sparky

I've been using over-the-counter stuff like "STP Fuel Injection Cleaner" every 3000 miles which can be purchased for $3. There's a noticable improvement... smoother idling, stronger acceleration, less hesitation. However, I've recently heard that fuel injection cleaning should be done professionally ($70-100) because the STP stuff doesn't clean adequately enough. Any thoughts on this?<p>BTW, does Audi's 3-yr free maintenance clean the injectors for you?

kjk

Use Redline or Techron before every oil change. Unless there is a problem, you should not need them professionally cleaned.

Ray Calvo

The Techron fuel injection cleaning products are one of the few that I have heard endorsed by the Porsche gurus. Ohters they say can cause fuel system deterioration or do no good at all. DEFINITELY avoi danything with the hint of alcohol.

al

Is this Techron the same as what is in Chevron gas? If so, shouldn't using Chevron all the time KEEP your injectors clean? I make sense to me, but...?<p>Looking for more .02<p>al<br>(future A4tqms)

MartinR

I have heard various stories on Techron - Apparently it was originally developed by Chevron with the input and request from BMW. It does clean fuel lines and injectors, but also cleans down the cylinder walls. BMW have found that too much of this stuff is not good - resulting in alot of engine failures during sustained high speed on the autobahn in Germany. I believe BMW is now not recommending it anymore as people tend to overuse it which can cause these problems - of course the sustained high speed is not an issue here in the usa anyway.

SteveW

Eventually your intake manifold will carbon up and cause some problems usually well past 70,000 miles or so. aT THIS POINT A GOOD CLEANING WITH 3M PRODUCTS TROUGH A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE DONE. They clean out the carbon in the intake,clean the jets/injectors and the fuel rails to the manifold. then you should be good for another 70,000 miles. STP and techron work pretty good but are nowhere near as good as the 3M cleaning that's done under a lot of pressure.

Jon C

I use it on the last tank prior to an oil change just to be safe. However, a recent post I wish I saved (which was reprinted on the Mercedes-Benz list) from a Chevron engineer, addressed some of the popular (mis)conceptions about Techron. FWIW, his main point is to read the instructions on the label and NOT overuse it. I think it says one treatment every 3,000 miles maximum. He said on many vehicles less often will be fine but do not, ever, use it more than that (apparently some people do, go figure).<p>On the cylinder washdown issue and thinning of oil, he said that this is a misconception (I'm just repeating what he said): some of that he believes, comes from people who used Techron too much, so washed down cylinder walls. In general, however, he said that because of the polymer structure of Techron, in Chevron's tests adding Techron actually increased compression for a short time, rather than reduced it (which is what one might associate with washed down cylinder walls, thin oil, etc.).<p>His main point: Read the label. Follow directions. Do not over use it.