Cleaning the fuel system: tips from the masters

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

The fuel system is the most important element in any car. The operation of the engine and the condition of the machine itself depend on its condition. Unfortunately, the quality of fuel at some gas stations leaves much to be desired. Therefore, over time, the car may need to clean the fuel system. Today we will pay special attention to this issue.

Diesel

Usually this operation is performed on diesel vehicles. Cleaning the diesel fuel system is required every 60 thousand kilometers. The fact is that the fuel system of such cars is more picky about the quality of fuel. Here, a pump nozzle is used for spraying. Pre-fuel passes through the channels of the injection pump. The slightest gap in these elements of the system can lead to sad consequences. Dirt adversely affects the efficiency of spraying the mixture. The car starts to consume more fuel, acceleration dynamics decreases, jerks appear when driving. If you clean the fuel system injectors in time, you can eliminate thisexodus.

Use additives

At the moment, these funds are very popular. It is additives that are bought when self-cleaning the fuel system. There are several trusted manufacturers. Positive feedback is received by Lavr and Vince products, but according to experts, it will not be possible to completely eliminate all pollution. There will still be a certain percentage of garbage in the system. However, it is worth trying this method, since many owners lost high consumption, and the dynamics resumed.

A more efficient option is to use flushing fluid. Rinsing in this case can also be done by hand.

How is flush fluid used on a diesel?

Let's consider this point on the example of washing "Vince". So, we need two gasoline-resistant hoses 80 centimeters long and a regular Zhiguli filter. The diameter of one tube should be 10, the second - 8 millimeters. Further work is carried out step by step:

• The factory tubes are being dismantled from the injection pump.
• In their place, purchased hoses are put on.
• A Zhiguli filter is put on a thicker tube.
• The hose should reach the bottom of the container. It is important to exclude air entrainment, since it will be problematic to start the engine in the future (this is a feature of all diesel engines).
• The bottle is attached under the hood.
• Engine starts.
• It should idle for 15 minutes.
• Nextpress the gas pedal several times and wait another four minutes.
• Turn off the engine.
• Wait until the liquid has completely cooled down, and deposits will not lag behind the surface. This will take approximately 15 minutes.
• The procedure is repeated until all the flushing fluid is used up (a more accurate consumption is indicated on the packaging of the fuel system cleaner).

Please note that on modern diesel vehicles, electronics are installed inside the fuel pump, which is cooled by diesel fuel. So, with a shortage of flushing or fuel, this electronics may suffer. It is recommended to make a special coil to optimize flushing. The latter lower the bucket for better cooling of the liquid. When the entire composition is worked out, the tubes return to their regular places and the engine starts again. When the operation of the internal combustion engine is stable, the car is turned off.

After that, the cleaning of the fuel system can be considered complete. The car is completely ready for operation. If the fuel pump is significantly dirty, two cans of flushing can be used. But the contents of the containers must be worked out so that the engine does not stall and does not grab excess air. If this is not scary on a gasoline engine, then it is very difficult to start a diesel engine in such a situation.

Safety measures

It is worth remembering that washing is a rather aggressive composition, so you should always work with rubber gloves. In case of contact with the skin, immediately wash the area with soap and water.

Petrol

Experts recommend cleaning the fuel system of a gasoline engine every 40 thousand kilometers. To perform this operation, there are several chemicals:

• Preparations that are used to clean nozzles by direct contact. In this case, you will need to remove the flushing nozzles.
• Additives for cleaning the fuel system. These compounds are added to the fuel. It is easier to use such a tool, since there is no need to remove the nozzles. Cleaning is carried out during the operation of the vehicle.

As a result, you can achieve a reduction in fuel consumption and an increase in engine power (up to factory settings). Both types of compositions allow you to remove deposits in the channels of the nozzles.

What do we need to work?

