I have a 2000 Corolla CE and I was thinking of getting the fuel injector service done at the local dealership. My dealer wants to charge $59.99. Is this worth it? Don't they just dump some solvent/detergents into the gas tank? Could I just use Chevron fuel system cleaner or BG44? Would it be the same?

TIA...

I would pass, all gasolines have to have a federally mandated minimum amount of detergents.

If you aren't having any issues, leave well enough alone, and simply get the manf. recommended services (and not the expanded list the dealer pulls out.)

TB

usually, they remove the covers on the air intake,,,

although on a corolla, I've never done it before.

But other vehicles, you remove the hose that

goes from the air filter into the engine throttle body, may remove

more parts or just spray throttle body cleaner

with and without the engine running, also with

the gas on and off. You can do a more thorough job

by removeing more parts and scrubbing but I forgot the names

of various parts where the air gets sucked in.

Now for 59 bucks, I don't know if they would do this.

Anyway, that is the amateur home hobby mechanic's description

but others on the board should have more detail

for the corolla. You also add some toyota injector cleaner

into the gas tank.

Hey bfunkera,

I agree with tboner. If you're not having any problems, leave well enough alone. If you are experiencing some hesitation at idle, follow the instructions that bhp02 posted. Remove the rubber air intake hose where it connects to the throttle body. Use a toothbrush and some throttle body cleaner to clean the bore of the throttle body and plate (both sides). Just don't go overboard on the throttle body cleaner. I usually do this every 6000 miles or so, though it's never really very dirty.

Cheers,

Regular Joe

Toyota dealers carry (or can order) a small $10 can of powerful genuine Toyota fuel injector cleaner containing butyl cellosolve. Add a can of that to your gas tank when it is half full and you plan to go on a long drive. The Toyota cleaner is alot more powerfull than Techron which just contains a cheap trimethyl benzene formula.

If you are using regular grade gas, use a brand like Shell which claims to use alot of detergent in its regular grade.

The gas with the most detergent of all appears to be Chevron premium.

Cleaning the throttle body plate and bore as Regular

Joe suggested is really important - more important than worrying about the fuel injectors. You will get optimum power and gas mileage if you clean the throttle body every 30K miles using the toothbrush method Regular Joe described.

Paul,

The dealer says that they use BGK 44 Fuel System Cleaner, not a factory Toyota part. Would you (or anybody else) know if this product is comparable to the Toyota product? If it is, I'm probably going to buy it myself and use that in my gas tank, while performing the other procedures everyone else has described.

Thanks for the info...

BGK 44 rocks. My dealership uses it, and sells it, as does a local Toyota-only mechanic. I can't compare it to Toyota injector cleaner, as I have never found a delaership that uses it Toyota injector cleaner.

I agree about cleaning the throttle body, and one of these "in the tank" fuel injector cleaners will not clean anything upstream of the injectors in the air intake system. That means someone has to disAssemble the system, such as take the bellows off the throttle body, open the resonance chamber (for lack of a better term) and clean up in there by hand.

I recall one case where a service writer at a Mazda dealership recommended one of these fuel system cleaners to address a sticky throttle body.

Well, the closest fuel injector is about 12" downstream of the throttle body, so it is unlikely any solvent would make it's way back to the throttle body through the EGR or PCV systems.

So I'm skeptical of such treatments, but I'd let them do it if they promised to credit me for the service if it doesn't solve a problem I'm having. If they can't guarantee it will fix an issue, then don't bother selling it to me.

BTW, my Ford Contour does get pretty cruddy as both the EGR and PCV entries in the Intake Manifold are just right behind the throttle body, so exhaust gas and PCV vapors meet there and form crud on the back of the throttle plate. I removed my at 51K and cleaned it up by hand as well as the EGR passages.

TB

My local Toyota dealer also uses BG 44K. They say that it's the best, that it's all they ever use, and that they automatically add it to every car that requires any type of tune-up.

Cheers,

Regular Joe

Max and Regular Joe, I guess you guys don't realize that the BG company REQUIRES Toyota dealers to use and promote its cleaners, additives and oils in exchange for FREE use of BG flushing equipment.

In other words, the BG company goes around to dealers and says something like: "Hey guys, here is a deal you cannot pass up. You can start offering extremely profitable total fluid replacement services (transmission, power steering, brakes, coolant, fuel system etc.) because we will give you the expensive flushing equipment for free if you agree to use only our brand of cleaners, fluids and lubricants."

So yeah Toyota dealers are necessarily going to recommend genuine Toyota fluids and lubricants because of their commitment to BG.

So owners must decide whether they are going to follow the wishes of Toyota factory engineeers who say use genuine Toyota everything or the wishes of Toyota dealers who want you to use more profitable aftermarket cleaners, fluids and lubes.

How could I not know that BG is paying Toyota dealerships (as well as the local Toyota-only mechanics here) to promote BG? I guess I better change my ways before my 1987 Celica up and dies from 16 years of regular BG 44K use.

Paul, if the dealer's are not using GENUINE, GENUINE yadda yadda yadda, then where are you supposed to get it! Do you recommend taking your car to the factory to get it serviced? I don't think they offer such a service. By the way you promote this stuff you would think it came from the heavens! Try selling this to someone who is buying it.

dear PC. Are there any evidence to back up your post?

I do use BG44 every third oil change or something like that. Someone here recomended, I tried, my car seems like it too.

My dealer says that Toyota doesn't make a FI Cleaner. They use a product made by Chrysler.....

You can buy Toyota Fuel Injector cleaner at the dealers here in Canada, and I am almost positive that it is made by Valvoline. This Genuine Toyota stuff is B.S. As long as you are using good quality engine oil, antifreeze and oil filters you are doing no harm to your car. They are tough little cars that will last a long time if they are properly maintained, but that does not mean that every liquid that goes into them has to come out of a container that says Toyota on it. If thats the case then there should be Genuine Toyota gasoline.

Braddale, it says right on the material safety data sheet for genuine Toyota fuel injector cleaner that it is made (for Toyota to Toyota specs) by Chevron and contain butyl cellosolve - a powerful and expensive cleaner you cannot find in auto parts store two buck type fuel injector cleaners.

I have said many times it is not necessary to use genuine Toyota parts, fluids and filters if the owner is NOT interested in driving 300-600,000 miles without any major mechanical problems. But for owners who want to keep their Toyotas along time and pass them down to other family members (like a son or daughter going off to college) STILL in excellent, reliable mechanical condition, then genuine Toyota everything should be used

Paul, the Toyota Fuel Injector cleaner that is sold here in Canada, is not made by Chevron. It's $5.99 at the dealer and says Toyota Fuel Injector cleaner on the label. Every dealer I have been to sells the same stuff. It says it is manufactured near Toronto and the biggest manufacturer around this area is Valvoline.