upper engine cleaner worth it? (and afew other qn's)

Post by **Alex** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:05 pm

hey all,

so my 01 liberty has been using a tad more fuel than usual (pushing 11l/100km) wheras it use to use about 8l/100km.

it is well overdue for a comprehensive service, im doing oil, airfilter, coolant, brake fluid and tranny fluid this weekend plus afew new sensors and stuff. (its chucking an engine code for the knock sensor and retarding power at times) but this is very inconsistant.

i also plan on running a full tank of BP 98 ultimate with some injector cleaner or whatever added to the tank. Does this stuff work? I usually run 98 octane every 2nd tank and i really notice the difference with it, getting a solid 70km extra out of the tank.

my main question is, does the subaru upper engine cleaner really work? what kind of benefits will i get from it? i have heard it makes the car blow alot of shit out, but im always a tad sceptical of this sort of stuff.

ps. the car has just clicked over 160k km if that makes a difference

cheers

alex

FROG · Post by **FROG** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:13 pm

showthread.php?t=15809&highlight=UPPER+ENGINE+CLEANER

Post by **Alex** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:21 pm

haha okay...should have taken my own advice and had a search

...and it was touched on so recently! whoopsys!

will see what happens with the stuff.

alex

FROG · Post by **FROG** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:54 pm

Yeah worth using imo

Post by **yarney** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:03 pm

Keffa wrote:hey all,

i also plan on running a full tank of BP 98 ultimate with some injector cleaner or whatever added to the tank. Does this stuff work? I usually run 98 octane every 2nd tank and i really notice the difference with it, getting a solid 70km extra out of the tank.

my main question is, does the subaru upper engine cleaner really work? what kind of benefits will i get from it? i have heard it makes the car blow alot of shit out, but im always a tad sceptical of this sort of stuff.

cheers

alex

Hi alex First off if your getting 70km extra out of a tank of 98 oct you should stick to it probably work out cheaper than 91 oct and more power

The second thing i used injector cleaner in my ea82t and ej22 and didn't notice any difference i always thought that stuff was a bit dodgy"my opinion" only.
I did get my injectors professionally cleaned thinking they were pretty bad but the guy gave me a print out and they were about 96% ok surprised me.
but it did make a bit of difference tho
Third thing i have put upper engine cleaner in our ej20t, ej2.5 and ej22 and it made the engine run a bit smoother mainly on idle it gets rid of all the crap in the pipes and manifold it's like taking a laxative cleans your system out yes a bit of crap comes out the back:).
All the dealers use it on every car they service and a lot of other car makers use it also that's the subaru one.

someguy · Post by **someguy** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:05 pm

yarney wrote:Hi alex First off if your getting 70km extra out of a tank of 98 oct you should stick to it probably work out cheaper than 91 oct and more power

+1, after you use it consistently for a few thousand k you should find your engine a bit torqueier and smoother.

Post by **Alex** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:17 pm

yarney wrote:Hi alex First off if your getting 70km extra out of a tank of 98 oct you should stick to it probably work out cheaper than 91 oct and more power

The second thing i used injector cleaner in my ea82t and ej22 and didn't notice any difference i always thought that stuff was a bit dodgy"my opinion" only.
I did get my injectors professionally cleaned thinking they were pretty bad but the guy gave me a print out and they were about 96% ok surprised me.
but it did make a bit of difference tho
Third thing i have put upper engine cleaner in our ej20t, ej2.5 and ej22 and it made the engine run a bit smoother mainly on idle it gets rid of all the crap in the pipes and manifold it's like taking a laxative cleans your system out yes a bit of crap comes out the back:).
All the dealers use it on every car they service and a lot of other car makers use it also that's the subaru one.

someguy wrote:+1, after you use it consistently for a few thousand k you should find your engine a bit torqueier and smoother.

okay thanks guys. i think i will stick to ultimate for a while. i have always been quite careful with what fuel i run.

i just find it odd that all of a sudden my fuel consumption goes up. Its been doing it for the last 2-3 months. Im not sure if my knock sensor could have something to do with it, when it retards the power and the engine light comes on i usually just give her a good boot and the light turns off and it goes back to full power.

alex

someguy · Post by **someguy** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:15 pm

hey guys...I have just bought a can of upper engine cleaner......where do I spray it in on a carbed EA82?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:30 pm

just read the instructions on the can. Spray it into the intake manifold, there should be a hose somewhere you can take off to gain access.

Bogantaxi · Post by **Bogantaxi** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:37 pm

someguy wrote:hey guys...I have just bought a can of upper engine cleaner......where do I spray it in on a carbed EA82?

