Are You Worried About Injector Fouling?

If you run a fleet of vehicles then perhaps you’re already aware of the consequences of injector fouling, and the impacts it can have on your business.

If you’re not aware, here’s what you need to know, and why you might be worried.

1. Modern and new fuels, such as bio-fuels and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (USLD), are being used as alternatives to traditional diesel and petrol.

2. One of the disadvantages of using ULSD is that it can cause deposits to build up in the engine, because of the extreme heat and high pressure used to remove the sulfur.

3. These issues aren’t apparent in older diesel engines, as the temperatures and pressures in modern engines are much higher than in older diesel engines.

4. This can also lead to fuel filter plugging, whereby the fuel filter gets clogged with these deposits, and so the effectiveness and performance of the engine suffers. This means that the fuel filter might need to be changed after as few as 10-12000 miles.

5. Injector fouling can also result due to the formation of these deposits. This will lead to power loss, an increase in diesel consumption and increased smoke emissions. This can mean that the vehicle is off the road, and increased maintenance costs.

6. There are traditional detergents which can be used to clean diesel injectors, but these are less effective in the modern fuels, due to the higher temperature and pressures used. However, there are new detergents that will make a difference.

7. These modern detergents need to be able to clean the injector valve, seat and nozzle, in order to keep the engine running smoothly and to reduce the risk of a loss of power or economy.

8. Increased reliability and economy can be obtained from ensuring that the injectors are clean. This also means that running costs are reduced.

9. Because the vehicles are spending more time on the road, and are more economical, less time and money needs to be spent on maintenance. This can prove to be a substantial saving, especially for haulage fleets, emergency services, taxis and those involved with public transport.

10. Without the right detergents to resolve injector fouling, there is an increase in overall running costs and engines don’t last as long, have less power, and increased exhaust emissions.

Now you know more about why you need to use the right detergents, perhaps now is the time you need to think more about injector fouling.