Clogged Fuel injector

[Schrauberklaus]

currently on my end of the year / new year trip i feel a few weeks ago that my engine dosn't run

like it dos normaly . feels lean , sputters sometimes and don't had the power it dit as i start the trip and i expect a clogged fuel injector .

 

Workshops that can correctly clean the fuel injector don't exist here so as the CRF450R Injector that i use in my CRF350 Engine .

 

So first i try a fuel additive that should also clean the injector .

It helps , and the engine was running better .

 

But not for long , after a few days the problems start again .

So the next bottle of Fuel additive and the same Results.

 

And a few days later it starts again .

 

After 4 bottles of fuel additive i had enough and a better cleaning was neccecary.

But no one here in Chiang Mai could clean a fuel injector , nobody has a ultrasonic bath or any equipment

to clean the injector . At leased i could not find anyone .

Ducati tells me they install new injectors if they have a problem with them . BMW nada , same at Mercedes and any Bike shop i could find .

 

So i start to collect the Parts i need for cleaning myself .

9 V Batterie and a Battery clip with wires , 2 flat plugs , some hose and after 3 days search a spray can

with carb cleaner .

 

And 3 days ago i had everything to atemt the cleaning job.

 

Took the fuel injector out of the Trottle body and try to start the engine just to see how the injector spray

look . With trottle closed nearly nothing , after i open the trottle about 10% i could see some fuel .

But it was clear that half of the 12 nozzles was compleatly blocked and the rest was not spraying correct .

 

So i connect the 9 V Batterie what is enough Power to open the fuel injector and connect the spray can with carb cleaner to blow the cleaner through the injector .

After a few times forward and backward the injector start to spray more and more and after a full spray can of cleaner it looks good . The amount of spray was double to the start of cleaning just by naked eye.

 

So i re install the injector , the Tank and all the Plastics and go on a test ride .

 

Results , Perfect .

Engine idle again at 1400rpm like it sould do and not like befor the cleaning at 2200 rpm .

Reacts to trottle openings correct and with the power i was used to .

No sputter at acelleration or poping at deceleration . even sound different .

 

But not for long , after 200 km the Problems start again .

 

So now was a even deeper cleaning job on order .

Lucky CRF Spare Part are easy to get here from the local Honda Spare Part Shop .

So yesterday i buy a new fuel Pump , Gaskets , Fuel Hose and even a stock Injector what is for my 350 engine to small and place a order for a new 450R Injector at Partzilla.

 

And today i change the Parts and clean the 450 Injector the same way as befor .

Bike runs, but not as good as after the last cleaning of the Injector , guess i don't get out all the dirt .

 

And depend i was curious to see if there was any dirt in the Fuel pump Filter i took the old Pump apart to see the Filter .

 

And that is how the Fuel Filter look at close up after about 40000 km from new .

(Install a new Pump with the IMS Tank )

 

 

And to see what's inside the Filter (not seperate available) i cut the filter open and tap it 2 times on the table .

And the dust next to the Filter is what fall out of the Filter with 2 taps . With every tap more it comes more dirt out of the Filter (dry at this time )

 

 

I Guess the Filtervlies thats now black was white as it was new .

 

So if you expierement similar Problems , check your fuel Pump .

 

[<Ian Nicoll/>]

Hi Klaus, thanks for all the info.

 

When my injector was clogged the motor reacted in the opposite way from what you had, my fast idle (cold start) seemed to stop working, I mean it usually revs a bit higher when first starting but mine stopped doing this, idle speed dropped too low & the bike was also very very hard to start, twice it didn't start at all (flattened battery 2 times), wouldn't bump start either. Green zone on AFR gauge was max lean no matter what I set it at.

After cleaning the injector with a pulsing 12v supply & carb cleaner plumbed onto the injector for pressure it was all good again, I have since done 2,000km without issue but am now starting to see on the AFR the green zone is getting leaner again, so I will be doing it again soon, but now I have a spare injector to quickly swap with while I clean the dirty one.
I will bet my fuel pump it also dirty, the gasoline here is very bad.

[Schrauberklaus]

Mine was the same , cold without the higher idle at first and need several try with the starter and some trottle to get it even running .

But hot (and it run 10 degree hotter then normal ) it idle at over 2000 rpm .

Plus sputter and poping and bad acceleration .

 

And the fuel here is for sure not better then yours .

[Dogger]

Wow. It sounds like you all need to purchase gas straight into a 5 gallon gas cans and filter it yourself when putting it in the LRP. Sad.

[Schrauberklaus]

that would be a little laborious to carry and filter it twice a day on a tour.

[Dogger]

that would be a little laborious to carry and filter it twice a day on a tour.

Yes it would. Didn't realize you rode so many kilometers a day. Oh well.

[hockeyrick]

Klaus, thats surprising, in CM they have all those bike race shops, odd they couldn't clean or tune up

[Guest]

Bought my first FI car 1995. Was recommended by the service manager to use cleaner with every tank. Have done so with all my FI vehicles since. Every fillup.

[Schrauberklaus]

Bought my first FI car 1995. Was recommended by the service manager to use cleaner with every tank. Have done so with all my FI vehicles since. Every fillup.

??????

