Direct Injectors

[Trav]

I thought I would share this. These are DI from a Audi A4 with 84K on the clock. This is why Fuel system cleaners are not going to keep them clean for the life of the car, at some point they will need to be removed and cleaned. This is not just a VW/Audi issue I see this also on many makes and models inc Mazda.
The filters burn through and particles go down into the nozzle. Carbon gets in the whole inside as can be seen by the carbon on the inlets. The Teflon rings are also burned, not through but getting there.

I will clean them inside and out, install new stainless filters instead of plastic and new Teflon rings. None of these issues are preventable, the stainless filters will prevent them from burning out but the inside will still carbon up and the rings burn through

 

[JTK]

Trav, what year Audi?

Thanks for sharing this.

 

[benjy]

thanks!!! bet they are $$$$ to buy, cheaper to clean. another downside to DI that costs $$$$

 

[Trav]

08

 

[demarpaint]

Wow! That car had to be running like real crap!!

 

[JTK]

Wow that's low miles for the age. Did it start having issues because of this?

 

[StevieC]

Thanks for posting

 

[Trav]

Yes it did, he said it had running issues. I didn't see or hear the engine he just brought these as you seem them. I have no other info on the car he bought it used from what understand. I have seen others with similar damage around these miles.
I am not suggesting people go tear their injectors out but blown out filters clogging the nozzles from inside cannot be cleaned out with whiz bang in a can or high RPM runs.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by Trav
Yes it did, he said it had running issues. I didn't see or hear the engine he just brought these as you seem them. I have no other info on the car he bought it used from what understand. I have seen others with similar damage around these miles.
I am not suggesting people go tear their injectors out but blown out filters clogging the nozzles from inside cannot be cleaned out with whiz bang in a can or high RPM runs.


So much for the "Italian Tune Up" or "Drive it like you stole it, or Only use top tier gas."

There are plenty of cars on the road that got more life out of a set of spark plugs...

 

[Trav]

The filters and Teflon rings tell the story, you cant fix those without changing them.

 

[xxch4osxx]

I'm glad my Ram doesn't have DI. I will be keeping it for quite a while after seeing this.

 

[StevieC]

I wonder if all OE's are using this or some have opted for better quality materials like stainless.

 

[Trav]

Not that I have seen, just plastic. Stainless are available aftermarket but not for every injector.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Trav
Not that I have seen, just plastic. Stainless are available aftermarket but not for every injector.


Appreciate that. Thanks. I'll have to get some when mine go in the Yota.

 

[bdcardinal]

That is fascinating. I will keep this in the memory bank if my mom's 2.0EB Fusion has issues.

 

[Trav]

The move now is to Piezo injectors for DI, I have no idea how they will hold up in everyday use over a long time or many miles, time will tell.
Di is one technology I will stay clear of for now. I remove some dirty filters out of standard injectors but nothing like this, at least they are intact.
The best injectors I get are the Bosch III & IV and some of the Denso, they get dirty but keep on going and always clean up nice unless there is an internal failure which is rare.

Please don't ask if your car has them, they are common in hundreds of engines over many years. If its Chrysler product I would say probably not, they used Siemens/Deka a lot.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/tech-department-piezo-fuel-injectors-explained

 

[DirectRejection]

Thanks Trav.
Very cool pics/info.
I am curious what year VAG got GDI figured out, generally speaking.

 

[Trav]

They will get the GDI thing right as new injector tech is developed, Some of the early electronic injectors were horrendous, some of the original Multec units would fail electrically in a very short time, some of the early Bosch units rotted so bad they seized so its only a matter of time.

The thing is I don't want to be the Guinea pig, when the marina's start sending me DI injectors as a matter of preventive maintenance I will be satisfied they are on the right road.
Oddly enough the Yamaha HPDI on the 2 strokes do not smoke the filters and use a packing instead of a Teflon ring, they seem to be very reliable. I can only assume its the lack of valve overlap found in 4 strokes,

 

[clinebarger]

Just an observation.....Why not use a copper sealing washer like a diesel? I guess an actual hold down would be necessary for proper crush..........
Then again hack's would mess that up too like they do on 6.0L Powerstrokes!

Thanks for sharing Trav!

 

[Trav]

Yes, most are only held in place by the fuel rail. A copper ring would be far better than the 3 piece fiber packing that cost $35 an injector and is a dealer only item. Most marina's provide their own.