The new car dealer says that I should clean my fuel injectors. The car has 57,000 miles and they want $160 to do this. Is this a scam?
Yes, it is a scam.
Unless you have specific symptoms (lumpy, rough idle or starting problems, or a drop in power and/or gas mileage) an injector cleaning is not necessary. The dealer is more interested in cleaning your wallet than anything else.
That being said, you are coming up on the 60k mile service very soon. Be sure to do ALL of the items listed in the Ford Maintenance Schedule for 60k miles, plus three items that might not be listed. Even if it does not list changing the fuel filter, changing the brake fluid, or changing the transmission fluid at that mileage, you should have these things done. These procedures will help to prevent expensive problems in the future, unlike that fuel injector cleaning.
Yes, it is a scam. The only thing it will accomplish is to prevent the buildup of deposits in your bank account.
Regular gasoline contains detergent additives sufficient to keep the fule system of any regularly driven car sparkly clean. Anything additional is only required should a problem develop.
Find a someone else to work on your car…it’s a scam…and IMHO…any mechanic who pulls this is NOT trustworthy.
It may or it may not be; that all depends. If they’re charging you a 150 bucks to dump a can of whatever into the tank then yes it’s a scam.
If they’re talking about a pressurized cleaning or removal of the injectors to be cleaned with a special tool then there’s a chance it could be a valid recommendation.
Over time injector spray patterns can go a little stupid and cause this rough idle. Also over time deposits (from fuel and oil pulled past the intake valve seals) can accumulate around the head of the intake valve. This causes a disruption in the airflow over the head of the intake valve and can contribute to a rough idle or stumble at idle.
Thorough cleaning can cure the spray pattern and/or intake valve buildup problem.
So if the engine idles glass smooth, no you do not need this service. Any roughness or stumble and it’s quite plausible that you do.
Even if it isn’t a scam and they actually do the work, you don’t want their guy to break anything under the hood. Keep them out of there when not absolutely necessary.
Did they say why? Are you having any problems at the moment?