In specialized service stations, a stand is used to clean the fuel system. Injectors in this case must be dismantled from the car. Of course, it makes no sense to buy expensive equipment for self-cleaning. Therefore, many resort to the use of improvised means. So, how is the fuel system of a gasoline engine cleaned? For this we need:

• 2 liter plastic bottle (preferably clear).
• Two tubeless nipples.
• Rubber hose. It should be about two meters long.
• Fluid pump and gauge.

But we note right away that there are certain risks. By cleaning the fuel system with your own hands, you can further pollutenozzles. Due to the fact that flushing is aggressive, any deposits that are in the fuel line can clog in the injector. Thus, it is necessary to resort to such an operation only for the purpose of prevention. If the nozzles are dirty, it is better to clean with removal.

Getting Started

So, all the tools are prepared. What's next? The operation to clean the fuel system without removing the injectors is carried out in several steps:

• First you need to reduce the pressure in the fuel system. To do this, open the power circuit by removing the fuel pump fuse.
• We sit behind the wheel and turn the engine with the starter, producing the remaining fuel. In some cases, the car may even idle for some time. No need to turn it off - it will stall itself when there is no fuel in the system.
• Hoses are connected to the rail inlet through the fuel filter. The second tube from the "return" should go into a vessel with liquid.
• Use the pump to pressurize the system.
• The engine starts. It should be allowed to idle for about 15 minutes.
• Next, the time is waiting for the "rotation".
• The motor starts up again, and this time all the remaining flushing fluid is exhausted.
• The flushing system is being dismantled and the standard fuel system is being assembled.

If this operation did not bring the desired result, you will have to flush each nozzle separately.

Flushing each nozzle

This operation is in progressstep by step:

• Reducing pressure in the fuel system. To do this, remove the fuel pump fuse in the same way and start the engine. It should now run until it stalls.
• The wiring harness that fits the injectors is removed.
• Unscrew the nuts that fix the pipelines to the ramp.
• To remove the ramp, the locking screws are unscrewed. The latter have a cap for an asterisk or a hexagon.
• To increase the cleaning efficiency, we need a special tool. This is a rubber tube. A spray bottle with flushing is installed at one end of it, and a nozzle at the other. Also, voltage is applied to the latter. To do this, you need the appropriate block and a voltage of +12 V.
• The operation is best performed by two people. While the assistant supplies liquid from the cylinder, at this time we apply a “plus” to the nozzle. It is necessary to supply energy in short pulses. Be aware that if the current is applied for a long time, the injector may fail.
• Several cycles of cleaning are carried out. Pauses are periodically made so that the system “throws back”.
• Next, go to the second, third and fourth nozzle. The work is carried out in a similar way.
• All pipes and hoses are installed in place. Also, do not forget about the removed fuse. Without it, the engine will not start.
• Start the engine and check for stability. The machine should work smoothly in the first minute.

How is a service station flush done?

Thisthe operation can be performed using an ultrasonic bath. But this requires specialized equipment.

The process itself occurs in the following sequence:

• The injector is completely removed from under the ramp.
• The nozzles are placed in a container filled with a special solution.
• Next, the elements are affected by ultrasound. The first time everything goes smoothly.
• Petrol test in progress.
• The cleaning result is being evaluated. If the nozzle does not work properly, the cleaning operation is repeated again.

But you should understand that the nozzles do not withstand prolonged exposure to ultrasound. Careless cleaning can damage them. Therefore, the power on the apparatus increases gradually, and not immediately. At the same time, the results of the injector operation are constantly checked.

Conclusion

So, we found out how the fuel system can be cleaned. As you can see, there are no special differences between diesel and gasoline engines (except that the former should not catch air during flushing). As a result, we get clean nozzles that correctly spray the mixture into the cylinders. The engine starts to run steadily. And since the mixture is distributed correctly, the efficiency of the internal combustion engine increases and fuel consumption decreases. Experts recommend performing this operation regularly for prevention purposes. It will be much more difficult to clean an already fairly dirty nozzle. Here additives alreadywon't help.