I was recently having my oil changed on my 2008 malibu with approx 42,000 miles on it and the dealership recommended having the fuel injection system cleaned. I can’t recall having had this done on my other vehicles and I’m wondering if the dealership is trying to have me have work done that isn’t needed. Thanks.
PS. the cost for them to do this is $120, also if possible is this something that I would ever be able to do myself?
Sure…Pour in a bottle of Chevron Techron for about $6…
But for fuel-injector cleaner to work, first, the injectors have to be dirty…Very few injectors are dirty…
At 42k miles, it is not likely that your fuel injectors are badly fouled, but it is possible.
Instead of paying the outrageously inflated price of $120, just go to an auto parts store and buy a bottle of Chevron’s Techron fuel system cleaner. Add it to a nearly empty tank of gas and then fill the tank. Drive it until the tank is at 1/4 before refueling.
You will wind up doing essentially the same thing that the dealer wants to do, and you will save…probably about $115 in the process.
Forget About It And The Bottled Stuff, Too. You Can Search For “Top Tier” Gasoline And Make Sure You’re Buying Those Brands Much Of Time.
CSA
The less fuel in the tank, the more concentrated the cleaning solution becomes and the better it works…I would not fill the tank…
All modern gasolines are solld with additive packages mixed in that include sufficient detergents to keep a properly maintained car’s fuel system clean and operating properly for many, many thousands of miles. In most systems they’re evn going strong after a few hundred thousand miles, although occasionally an injector will stop opening or something of that sort. An occasional bottle of injector cleaner added to the gas tank is prefereed by many to make sure, but I let the gas additives do the job.
The dealer may also be referring to an “induction system cleaning”. You have a system in your car that allows a tiny bit of exhaust gas to be reintroduced back into the engine with the airstream, and over many, many miles a small carbon deposit can build up. But If the engine is properly maintained and kept running properly I don’t believe induction cleanings are necessary either.
You do not need that a system cleaning or IMHO an induction system cleaning. The dealer simply needs to improve his revenue stream.
A bottle of Techron once a year is all I do.
Fuel injector design does not allow them to get clogged up anymore. Back in the day where there was a pintle and a conical hole, yes, injectors did get clogged. For modern injectors to get clogged is nearly impossible unless you’re running Elmer’s for fuel. The is generally a ball that get liffted off a set off holes…rather than a pintle. The ball rotates and maintains the injectors “cleanliness.” Any injector cleanig services offered on modern engines is a complete rip-off.
Oh I am not so sure that ALL types of cleaning are a waste. I have a 1994 Ranger PU that routinely gets starved for gas, but only because I was dumb enough to use cheap gas for too long! However I agree that these "flushes re a waste. If needed, the only way to effectively clean fuel systems is one part at a time. If you are not having stalling/pinging or other drivability issues, don’t get any type of cleaning done.
It may actually clean the injectors if done properly, but is more likely just a money maker for the dealer in your situation. A car as new as yours with mileage as low as you have is not likely to need cleaning. Run a couple of cans of Techron through it as others have suggested. But you really only need bother if your idle is rough or uneven, or you have any drivability issues. Also, I would never have a fast oil change place or Jim-Bob’s garage do this type of cleaning if it ever becomes necessary. If done improperly, it can damage your engine.