The first thing we need to know to put ourselves in context about cleaners and how to clean our injector is to understand what a diesel injector cleaner is.
Injection valves are elements of your vehicle’s injection system. There is one for each cylinder and these are divided into different parts. Their main function is to introduce a sprayed amount of diesel fuel into the combustion chamber, where it mixes homogeneously with the air in the chamber.
Advantages of using diesel injector cleaners
In the past, injection valves still operated mechanically. Today they are solenoid valves that are electronically controlled and are truly precise elements. These nozzles are connected simultaneously to other components and sensors in the vehicle that are critically important for diesel combustion through the engine. In the late 1980s, injection systems replaced carburetors because they offered major advantages. The priority in these cases is the reduction of polluting gases; because if we compare the new modern injection systems with carburetors, the latter clearly fall short.
The 5 best-known advantages of using diesel injector cleaners:
- Improved engine start and temperature performance
- Reduces fuel consumption
- Reduction of polluting gases
- More efficient injector placement
- Increased vehicle performance
Types of injection: multiple, direct or both
As we mentioned, an engine has one injection valve per cylinder. These valves spray a very fine mist of fuel, whether it is direct or multiple injection. Some more modern engines feature a combination of multiple and direct injection. Depending on the charge space, direct injection and the charge manifold take turns in order to reduce nitrogen oxide. This precise spraying of the injection valves ensures efficient fuel combustion, which translates into greater power. But to achieve this, fuel must be injected under overpressure.
In the case of multiple injection, the injection nozzles are fed with fuel through a common injection rail, where pressure is between 3 and 6 bar if we are talking about pressure units. With direct injection, the injection nozzles are sustained through a high-pressure pump that can reach up to 350 bar. Modern diesel engines, which can also operate with direct injection, can reach up to 2500 bar.
Reasons why my diesel injector cleaner may fail
As a general rule, the more precise the technology, the easier it is to damage. In this case, the ultra-fine holes in the injection nozzles can become clogged quickly; for example, from poorly filtered fuel that could block these holes and cause permanent failures. Even a small change in fuel spraying could have a harmful effect on engine performance and consumption.
If we have dirty or damaged injectors, this could cause different problems in our vehicle:
- Excess smoke from the exhaust pipe
- Engine starting failures
- Uncomfortable noises in the vehicle
- Cylinder misfires
For this reason, at Neoquim, to avoid these situations, we always recommend cleaning diesel injectors with Cetaplus Auto; to achieve greater engine optimization, reduce possible black smoke and clean the entire injection system.
If we are talking about defective injection valves, we can end up causing holes in the piston, since instead of producing a fine mist as we mentioned earlier, a stream of fuel can be generated that burns directly on the piston crown. Due to their location in the combustion chamber, injection nozzles are exposed to high levels of stress; so in some cases, if the material is defective, it will not be able to permanently withstand the pressure and heat.
Among other defects, there can also be short circuits in the injection valve coils, additive deposits and weak cable connections.
Cleaning systems with specialized diesel injector cleaner
In older vehicles, cleaning the injection nozzles in most cases led to an improvement in engine performance, since additives dissolve effectively in valve deposits. Currently, if the cleaner is of good quality and contains the correct additives, it will be able to solve the deposit problems of more modern vehicles. Therefore, we recommend that the components of these products be checked correctly and that they do not include harmful additives; such as, for example, kerosene.
The most correct way to use this type of cleaner is by opening the fuel tank, pouring the product in the indicated amounts, adding diesel and finishing by emptying the rest of the cleaner letting it pass through the fuel system, so the cleaning process would already be complete.
As a general rule, this type of product is recommended to be applied every 40,000/50,000 km or with each oil change to have a more familiar reference.
If after reading this article you still have any doubts about diesel injector cleaner, at Neoquim we have a team of professionals at your disposal to help you.
Neoquimito