Carguy427

So a couple of months ago I started getting a brief misfire in the morning when I started my car. So after a couple of weeks I decide to put a fuel system cleaner in to see if it would help any (coil packs have already been replaced). I choose the Valvoline once a year treatment. Sure enough the problem remained. So I bring it to the dealer (after several more weeks) and explain the problem. About mid-day I get a call from the dealership and they ask me if I put a fuel system cleaner in the car. The advisor said that if I did put a cleaner in the car the tech knew what the problem was. I told them I did about a month ago. This is where I started getting worried.

So later on I get a phone call saying that my car was ready and that they did not do anything because the work for the misfire would not be covered under warrenty. They told me that the fuel system cleaner had contaminated my fuel tank and the only way to correct the problem is to drain and clean the tank. They said that would be expensive and timely so they decided not to do it and told me to just keep putting gas in it (great advice :-), and just flush the cleaner out over time.

I asked for a better explaination for everything and they told me that the cleaner didn't damage anything, but that when it is injected into the combustion chamber it causes a misfire. Okay I can buy that, but there is two problems with that logic. 1.) The car was misfiring before I added the fuel system cleaner. It is the reason I added the cleaner. 2.) Why does it only occur right after start up and not randomly while driving?

I asked them about 1.) and they didn't really have an answer for me. Hence my confusion with the hole thing.

So is there any way that the fuel system cleaner could have caused this problem? If so how long would you guess it will continue? Can I do anything else inorder to flush the cleaner out?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Thom

wouldnt it be cleaned out as soon as the tank is empty?

RKA

Sounds like this one is blowing smoke up your a$$.

Carguy427

I guess not hence the contamination theory???

Carguy427

I have a pretty good relationship with the dealership. However, that is not to say that they haven't been wrong before. I think I will wait it out a little longer and if the problem continues I will go back and challange their theory.

ex-quattro PETE

try to use up the whole tank of gas with the fuel additive in it as quickly as possible, not let it sit in the tank for days.

I do not know exactly know why that is. It may be highly acidic or corrosive possibly, but still, I seriously doubt it would be responsible for all the stuff your dealer told you.

You may want to contact the fuel system cleaner manufacturer and ask them about any possible side effects and see how that matches against what the dealer told you.

Thom

doesnt make sense...theres no way it can stay in there

Carguy427

I agree about calling Valvoline and seeing what they say. It should be interesting if nothing else.

Also, I should have added that the dealer didn't say for sure that the tank was contaminated. I got the impression that the tech working on my car had run into something similar in the past and was relating it to my car. I mean I have never heard about contamination from a fuel system cleaner?

ex-quattro PETE

the fuel system cleaner started doing its job and loosened up some deposits that were in your tank but did not break them down completely and those deposits have then move down the stream and clogged up your fuel lines or fuel filter or injectors, in which case you'd need something stronger to fix it. The strongest fuel additive I know of is BG44K.

Of course, another question would be: how did such deposits accumulate in your car in the first place? Crappy gas maybe? BTW, how many miles on the car? How old is it?

Carguy427

The cleaner I used is a once a year treatment so I am guessing that some type of residual additive must be left behind? Either that or the cleaner is so strong it should only be used once a year to prevent any damage.

However, like I said I agree with you in that the cleaner should be burned up by now. Mainly becuase even if there was any still in the tank it has to be a small amount, and how can that little tiny bit be affecting the burn and only in the morning???