# Do I actually need to clean my fuel system?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840>\
**Category:** Power/Fuel\
**Tags:** caravan, dodge, gasoline\
**Created:** [March 29, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840 "2010-03-29T20:37:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bpearson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bpearson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bpearson)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840/1 "2010-03-29T20:37:15Z")

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I have a 2008 Dodge Caravan and recently took it to get its oil changed. These guys are usually very good about not trying to sell all those little extra money-makers, but this time they said that when they took off the air filter cover they found grease in the throttle body, and suggested a $90.00 fuel system cleaner. Well, I’m no expert, but I don’t think the throttle body is under the air filter cover, so I put them off. My question - do I really need to clean my fuel system regularly? If so, is it something I can do myself?

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**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840/2 "2010-03-29T20:41:45Z")

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Fuel systems rarely if ever need cleaning. I think they were just fishing for a boat payment.

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**Author:** ![mleich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mleich](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mleich)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840/3 "2010-03-29T20:45:32Z")

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I have always used a fuel system or fuel injector cleaner–the $3 to $5 per bottle stuff at any auto parts store–with each oil change and never had a fuel system problem. Whether these products do anything is debatable but it makes me feel better. I refused a “throttle body cleaning” at the dealer about 50,000 miles ago and have never experienced a problem. many on this board call these procedures a “wallet flush”.

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**Author:** ![bpearson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@bpearson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bpearson)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840/4 "2010-03-29T20:46:35Z")

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That was my thought as well. I’ve never had a problem with this sort of thing in 35+ years of driving all sorts of cars (except for needing DryGas in the old days in my Beetle). But, I thought I’d ask. The car only has 26000 miles on it.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-actually-need-to-clean-my-fuel-system/46840/5 "2010-03-29T21:08:43Z")

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In addition, even if there was ‘grease in the throttle body’, I bet your Dodge’s fuel injectors are near the heads, not the throttle body, so a ‘fuel system cleaner’ would do nothing to clean the throttle body. Unless you are having a problem, it’s not needed. And I wouldn’t take the oil change guy’s word for it, anyway.