A Tank of Benzin 95 is about 340 THB at the moment at most station .

A small bottle of Injector Cleaner cost 480 THB at big C up to 950 THB at Bike shops.

3-4 Fill ups a Day if i am on Tour and every one with the fuel cleaning additive would be expensive touring .

plus i need to carry at leased 10 bottles depend i can not go everyday to a Big C or a Bike shop .

Try to find one in Om Koi , Mae Sariang or similar remote areas .

 

Guess you do not many km.

[Schrauberklaus]

Klaus, thats surprising, in CM they have all those bike race shops, odd they couldn't clean or tune up

 Was for me also a surprise , but after 2 month in CM area i can tell you its a big city but many things you can not get here .

 

Like fuel injector cleaning service , proper done with the correct equipment .

Or a simple gear shift spindel change depend Honda refuse to work on a modified engine and all other shops are so busy you have to wait at leased 2 weeks .

 

Or Boot Socks , after the laundry lost them . Many shops for good brand boots yes , socks , nada .

Or a spray can with Carb Cleaner . Ride 3 Days zig zack to CM and check any Bike and Car shop i could find , nothing.

But everyone send me to a new shop where he think they have it. Found it finally by coincidence at Robinsons car polish shelf.

[hockeyrick]

I believe research has show that those fuel additives do practically nothing, but check to make sure!

[hockeyrick]

 Was for me also a surprise , but after 2 month in CM area i can tell you its a big city but many things you can not get here .

 

Like fuel injector cleaning service , proper done with the correct equipment .

Or a simple gear shift spindel change depend Honda refuse to work on a modified engine and all other shops are so busy you have to wait at leased 2 weeks .

 

Or Boot Socks , after the laundry lost them . Many shops for good brand boots yes , socks , nada .

Or a spray can with Carb Cleaner . Ride 3 Days zig zack to CM and check any Bike and Car shop i could find , nothing.

But everyone send me to a new shop where he think they have it. Found it finally by coincidence at Robinsons car polish shelf.

Even shops like TNT, KCM? On Fb they seem to know and do everything, thats surprising

[Guest]

??????

Guess you do not many km.

 

Guess you like to make assumptions - instead of asking a question if you do not know the answer. Read the bottle. It says how many litres it will treat. Work out how much to add. Simple. PS - just returned from 385km - added it twice. And your pricing - way out. 199 baht - 350ml - treats 40-60 litres. Us guys who live in the CNX area know where to go for these things.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Guest

[Guest]

I believe research has show that those fuel additives do practically nothing, but check to make sure!

Bit off topic - my first FI car received a recall notice. Had about 75,000 km at that time. Chev experienced some problems with the head gasket, so were replacing them all. Made an appointment, drove 600km to the nearest dealer, dropped off the car - they would begin work first thing in the morning. Asked if I could see the head before it was replaced. Got a fone call, went to dealer. The mechanic said straight off - you must use FI cleaner. I asked why - he showed me my head. Combustion chambers clean, intake tract and back of the valves and the valve stems shiny. Showed me another car having the same work done. Thick black crusty buildup on the back of the intake valves, combustion chambers filthy. Said the customer was also complaining about poor fuel mileage. Made me a believer.

[Schrauberklaus]

@seedy

Sorry but i had to assume depend you write first only that you add it to every Fill up.

 

Now you write that one bottle treats 40-60 L with a 350 ml bottle for 199 THB .

 

The stuff i get here was 400 ml and the label say add one bottle to a tank (motorbike )and that stuff cost 950 THB.

 

So maybe you let us all know what Brand / Name / Supplier you get your additive from ?

If that stuff is so concentrate that it can treat 40-60 L with a 350 ml bottle its of course easy to carry and much cheaper

then the stuff i found from witch i need 5 bottles (2L) for the same amount of Gasoline .

 

Next week i go back to Phuket , 3 Day ride , 700-750 km a day . 5 L average per 100 km with my 350cc engine and nowhere

near a place to buy additives .

 

And i ask around for fuel additives , i ride here with many of the local cracks and sit in the evening with them together .

One of them own at least 25 Bikes from every brand you can think of . One own a Big Bike workshop for many years here in CM.

And nobody knows where to get additives you are talking about , Carb cleaner or a Fuel injector cleaning service .

They all only guess , i check and get nothing .

 

If you know more , details please .

[<Ian Nicoll/>]

Same issues in my area of the Philippines, cannot get anything here.

[Guest]

Tesco Lotus Kamtiang

 

 

 

[Schrauberklaus]

O.k. thanks will take a look at tesco .

[kyss meg bak]

If you guys have such shit fuel, how about some kind of mesh filter sock. Maybe you could find one that fit in the filler throat and could be left there all the time. Then the fuel would be prefiltered every fill up. Might have to replace it or clean it every so often, but seems to me like an easy idea than having to deal with the injector so much.

[Guest]

In 15 years I have never run into a problem with my bikes or cars caused by bad fuel. Carb or FI. Thank being said, if you travel around the back of beyond and buy fuel from the villages dispensed from 200 litre drums I suppose you may have more chances of having problems. But as said - I have been all over this country, and never an issue. Brought a different needle back for my Dyna last fall, carb was immaculate inside. But it can happen - maybe I've been lucky.