Better Fuel Cleaning, Valvoline or BG?

[TXHunter]

We bought a tahoe last year with over 100k miles and it recently developed some valve clack under heavy acceleration. Not knowing the full maint history I'm suspecting dirty intake valves and would like to do a full injection cleaning. We have two local shops close by, one using the Valvoline VPS Fuel System Service, the other uses the BG Fuel Treatment line.

Looking for suggestions on which of these tends to work better on cleaning up fuel deposits? I believe the cost is the same.

 

[Boss302fan]

BG works very well and that would be my choice...

 

[PhillyJoe]

Some might suggest Seafoam although I have never used it. BG products are sold at a lot of GM dealers and you might try a can or two of BG44. The noise you are hearing could be any number of things and the fuel injector cleaning may not solve the problem.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
We bought a tahoe last year with over 100k miles and it recently developed some valve clack under heavy acceleration

I doubt its noise is from the valves, it sounds more like pinging.
Try slightly higher octane fuel first and a bottle of Redline Sl-1 in the tank. It works pretty good on valve deposits and a decent job on injectors.
Kreen does a great job on carbon when used in the tank but can only be had by mail order.

From experience i would put my money into a through the rail cleaning, they are not much more effective than a quality in the tank product, they only work a little faster.
If delivery problems come from particulate matter in the injectors nothing will clean them except removing them and back flushing them with the filters removed. The particles can just go deeper into the injectors.

If the injectors are in a running engine then an off the engine cleaning and flushing will be very effective and the results verifiable.
This job wont cost much more if any then a through the rail job, other than removing them and waiting a few days to get them back.

Try the cheapest option first.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I agree with Trav. Try premium grade with a bottle of Redline Sl-1 for 1-2 fill ups first, the cost is no more than $15 per fill up. If after second tank with premium fuel and Sl-1 did not fix the problem then go to next step.

 

[TXHunter]

It's more the engine ping like you all said. So high octane and some fuel treatment will be round 1. If that doesn't do the trick looks like the consensus is the BG over Valvoline.

 

[ltslimjim]

^Yes, and it's Red Line SI-1

Check the spark plugs too after ward, I bet your engine could use a top-end cleaning after this with extra carbon + whatever else left in the combustion chamber = probable cause of the ping.

Get ready for an oil change after this too, IMO that's the best thing to do after the intense fuel treatments.

Buy a can of Amsoil's Power Foam from someone like Pablo( a site sponsor) or if you prefer to buy locally go to a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep and get Mopar Combustion Chamber Cleaner, ingest the entire contents of the can(making sure it remains well shaken so it's spraying out foam and not just fluid), soak the top-end with the engine off immediately after can empties and let it sit for 2-3 hours, restart...idle, blip the RPMs a couple of times then go for a few WOT runs in a safe area. Try to maintain the highest torque/lowest grear for greater expelling 'power'.

That, after the fuel treatment, do the oil change etc...you should no longer have pinging unless the timing is off or spark plugs/ignition parts need replacing.

 

[ltslimjim]

Oh, I might also ask if this car has a replacement fuel filter? Probably best to change it if possible at this mileage if so. Check the manual.

 

[ahoier]

Between the 2, I'd have to say go with the BG44k......Walmart offers a Valvoline "Smoke Free" Fuel Injection cleaning......for 20$ - I'm not sure if this is the same service yo uare talking about.....but I'm willing to bet the BG service would be better than the Valvoline service

That being said, you could almost accomplish the same results by doing it yourself, using either MMO, or Seafoam through the intake, with the help of a buddy (to keep the revs up so the engine doesn't die....) on the weekend.

When I did it, I got the car nice and warmed up, went to the store and back, and then undid the PCV valve, slowly slurped the seafoam through the vacuum line.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
^Yes, and it's Red Line SI-1


IS it? I don't see an I there but a lower case L Sl-1. I cant tell.

 

[ltslimjim]

^"I"t's an I ... not an l

Font man.

 

[Boss302fan]

Yep, it is an I.... I am one that sometimes forgets and uses the L. LOL.. Oh well, I think we all know that we are talking about Redline SL-1. Whoops, I mean SI-1. Ha ha ha.

 

[morris]

BG? i live in Wichita ks, BG is made here, they have been here for a long time. the word is they make good stuff, i hear they test a lot. have never heard any bad things about them.

 

[[RT] ProjUltraZ]

before you pay for any service, try a full bottle of SI-1 or Gumout Regane in 1/2 to 2/3 tank of gasoline (shock dose), spray out the throttle body w/ a can of throttle body cleaner w/ the engine hot but off.

you could also do the hot water spray bottle w/ the engine running. you might not need anything else

spraying off the MAF wires w/ a can of MAF cleaner can also help

for the clack...try some MMO in the oil

 

[TXHunter]

I had a bottle of Amsoil PI so I thought I'd give that a shot. Added that and a tank of Shell 93 octane and will see how far that takes me. Thanks for the suggestions, this will certainly be a less expensive route if it makes a difference.

We've only been using top tier gas since we bought the tahoe (119k miles), so if we can get the old cleaned up I think we will be in good shape. Thanks for the help!