Diesel Injector Cleaner

[Outfitter17]

Can anyone tell me if there is an injector cleaner out there that actually cleans diesel injectors? I have a 2005 Duramax and it is smoking like crazy. I had the injectors replaced under warrenty about 50000 miles ago and when the dealer changed them it was just smoking a little bit and they seemed happy to bring the truck in and change them.

Now when I take it (3 times) and complain about the smoke they put it on a tester ($270 charge to me) each time they test it, they just tell me that the injectors are dirty and they need to be cleaned? I happen to stop at another GM dealership in another state to have it checked and they told me that dirty injectors can't be cleaned - the only option is to change them?

I have tried around 25 bottles of injector clean in the last 25 fillups and they have been 3-4 different brands - that all say they will clean diesel injectors. So far nothing has worked. The truck looks like a smoke screen from night rider when ever I am driving around town or if the truck is parked running for a minute or 2 and I go to take off. I almost caused an accident behind me last week when I pull off a side street and the vehicles behind me couldn't see where they were going.

Again, if anyone has had any exp. with a diesel injector cleaner that really works please let me know. Post here or email me at [email protected]

Thanks,

Matt

[Valv]

Is it black or blue smoke ?

[Outfitter17]

Valv,

It seems to me that it is white smoke - unburned fuel from what I can tell. Maybe its liight light blue, but it looks white to me.

It looks exactly the same as the it did when the delear change them, but as i mentioned when they change them before there was just a light amount of smoke compared to now.

They were bad with a little white smoke, now they are just dirty with lots of smoke?

[Valv]

Blue smoke is unburned fuel or oil in fuel, white smoke is head gasket problem, black smoke is bad injector or timing way too advanced.

Do you have a programmer or "chip" etc ?

The first 2 issues are serious problems, I don't think you can blame the injectors at all unless there's some stuck open and they continuously leak fuel. How many miles on truck ? Any warranty left (I assume not after 5 years)? How is your oil consumption ? How about overheating, any coolant in reservoir tank ?

[theoilman]

+1 injector problems usually cause black smoke. Even mostly plugged injectors will cause fuel 'dribbling' and incomplete combustion. Black smoke is usually unburned fuel. Chips will also contribute to black smoke because of altering fuel injection opening duration as well as timing.

If it is a damaged injector, nothing short of replacing it will fix it - broken spring, pintle, cracked housing, and more possible problems.

If it is plugged (carbon, gum, varnish, bad fuel and other contributors) I have had very good success using AMSOIL Diesel Fuel Concentrate. I personally use it as maintenance in my 06 Sprinter (2.7L 5cyl diesel) in every tank, and have many customers who continue to come back and buy/use it continuously. I have had several who have had to take to a shop for injector repair that the shop told them to keep using whatever they have because the fuel system is so clean. The AMSOIL Diesel Fuel Concentrate cleans, lubricates (makes up for the lost sulfur in today's ultra-low sulfur fuel), neutralizes acids in combustion helping reduce wear, reduces soot loading (through more complete combustion), stabilizes fuel, is alcohol-free that helps protect fuel systems against water contamination. It improves fuel economy by keeping the system operating at peak efficiency, that for most users it has a nearly zero cost to use.

[katophil]

atf has worked for me 1 qt per 5 gal in warm temps

[trolloni]

If its white smoke youre burnin water, not a fuel issue , it could be a head gasket,cracked head , do them Izuzu duramaxes have an intercooler, if so that could be it to .

[Powerstroke]

Part if the problem has been the extreme cold lately, but if you're truck continues to smoke even when the engine is warm I would be concerned about having water or coolant in the fuel.

I've noticed the same thing with my diesel except mine goes away once the engine is warm.

[theoilman]

Don't use ATF! If you ever get pulled by a DOT inspector and he checks your fuel -- the red dye in the ATF is the same red dye in off-road diesel, and there is no way you can prove that you didn't use off-road fuel in a highway licensed vehicle. Real trouble! Really big fines!

[Outfitter17]

Hi Guys,

I drove from I. Falls to Chicago today and from what I could see in the daylight the smoke had a blue tint.

The truck isn't chipped and never has been.

50,000 miles since the last injector change.

6,000 miles of warrenty left, but the dealer won't change them due to them being (dirty). Again when they were changed 50,000 miles ago there was just a little blue smoke - changed them no questions asked. Now as I get close to the end of my warrenty - they are just dirty, even though they puff out tons of smoke.

The is no fuel in my oil.

The coolant is fine.

It's not smoking just now that's its cold, it was smoking back in June. I just seems to be getting worse as the miles rack up.

Again, I have used approx. 25 bottles of cleaner and 3-4 different brands, all of them of course said they work to clean dirty injectors - none of them seemed to have helped.

I am going to try the amsoil products next, just don't know what else to do.

[Valv]

Seriously, I would get a hold of somebody up the scale at your dealer and make them fix the problem, you have 6000 miles left. The "dirty injector" excuse is NOT acceptable. No way your truck is supposed to smoke, of any kind at any moment. The most smoke you can have is maybe a little of dark haze after a strong full throttle acceleration especially if idled for a long time, that's it. Anything else is a sign of a problem, whether is injector(s), pump(s), or anything else it should not be left undiagnosed and unrepaired. Your dealer is just buying time so he can then bill you for the work he was supposed to do while in warranty.

[Scott K]

Unburned diesel does look white. I have used Seafoam in the fuel before on Fords, and it has cleaned them. 1 can per 10 gallons. I usually tell people to just add a can with about an 1/8 a tank and run it to below empty.

Otherwise, just bring it to a different dealer, and tell them you had it in to a different dealer, and they wouldnt fix it. They should fix it for you, to try to earn your business. It should be covererd under warranty yet.

[MuleShack]

I dont understand why the original dealer wouldn't dig into it to replace injectors. They bill the Mfg for the charges so they get paid either way.

Seems kinda funny they wouldnt touch it.

Either way its not suppose to do that and is a hazard.

[MJ1657]

Don't use ATF! If you ever get pulled by a DOT inspector and he checks your fuel -- the red dye in the ATF is the same red dye in off-road diesel, and there is no way you can prove that you didn't use off-road fuel in a highway licensed vehicle. Real trouble! Really big fines! [/quote

If youre written a ticket for dyed fuel a sample is sent out and tested and it will show that it is atf not dyed fuel. Lots of over the road truckers put atf in their fuel.

[klecker]

+2 ATF Its like dumping soap in your tank.