How many times have you thought about your diesel engine's fuel injectors? If you're like most folks, you haven't thought about them at all! Without those injectors your vehicle is not going anywhere, so obviously they're essential items that need to be functioning at maximum capacity. They're also expensive to replace at approximately $400 per injector. Lets see, that's about $3,200 to replace all of them. Wow, they just became really important, huh?
| This is the injector cleaning tool and Justice Brothers Diesel Fuel Supplement. The center fitting at the bottom is the fuel-inlet-to-pump connection, the connector at the top right is the fuel return line, and the connector at the left with pressure gauge is the shop air connector. It's a compact little tool that does a big job.
As you may know, diesel fuel can create gum and resin deposits in your fuel system and in your injectors. These finely engineered parts (they better be at $400 a pop) have only a small hole in the tip that sprays a controlled amount of fuel into each cylinder. It doesn't take much to clog or close that tiny hole causing a disabled cylinder, loss of power, and at the very least, reduced mileage. So for a cleaner-burning engine and maximum fuel economy, it's necessary to keep those injectors, and the rest of your diesel fuel system, as clean as possible
Here's how you can keep the fuel flowing and avoid the injector-replacement poorhouse! The vehicle we're servicing is an '02 Ford Expedition with about 100,000 miles on it. When new, the average mileage during normal city/highway driving and occasional towing was 18 mpg, which has now dropped to 13 mpg. That's a 5-mpg loss, which really sucks! Injector cleaning might just boost that up a few mpg as well as prolong injector life, and that's a good thing! Plus, the engine will run smoother and last longer.
Most professional diesel service centers can hook your fuel system up to a specially designed cleaning tool. In many cases the tool is powered by your vehicle's fuel pump, or instead, can use air pressure to force the cleaning chemicals through those injectors, washing away any nasty stuff. We followed the simple, but necessary process, using a diesel fuel injector cleaning tool available from Justice Brothers.
The tool actually takes the place of the fuel tank. Normally a line from the canister is connected to the fuel pump and another to the fuel return line. The fuel tank is taken out of the circuit and the engine runs on the two-quart bottles of JB cleaner we poured into the canister. Therefore, the system from the pump through the engine is being cleaned, including those high-dollar injectors. The Diesel Fuel Supplement opens the injector orifice, providing a uniform spray of fuel into the cylinder. It also helps keep fuel filters, fuel lines, and the fuel tank itself clean and free from contaminants.
After driving the Expedition for another two weeks, racking up 402 miles, we rechecked the average city/highway mileage (without any towing) and it had increased to 14.5 mpg. Considering the Expedition's 44-gallon tank, that's an additional 66 miles per fill-up. But even more important is that the injectors and fuel system are being maintained. We expect that mileage to increase slightly as more fuel/cleaner is run through the engine. Throttle response has improved andthe engine runs smoother. For additional information visit www.justicebrothers.com or call 626/359-9174.
