fuel injector service at the garage

[david86blue]

I took the Grey Ghost (99 Buick Park Avenue 110,000 mi) in for an oil change and the mechanic said the injectors were "a little dirty". So, two questions- What is the diagnostic tool? And is this worth $65? In the past I have put a can of Techron fuel injector cleaner into a full tank and ran the car for 200 miles or so at freeway speed and this seems to work, as the car has a smooth idle and very good gas mileage after the treatment. What say you all?

[Pork Rind]

I would go with the Techron. I'm skeptical of this diagnosis, partly because friends have been told they need this service when it's clear there's no way anyone removed the injectors and analyzed the spray pattern and volume. I think the official treatment is just a can of Techron-like stuff anyway.

[Papaw]

I agree with the Techron or some other treatment rather than a mechanic selling you a service without having actually examined the injectors. Why would he have anything to do with the injectors while doing an oil change?

[david86blue]

Thanks, I can buy a lot of F I cleaner for that kind of money.

[Rick]

There are times when plugged injectors can be diagnosed without removal from the engine.
Symptoms like
-Hard starting
-Stalling right after start up
-Rough idle
-high hydrocarbons
Can be a result of poor injector performance.
Injectors now are a lot less prone to plugging and poor performance than they were say 20-25 years ago.
IMHO, injector services are way over sold, while they are still sometimes necessary, not to the amount that some shops sell them.

[Oliveloaf]

"A little dirty"?

How can a mechanic tell that?

Techron is good stuff. Of course, so is just running BP premium gas for a few tanks.

[david86blue]

Good to see you, Rick. The car passed CA smog like a new engine and starts perfectly, runs smoothly, and has no other issues. (Except looking like the second car in a funeral cortege.) Oliveloaf, I agree with you on the premium fuel, but I'm the queen of cheap, so every other oil change it's the Techron. Premium gas here is currently 2.35-2.45 per gal., about a 20 cent /gal premium over regular.