate around the fuel pressure regulator in the fuel lines. The real trouble starts when deposits build around the fuel injectors.
There are two main types of deposits found in the fuel system of the engine:
- Ethanol
Ethanol may have been heard to reduce the carbon monoxide emissions from our vehicle in order to comply with air quality norms, also cobalt is a well-known octane boosting ingredient (which increases fuel efficiency) but the harsh reality accompanying ethanol is that alcohol is corrosive and proves to be really harsh on the engine components. Further, in older engines, it can cause carbon deposit to dislodge, making their way to other parts of the engine and causing issues. It also oxidizes and emulsifies to form non-combustible by-products, which eventually causes build up in fuel injectors, intake valves, and various parts of the engine’s combustion chamber. This worsens the engine performance and fuel economy. - Carbon
In fuel injected engines deposits can be caused due to deposition of carbon particles which are formed as a byproduct of air and fuel combustion. These deposits are caused by only a few processes in the engine but the deposits can cause huge troubles by travelling to other engine areas. You can go a long time without noticing the engine deposits because they build up over time, but eventually, they’ll rob your engine of its power and can cause serious issues if considered on a long term basis.
Cleaning out engine deposits
Removing the engine deposits may sound as simple as spraying a solvent into the throttle body but what comes along is a large number of issues that may accompany the solvent that may be used. For better operation, initial cleaning should be suggestively done by hands using special tools that vary according to the area to be cleaned. If the deposits are in a very hard to reach area then the solvent which contains active ingredients like PEA (Polyether Amine) or Iso-Propyl Alcohol should be used.
These two are well-known to weaken the carbon bonds and can easily solubilize the carbon deposits along with the fuel mixture directing them towards the exhaust. Engine flush or fuel flush is used by pouring it into an empty fuel tank followed by the fuel and then running the engine for around 2000 kms in order to let the cleaner act upon the injectors and other areas of the engine. The quantity of the additive used is important to achieve the best results. The engine flush is used maintaining a ratio of 4ml per litre of fuel depending upon the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle.
Benefits of using fuel system cleaners
The fuel system cleaner increases the air acceptance and improves the compression ratio of the engine along with protecting the engine components against corrosion.
- A major contributor is the idling RPM. Idling RPM can be an issue if the injectors are clogged. Improper idling will resultantly cause the engine to stall and stutter
- No power lags at lower RPM which would mean the fuel system cleaner can yield you excellent power at lower gears too and you can rev your engine to the fullest.
- Keeps the fuel hose and injector surfaces clean thereby gifting them a longer and healthier life
- The use of the fuel system cleaner proves to be pocket-friendly as compared to the cost of getting the otherwise clogged fuel injectors to be replaced by the mechanic.
- A bottle of the fuel solvent cleaner can last for more than 2000 kms and costs a very nominal price which can be spent easily to have a smooth running engine.
Considering all the factors we can easily conclude that fuel system cleaners are definitely a worthy investment. The fuel system cleaners should be used regularly in order to extract maximum work output and efficiency from your engine along with keeping it healthy for the long run.
These are the magic potions that will visibly change the performance of your engine which will be of a two way use to you as it will save your major repair cost and also the fuel system cleaner will help increase the efficiency of the engine system so that you could have a better answer to the most frequent question around us Kitna deti hai?
Click here to get your car fuel system cleaned at a GoMechanic workshop near you.