I bought a 74 - 240D that my father purchased new. When injector cleaners came onto the market, it was recommended to use them. I believe that we used the Chevron Techron. I was in Costco the other day and they had a sale on a Chevron product called "Pro-Guard". It has Techron additive in it. Does anyone use this product and would you recommend using it? If so, how often should one use it?

On another note - the diesel sold today has much less sulfer in it. Does one even need to use injector cleaners anymore?

Please reply and thanks.

Dave

Nothing in a bottle can clean fouled injectors. The only true method to clean them is to either do it yourself if you have the expertise, or have it done by an injector shop. To clean injectors requires disassembly.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I use Power Service Diesel Kleen with every tank full just to keep the cetane up.

http://www.powerservice.com/dk/

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327K on 1986 W201, 602.911, 722.414 2.5 190D ("The Red Baron")
139K on 1993 W124, 104.942, 722.433 2.8 300E ("Queen")

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/...0bb92d3c_m.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/o...g?t=1325284354

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.
- Albert Einstein

take a walk down memory lane...

Lubro Molly Diesel Purge made my 79 240D run very smooth. I highly recommend it. Feels like it added at least 1 lb ft of torque.

It's a little more involved than just adding a bottle to your tank, but those remedies don't do much anyway.

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1979 240D, 4spd manual, Power Sunroof, manual windows, 147k miles, Pastel gray/Black MB Tex.
1991 300D 2.5 - Smokes like it's on Crack!

I was never a fan of the additives, but I was told that they were important (c. 1990). From what I've read in the replies, I guess that the fuel additives for injector cleaning/maintenance are not thougth to be worth while.

BTW - I don't have any issues with the injectors now, I just want to make sure that they don't have issues. I was thinking that they would have combustion build-up on them and that the fuel additives would help clean them.

Does anyone else have an opinion?

Dave

Do you have a sound basis for that position? Or is it just a "feeling?"

I've used RedLine Diesel Fuel Catalyst (aka: 85+) for years with good results, helps several things in the fuel from water displacement to detergent-based fuel system cleaning, claims some lubricity and cetane improvement also. A cleaning dose (a couple of ounces/tank) most of the time.

The Chevron Techron is a solvent-based cleaner, not good for fuel lines, and when diluted in the tank, pretty un-measurable in the solution as are most of the additives (including Lubri-Moly).

It can be argued that all additives are "snake oil" and un-necessary. A good argument indeed. Also, can injectors be cleaned? A good question that I'm not equipped to answer technically. However, I have found that my cars run better with the RedLine, smoother and quieter, regardless of what chemistry is causing the change. Even if it is keeping the rest of the tank and fuel system clean pre-injector, there is likely some value as indicated by the change in idle quality and sound.

If all pump diesel were perfect, and it never sat for any period in tanks and cars, and it were the spec fuel originally intended to go in our cars, we wouldn't need any additives, and this is part of the argument against. However, most of us are unable to distill our own diesel, and must rely on the imperfect world of commercially available ULSD that is in our vehicles, and whatever the previous owner fed them (as well as in some cases extended storage in a parked car.

Also, an old remedy is ATF as a cleaner and lube, extremely well filtered and high-detergent hydraulic oil. Some say it can cause problems eventually, so don't run it as a fuel, but as a cleaner it has worked well for generations. I use it to prime/fill the filter when I change filters, makes it run soooo smooth and start without cranking. Also safer than pouring in possibly contaminated diesel from a can to a new filter (part of it post-filter).

Some also swear by 2-cycle oil in the tank as an additive, I haven't tried it (as I have my own favorite already).

And yeah, "your mileage may vary".

This is my OPINION and experience, the OP asked for opinions.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

If you are using Injectors with Stock type Injector Spray Nozzles they are like the ones in the below Pic.

There is 2 holes drilled into the Pintel#1 and are seen as #14 and #15 in the blow up pic to the bottom right of the pic.

On my own Injectors and most of the ones I pulled from the Junk Yard I have found those holes solidly plugged with Carbon.

Ounce those holes are plugged I doubt if any Fuel addative Injector Cleaner will get the Carbon out or even a Diesel Purge.

However, Injector Cleaner and Periodic Diesel Purges could keep the drilled holes clean if the holes were clean to begin with.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Also, the Manual shows the Holes in the Injector Pintel being cleaned with properly sized Music Wire to pick the Carbon Out.

Fuel Injection Shops do the Music Wire cleaning but count on the Ultrasonic Cleaning Tank to do the bulk of the cleaning.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

It's just a feeling. I'm really new to this 240D. It is running much better than when I bought it, but I'm having to go through a lot of things.

I was just wondering if people use fuel additives and why. I was worried about plugging injectors, but there may be many other reasons to use fues additives too. I certainly don't want to depend upon the advice of the guys a Autozone or NAPA. I'm just looking for some unbiased advice.

Dave

I feel very confident in recommending Lubro Moly Diesel Purge as a periodic cleaner and Stanadyne Performance Formula as a regular additive.

Both of those products are of excellent quality and are not at all in the same league with the "miracle in a can" stuff typically sold in retail stores.

Instead of an Auto Parts Store go to a Store that sells stuff for the Big Rigs. The Addatives they sell are ones that are actually used by the Truck Drivers so I would have to say that they are Safe.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

useful info here on a DIY solution, basically just using kerosene. no problems reported by anyone doing that last time i read the thread, and i can testify from personal experience that it does add a few % to the fuel efficiency, and increases the power output of the engine. up a hill which our trusty '69 406D would never do in anything but 1st gear, after 250ml of kerosene, we zoomed up in second gear! not recommended for every tank, as it makes the fuel burn hotter, and not more than 250ml per 40l of diesel. it works, as again the problems we're having with the a bad injector were noticeably improved by the addition of kerosene. most of the injector cleaners available for sale are more kerosene than anything else (which is why i started to look into it), and kerosene locally is a sixteenth the price of the cleaner fluids.

Kerosene has less energy/heat than diesel fuel, and is added to diesel fuel to make winter diesel (which is why you get worse power and fuel mileage on winter diesel).

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff