I've been told by a Nissan Service Manager that Nissan recommends not using a fuel system / injector cleaner. I've always used them in my other vehicles with no negative results. In fact, I just had the fuel system and injectors in my '95 ImpalaSS cleaned by the dealer for the first time after 130K miles. I use Chevron Techron every 6 to 8 fillups and have done so since I bought the car new in '95.

I can't believe that a good cleaner will damage the fuel system and some cleaning should be done to keep the system free of varnish and other problems.

Any input on this? Are you using a cleaner? Any issues?

Is Nissan just saying this so they can sock it to you when it comes time to clean the system as part of a recommended service?

 

That's a good question. I have always heard not to use them because they either don't work or are bad for your motor. But there's no grounding for that, just what everyone I've ever talked to thought. Good question...

 

i just used the redline stuff at 35K...no difference.

 

Took my Z in a couple of weeks ago for the 45K mile maintenance which included cleaning the injectors. Really wasn't expecting any difference as far as performance but now the engine is less sluggish and has more get up and go.

 

this is all from the grapevine (in other words I have no idea if this is true, its just what i hear from "people"). Fuel injector cleaners actually damage your motor somehow, i've heard that it messes up your cat? Over the years i've actually never heard with positive proff that the cleaners are good for your car. But I have heard numerous times that they are either bad or do nothing.

 

i just did mine 2 oil changes ago. I used a name brand " cheveron techron cleaner" . I think i checked the service schedule and it says to do a injector cleaner after a certain amount of time. It make sense and since its cheveron, it can be bad ( I suppose ).

 

no and dont use oil additives either.

 

That's what I heard too! I don't know why, but I always just hear bad stuff about it.

 

I use BG44 Fuel Injector cleaner in Maxima, no problems.

 

What does the Z manual say?

 

Here's what the manual says:

Aftermarket fuel additives:

NISSAN does not recommend the use of any fuel additives (that is, fuel injector cleaner, octane booster, intake valve deposit removers,

etc.) which are sold commercially.

Many of these additives intended for gum, varnish or deposit
removal may contain active solvent or similar ingredients that can be harmful to the fuel system and engine.


So I guess it's a no-no, eh?

 

Techron is the best . Period . Use to use it in a diesel and it cleaned those injectors like new .The trick if you do use this is to put an entire bottle in with 2-3 gallons to maximize the effect ! However , Nissan states none in their manual and I haven't yet in my preorder 2003 . Though I have been tempted , I'm not going to .Good for some but not for all !

 

or use chevron gas.

 

I used it on my other cars and it seemed like it helped... haven't used it on my Z yet, so not sure.

 

low mileage cars really not needed....most fuels come loaded with cleaners( top tier companies, ie Shell)...hi mileage - may noy hurt...Chevron Techron in my 95 jeep (206k) at every oil change

 

I dunno if anyone else has seen this, but at some Murphy USA gas stations(the ones in front of wal-marts) they have a new system that dispenses FI cleaners and gas mileage boosers at the pump. You just select what u want and it dispenses out of the same nozzle as the gas. I don't think Murphy USA would put themselves in a position to get sued by people because their additives caused engine damage. But everyone should be wary of what kind of FI cleaners they use. There's like 20 different types at my local auto parts store. I would only use one from a respectable company.

 

once a month, when pump gas, i just buy one of those "fuel injector cleaner" bottles and dump then in. The dealer charge too much for the service.

 

BG44K is what Nissan uses when it services cars. They use the fuel & oil treatment.
http://www.bgprod.com/
Well, they do in my area anyway (even Toyota). IMHO ? If you use a good quality high grade gas (I use shell V power & Texaco's highest octane) you should be OK. These kinds of gas use a high content of cleaners and detergents especially the V Power. So you're cleaning at every fill up. BTW, I worked for a fuel additive company for 19 years.

 

I would not use any of those in tank fuel injector cleaners and I would not think our injectors would even need cleaning for at least 50,000 miles. Now if you want a REAL fuel injection cleaner then you need to get a fuel injection cleaning kit. This involves actually running the car off a bottle of fuel injection cleaner instead of off your fuel lines. It runs till the bottle is empty and then you hook your fuel system back up. Otherwise it would be worth your time to pull out the injectors and send them to a company like RC Engineering and let them clean and blueprint them.

 

They also use BG44K at Mercedes dealers. My buddy is a Mercedes tech, and his garage is full of "lost" cans of this stuff. It works great in higher milage cars, but if your not really experiencing any difficulties, I wouldnt use it.