What is a Fuel Induction Service? (Waste Of Money?)

Your mechanic recommended that your vehicle receive a fuel-induction service. Is it possible to improve my vehicle's performance with a fuel injection service? What is the efficiency of it? Is this a wasteful investment?

Fuel induction isn't a well-known service and many people have questions about how it affects your engine's efficiency.

How would you save money if your fuel induction services were done by yourself? Let’s find out in this article!

What is a fuel induction service?

A Fuel Induction Service is a type of service and maintenance procedure for your car’s engine. It’s a process of cleaning the electronic throttle body, air intake valves, and fuel injectors, which you can find in electronically fuel-injected vehicles and newer vehicles.

A specific throttle cleaning agent is used to clean the throttle plate and throttle body.

The following are benefits to using the fuel-induction service

• Improves your car’s gas mileage
• Smooths your engine’s idle
• Increases throttle response

Do I recommend a fuel injection service in a workshop for my car? – Not directly if it is not necessary.

If you have a direct-injected engine that is running rough or has misfires because of leaking intake valves, I would recommend it – otherwise not.

Most of the induction process can be done at home using a couple products. These steps are listed further down.

What is fuel induction?

The fuel induction process is used to clean the throttle body and intake valve.

When your car gets older, it will start to collect old carbon deposits everywhere on the engine’s intake side. The crankcase ventilation, and the EGR check valve are responsible for this carbon buildup. You can also get it from oil getting through the turbo.

It is especially common for direct-injected fuel engines that do not inject the fuel directly into their combustion chamber. Some older engines used to spray the fuel prior to the intake valves. This cleaned the intake valves and didn't cause as many problems.

Carbon deposits can build up on valve bodies, intake pipes and intake manifolds. These parts are cleaned by fuel induction.

This will affect the air-fuel mixture and the intake valves’ seals, which will result in a much smoother engine.

The pros and cons of fuel induction services

• The throttle body should be cleaned
• Cleaning the intake system
• Make sure to clean the intake valves
• If applicable, remove any flaps from the intake manifold.

Here are signs that your car needs a fuel induction service

The fuel induction service is what your engine does, and you now know why it's important. However, the question remains: should you have the service performed more frequently?

Although fuel induction can be beneficial for your vehicle, it should only be performed if there are specific problems due to carbon buildup.

You should do a fuel-induction service if you see the following signs:

• Your car isn’t able to idle smoothly
• When you gass up, you feel the vibration
• You feel a delay in the engine’s pick up as you press on the gas pedal
• It has a very low fuel consumption
• The car doesn’t start as quickly as it used to

These are the only times you should consider a fuel injection service.

How is this service performed and what does it include?

These steps are included in an inductor service, if it were done by a mechanic shop. Many parts can be done at home, you'll see.

1. Cleansing the intake valve

Spraying the liquid in the intake valves during engine operation is the final step. After this, the throttle cleaner fluid is sprayed into the intake valves. The air then gets in the mixture and it's ignited. This allows for the removal of carbon deposits from the intake and intake valves.

The exhaust is used to expel the remaining compounds.

You can also make this same step yourself using seafoam at home. If you're interested, this is the place to look for seafoam.

2. Cleaning the throttle body

This service is optional and can be done depending on your workshop. The injector cleaner may be all that is needed to clean out the throttle body.

To clean the throttle body, however, the technician or mechanic must first take the throttle body out of the engine. The throttle cleaner, which is a special compound that cleans carbon, is used. It is available in spray cans and as a liquid.

You can also check our guide How to Clean a Throttle Body.

3. Fuel Injector Cleaning

Your mechanic may offer this additional service when performing a fuel injection service. It involves adding a special fuel additive to your fuel tank. This will clean both the fuel pump & fuel injectors.

You can buy special injector cleaners to do the job. This Amazon product is a good choice if you are looking to do this yourself.

Questions about the Fuel Induction Service