I use Nulon injector clean / booster in my cars, seems to do its job.
if the fuel economy is really bad also look at the vacuum lines, a cracked one can throw the MAP sensor off causing it to richen up the mix.
likewise, a bad O2 sensor will do the same, but you'd be best to get the ECM scanned for codes before buying one, they are a bit pricey.
I have found my 2000 model VERY sensitive to fuel type. I can see as much as a 4 miles per gallon difference from one fuel to the next! Mine runs best with a mid-grade non-ethanol product that has 89 octane. I've went higher in octane and saw worse results (and MUCH higher costs for the fuel). I've also experimented with top tier versus generic station fuel (Mobil or Shell versus only God knows what is in the pump) and have seen about a 2 mpg variance from the top tier fuel to the low tier fuel running regular (87 octane) with 10% ethanol.
The engine is also senstive to tune -- a set of fresh plugs and wires, if not already done, will help. I also run true Group IV synthetic oil in the differential and rear axle housing. That alone was worth 2-3 miles per gallon on my Rav (I use Amsoil, but not sure if that is available in your country).
When I first purchased my Rav used with 121,000 miles on the odometer it was seeing 20-21 miles per gallon. My top is now 28 miles per gallon and I now average 27 miles per gallon using the mid-grade non-ethanol fuel. Though that fuel costs me roughly $0.20 cents a gallon more it saves me about $500 over the course of a year due to the higher miles per gallon it produces. I see 340 miles per tankful (until the fill lamp comes on) versus 275 miles for the same amount of fuel.
good point about the fuel. I run 98 premium in my RAV's and they love it, tried lower grade ethanol stuff and just got crap millage and pinging under load.
new plugs and leads are on my list too, however we run Iridium plugs, and at $28 a pop from my local parts store, it adds up fast when you need 8 of them . not to mention the Escape needing 6 new ones desperately.
Thanks guys, especially Aussie50 seen as we live in the same state Lol. Might try the plugs first, Autobarn and autoone has had a sale recently but they're both half an hour away where I could get the Nulon for cheaper. Nulon is what I trust so that's next. Thanx again
I like lucas products. But but when i have the extra money i use bg products. They are the best but probably the most expensive. 1 8oz can of 44k injector cleaner cost me almost $20 the last time
Altho I did loose a lot of respect for Seafoam when I saw videos of people putting it down the intake on their cars (followed by a lot of detonation and piston skirts smashing into cylinder walls) their general use products like the fuel system cleaner and deep creep penetration oil sound okay to use!.
not sure where to get them in Australia tho.
On first hand experience with dissembling many engines running different products from lucas to stp, to bg44k. The best and only thing you should be buying is bg44k products for gas and diesel. Yes it is expensive but it is the best and only product to spend money on. You only need to do it roughly every oil change or 5000 miles. I will try and see if I can dig up the research and pictures from my stuff I will gladly share. My time is pretty limited because of family crisis, and my computer crashed. Good luck.
Closest thing over here I found is Nulon Foaming air intake cleaner which does the intake and piston crowns (carbon removal), and, they make an injector cleaner too so I may as well go with what I trust I spose. I've heard Seafoam (besides it being unavailable here[AUS]), can deteriorate the rubber hoses of the fuel line when used as a fuel line cleaner.
Be careful of using intake cleaner, all that crud gets washed into the cylinders and does not do the bores/rings any good, especially since its probably also washed the lubricating oil off the bore walls too (unless Nulon have lubricating oil in their solution?)
call me old fashioned but if the intake is that dirty that it needs cleaning, it comes off the engine and gets done properly. tho the RAV's intake is not in the easiest spot to get to tho
It is common in the industry to clean the inside of the intake tract via chemical cleaner while running the engine. With the advent of "dry" intake systems versus the wet versions of yesteryear, kept clean largely by the flow of the fuel/air mix that was constantly going through the intake from the carburetor, it is now necessary from time to time to remove residue of the PCV system that might accumulate. It is not as it that residue is MUD or other damaging substances. It is the same stuff that has been flushed from intake tracts since cars were invented.
Further cleaning of top-valve-train areas is also something that is and always has been handled chemically. The only alternative to cleaning around the top of the piston and the base of the valves is to totally disasemble the engine and scrape, hot tank, or otherwise physically remove the carbon deposits.
Doing this regularly via chemical means is better than waiting for that once-in-a-lifetime cleaning where the build up is so great that it may actually cause more harm than good.
As an example from an alternative vehicle manufacturer, GM has sold through their dealer networks "top engine cleaner" products since the 1950s. They typically do not do things on a whim, especially for their dealer network. The aftermarket has simply responded and made those same sort of products available to the indpependent garage mechanic or the home mechanic.
As for Seafoam treatment, that is up to the one doing the work to understand how to use it. They have rather clearly marked instructions and it doesn't take so much product that the "pistons are slapping in the bores" to work effectively. That is an all or nothing fallacy. There IS a correct means of application and it is proven effective over millions of units used.
Finally... Can people obsess over this cleaning regimen? Absolutely! They can pour more cleaner, more often than necessary down the drain and can in fact end up damaging parts instead of saving parts. But people put screwdrivers into lamp sockets while powered as well. No help for pure stupid...
i put 22 litres of fuel in my 2005 cruiser and it did 155ks. i work that out to be about 7ks per litre. is that correct. started using more fuel lately. might try injector cleaner
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