FI cleaners ruin injectors?

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More likely, they had fuel injector problems and those didn't go away by (an attempted fix-in-a-bottle) cleaning.

You should get more specific details from those who stated it.
 
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I've only read of one instance where a leaky injector was attributed to over zealous use of a cleaner (SL-1).

Trav is probably the most qualified to answer this question.
 
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Originally Posted by Redright9
Hello, I have had a couple people tell me recently that they used too much fuel injector cleaner and it damaged the injectors. Anyone hear of this?


"A couple people?"

I can barely name a couple people who HAD fuel injector problems... let alone several that attribute it to fuel injector cleaner.
 
Highly unlikely if it's the bottle in tank type, especially if you follow the directions, even if you don't that stuff is very safe for any modern (past 30 years) rubber and plastics.
 
The most recent person had a Toyota truck and a check engine light came on. Supposedly the shop stated the injectors shorted out because of too much cleaner. The other two people (this was a while ago) were no starts/not getting fuel... All people said they use a bottle almost every tank. I agree and dont feel injectors really are something that fail that often, and the off the shelf cleaners are not aggressive enough to damage an injector. But just thought I would see if anyone else heard of this.
 
Originally Posted by Redright9
Supposedly the shop stated the injectors shorted out because of too much cleaner.



[Linked Image from i.ytimg.com]
 
I think I'd ask the show to explain how something in the fuel would cause a short in the electrical part of the injector.

Or maybe it's time for that person to seek out another shop.

Maybe Trav could explain how this could or could not be the case.

Originally Posted by Redright9
The most recent person had a Toyota truck and a check engine light came on. Supposedly the shop stated the injectors shorted out because of too much cleaner. The other two people (this was a while ago) were no starts/not getting fuel... All people said they use a bottle almost every tank. I agree and dont feel injectors really are something that fail that often, and the off the shelf cleaners are not aggressive enough to damage an injector. But just thought I would see if anyone else heard of this.
 
How did you get a picture of me when I read that sentence?

Originally Posted by zzyzzx
Originally Posted by Redright9
Supposedly the shop stated the injectors shorted out because of too much cleaner.



[Linked Image from i.ytimg.com]
 
The injectors are not shorting out inside from using cleaners, alcohol or anything else. If the person ran a full bottle every tank the concentration keeps getting greater with every tank and at some point the mix doesn't like to light (if its PEA based cleaner), solvent based types like Berrymans, Kreen, etc are not as effected.
SI-1 for example works fine with one full bottle the first use a full bottle every 3-5K or 2-3oz or so every full tank.
 
Trav may better explain than I but if this electronically controlled fuel injector is of typical construction, one has to ask himself how would PEA or fuel for that matter could ever come in contact with the coils carrying the current pulses?

See "Animated cut through diagram of a typical fuel injector. Click to see animation."

here: Fuel Injector animation

Organic Amines are chemically BASIC and not acidic: Amines

Now acids of sulfur and phosphorus may attack copper but generally amines do not.
 
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Originally Posted by Redright9
Hello, I have had a couple people tell me recently that they used too much fuel injector cleaner and it damaged the injectors. Anyone hear of this?


I have heard it only once...on BITOG...just now, from you.

I find it hard to believe though, so I will not be repeating it until shown some sort of proof.
 
Originally Posted by Trav
The injectors are not shorting out inside from using cleaners, alcohol or anything else. If the person ran a full bottle every tank the concentration keeps getting greater with every tank and at some point the mix doesn't like to light (if its PEA based cleaner), solvent based types like Berrymans, Kreen, etc are not as effected.
SI-1 for example works fine with one full bottle the first use a full bottle every 3-5K or 2-3oz or so every full tank.

Do the injector coils even come in direct contact with the fuel, aside from their coating?? Seems to me that the coils would need to be continuously bathed in a fairly strong solvent to cause any kind of shorting between wire turns. I don't see how this can happen using a pre packaged injector cleaner??

Originally Posted by The_Nuke

I have heard it only once...on BITOG...just now, from you.

...‚
 
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Originally Posted by Redright9
The most recent person had a Toyota truck and a check engine light came on. Supposedly the shop stated the injectors shorted out because of too much cleaner.
this was a problem in the early days of the Enterprise as it tried to reach warp factor. it wasnt until the matter antimatter reaction was perfected that the problem was solved allowing for the incredible technology that gave us galaxy travel
[color:#3333FF][/color]


The other two people (this was a while ago) were no starts/not getting fuel... All people said they use a bottle almost every tank. I agree and dont feel injectors really are something that fail that often, and the off the shelf cleaners are not aggressive enough to damage an injector. But just thought I would see if anyone else heard of this.

in my younger unlearned days, this actually happened to me. i have since stopped the practice because as trav mentioned your fuel gets too concentrated and wont light.
 
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Originally Posted by javacontour
How did you get a picture of me when I read that sentence?
Originally Posted by zzyzzx
Originally Posted by Redright9
Supposedly the shop stated the injectors shorted out because of too much cleaner.

[Linked Image from i.ytimg.com]



Man, you have CHANGED since college!!
;^)
 
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Trav
The injectors are not shorting out inside from using cleaners, alcohol or anything else. If the person ran a full bottle every tank the concentration keeps getting greater with every tank and at some point the mix doesn't like to light (if its PEA based cleaner), solvent based types like Berrymans, Kreen, etc are not as effected.
SI-1 for example works fine with one full bottle the first use a full bottle every 3-5K or 2-3oz or so every full tank.

Do the injector coils even come in direct contact with the fuel, aside from their coating?? Seems to me that the coils would need to be continuously bathed in a fairly strong solvent to cause any kind of shorting between wire turns. I don't see how this can happen using a pre packaged injector cleaner??

Originally Posted by The_Nuke

I have heard it only once...on BITOG...just now, from you.

...‚


No they don't, the fuel passage is separate, the injectors are basically just solenoids. The core on the shaft inside the fuel passage can get corroded or stick due to varnish hindering its movement but most of the time they can be freed.
Corrosion mostly comes from moisture and varnish especially in older iron and brass units that did not take alcohol into consideration. You find varnish in units that sit a long time with old fuel.
 
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