I was wondering if any of you had performed a fuel injector flush yourselves and or what are my options to keep these things in perfect working order. I see most of you just drop a bottle or two of Techron in and call it good. Im looking to perform the service that a local repair shop would normally jack $100+ dollars out of your wallet for. I've already removed and thoroughly cleaned the throttle body(better than what a shop would have done) and now i'm looking to flush the injectors thru the engine and not the fuel pump(like techron). Do i remove my intake and run some kind of cleaner directly into the throttle body with the truck running? Any diyers out there with some experience or results on the subject feel free to comment. Thanks.

My h3 is running better than when i bought it by keeping up on all the maintenance, but this is the one area i slacked in..i'm assuming they need a good cleaning since i always run regular gas(chevron, shell, or 76) and let it go down till the low fuel light comes on. plus i am getting a slightly rougher idle than normal.
Also, have any of you run a higher octane gas like 89 and had any positive results? I did some number crunching and at an extra 10 cents per gallon for 89 octane even if i gained an additional 10 miles per tank i would be breaking even plus my truck would be happier as well.

 

The only true injector cleaning other than adding Techron or similar at the pump is an actual fuel injection service where they remove them and swab them out and use high pressure cleaner in a device designed to do so. On my Cummins they can actually hone the larger injectors to the next size with high pressure driven media. Then they simulate operation and can see the fuel atomization pattern.
But that will cost you.
There is only so much "tune up in a can" will do or even in shop service that claims to clean them by dump/pumping miracle juice thru them, and of course down into your crankcase would only be marginally better, in my opinion.
The rougher idle could be from MASS air sensor problems, either cleaning or damaged if you run an over oiled filter of some type.
Other than that increased mileage could be starting to have some effect like worn valve seats or carbon build up in some cases to the valves are less efficient.
I recommend a long fun scenic trip and sustained hwy speeds with some off-roading thrown in for good measure.
I have to research how many miles my 06H3 I-5 had on it when the head issue came up, I think because of improperly hardened valve seats and a couple of other excuses GM blamed on a supplier, but I was impressed with how clean the valves were with all the off-roading at low speeds I did with it at that time trailering it to off-road parks and not much highway mileage.

 

Thanks for the reply Hunner, for now i dropped a 20oz bottle of techron in and filled up with 89 octane from chevron. $90 fill-up that'll get me to work for 5.5 days. haha. I think you are right about the maf sensor. i probably had some over oiled filters in there. i did recently clean the maf with maf cleaner and did notice discoloration on the electrical components closest to the filter. Replacing the Maf is my next step.
I don't think my heads are bad since i just did an engine compression test and all cylinders are firing consistently and seem to be producing at a normal rate.
Like i said, besides a slightly rougher idle at startup and at stop lights the engine is running smoother and more powerful than i've ever felt it. I'm just trying to sustain the best mpgs i can since i commute 60 miles roundtrip to work and gas keeps going up with reckless abandon. i figure i use about 100 gallons a month during the winter so even a mpg increase translates to taking a few dollars back from the idiots that are STEALING our hard earned money.
Anyway, i consistently get about 15.5mpg over a tankful...which isn't that bad considering my ride home each day consists of sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and taking an hour to an hour and a half to go 30 miles.
Hunner you mentioned taking a nice long road trip at highway speeds and throwing in some off-roading for good measure. sounds like a plan! But i was just wondering about the reasoning behind it. It makes sense to me since i've been holding the same driving pattern day in and day out for months. maybe some change will flush those injectors out?
Thanks for the help and next up on the agenda is the Hunner rack and pinion mod! or one of your many other diy modifications. Nice rig i might add Hunner.

 

sweet picture!!!

 

I purchased a machine off ebay some years back that you fill with professional grade injector cleaner that also runs the engine while cleaning. You have to
pull the fuse on the fuel pump and add pressurized air to the machine then start the engine until it dies to clean the injectors. That is the professional service that cost $100. Its a snap on machine... Hope that helps

 

My $0.02, you never need to clean fuel injectors for a post 2000 gasoline vehicle so long as you always run top tier gas.

Instead, all port fuel injected vehicles should have their Throttle Body cleaned after every 50K. Dirty TBs are first on the list for a rough and sticky idle, and usually add that false stalling sensation if dirty enough. When you clean the TB, since the intake is already out of the way, clean the MAF as well.

 

If you can get past any stigma you might have about Amway I will tell you that their XFT fuel treatment is TOP NOTCH. It is actually made by Chevron too, I have used it for the past 3 mos and it does what techron does but better. My 3 has never idled so smooth, shift points improved, and acceleration. Small gains of gas mileage but then I do a lot of hills and stop and go so nothing can help that. But I swear by the stuff. Its only $15 dollars and has 8 treatments per bottle (ive tried everything out there over the years). Im sure there is an Amway sales person in your friends/family list, but if not you can buy it directly from their web site. Go check out the brochure, its great stuff, just my 2 cents. I am a Amway dealer too so if you cant find someone to get it for you and save on the shipping let me know I can find someone in your area for you.

Here is a link to the site.
XLP® Gasoline Fuel System Cleaner

 

I swear by Pennzoil's new laundry detergent!

 

lol Halo

Mthood, I get to work maybe 3 days on a tank of gas :O If I stop and think about it, it is ridiculous but I love the 3 so I'm sticking it out as long as possible. I could drive something much better on gas but I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much and I would be letting "them" win.

15.5 mpg for stop/go traffic is great. I average that and my commute is all at 70+ mph. I would guess that given your mileage and the way your vehicle feels, the vibration your feeling at idle is normal but it has caught your attention so you are a little more sensitive to it.

 

LMAO Halo! I expected that! Im seriously getting 15.5 16 mpg in stop/go, up hill travels. Not to mention the product has a 180 day money back guarantee so use the whole bottle and if you dont like it give it back to your Amway rep and get a full refund. Jus Sayin!!!