I removed the air filter and sprayed it down the throat of the carby on mine. you are supposed to remove a vacuum hose from the manifold and spray it in there on fuel injected models

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:10 pm

yeah it is worth it, mine is due for it now..
Cheers
AP

coxy · Post by **coxy** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:55 pm

Before you start replacing sensors check earth points around the engine,the only sensor I would look at replacing at that mileage from a maintenance point of view would be the oxygen sensor.
Oxygen sensors are like spark plugs they do age and wear allowing readings to change from optimum.
The Ecu operates from looking at look up tables in relation to sensor input voltages to apply correct fuel and ignition values so certain areas need looking at to maintain good engine operation the Subaru cleaner is just one aspect but a worthwhile one and do not forget to remove the air inlet duct from the throttle body and spray some around the throttle body butterfly as a buildup of carbon will gradually allow the throttle butterfly plate to move from it's correct seating position.
This is important as many later management systems require the throttle to be seated correctly closed when the ignition is first turned on so as to set a base voltage dynamically in relation to closed throttle position every time you turn the key on,all throttle positions after that are in relation to the base voltage obtained that way and it can impact significantly on performance and fuel economy.
At the same time use brake cleaner and clean your mass airflow sensor these become covered with a fine coating of dust which insulates the sensor resulting in incorrect voltage outputs to the Ecu in relation to Intake airflow,do not be tempted to use carburetor cleaner in place of brake cleaner as it can damage the sensor.

Subyroo · Post by **Subyroo** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:15 pm

coxy wrote:At the same time use brake cleaner and clean your mass airflow sensor these become covered with a fine coating of dust which insulates the sensor resulting in incorrect voltage outputs to the Ecu in relation to Intake airflow,do not be tempted to use carburetor cleaner in place of brake cleaner as it can damage the sensor.

The '86 VL Commodores use to heat up to 1000 degrees C for a split second when the ignition was first turned on to burn/fry off any dust etc that was on the wire, I would have thought a lot other manufacturers would have followed suit in this area.

Post by **Alex** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:40 pm

coxy wrote:Before you start replacing sensors check earth points around the engine,the only sensor I would look at replacing at that mileage from a maintenance point of view would be the oxygen sensor.
Oxygen sensors are like spark plugs they do age and wear allowing readings to change from optimum.
The Ecu operates from looking at look up tables in relation to sensor input voltages to apply correct fuel and ignition values so certain areas need looking at to maintain good engine operation the Subaru cleaner is just one aspect but a worthwhile one and do not forget to remove the air inlet duct from the throttle body and spray some around the throttle body butterfly as a buildup of carbon will gradually allow the throttle butterfly plate to move from it's correct seating position.
This is important as many later management systems require the throttle to be seated correctly closed when the ignition is first turned on so as to set a base voltage dynamically in relation to closed throttle position every time you turn the key on,all throttle positions after that are in relation to the base voltage obtained that way and it can impact significantly on performance and fuel economy.
At the same time use brake cleaner and clean your mass airflow sensor these become covered with a fine coating of dust which insulates the sensor resulting in incorrect voltage outputs to the Ecu in relation to Intake airflow,do not be tempted to use carburetor cleaner in place of brake cleaner as it can damage the sensor.

great advice, thanks mate. My motor is a tad different to the turbo models and stuff, in that the maf is built into the throttle body. There is also a sensor in that area (cant remember exactly where may have bolted into the manifold sumwhere??) which is like a o2 looking sensor, i removed it and it had a gungy black looking build up on it which i cleaned up.

Im not very up-do date with the motor in my lib. Is this sensor i was talking about previously the o2 sensor? or is there another one in the exhaust system like in previous models?

I will have to have a closer look to determine what is what, as i sort of havent really had a good look at this motor in detail. Its amazing the changes theyve made from the ej22's and the ej20g's to my later model ej20.

am i going to damage my maf or anything else by spraying the upper engine cleaner in that vacinity?

coxy · Post by **coxy** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:43 pm

Yes that cook and clean system cost a lot in warranty issues everyone uses encapsulated plastic units now that don't take kindly to those sorts of daily heat cycles.
Electronics has always had one major enemy and that is heat what a dumb move from Bosch that was,any wonder the Germans lost two world wars.
It is an issue with most late vehicles,recently fixed a Prado in five minutes while the owner watched in exactly that fashion he then informed us he had spent a small fortune with Toyota and a couple of other workshops trying to fix that miss under light load that we cured by simply cleaning the M.A.F. sensor he was pleased with us another new customer but not real happy with his Toyota dealership as he reckoned they should have known.

bobbyjimmy · Post by **bobbyjimmy** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:19 am

Keffa is the car your talking about the Gen 3 in your sig? If so, you don't have a AFM/MAF sensor.

Try a can of SA459 sprayed onto the butterfly (as someone said before, take off the whole airbox assy) and into the IACV (Idle Air Control Valve) and TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) - if your not to mechanically inclined, or don't want to potentially break stuff, use the nozzle it comes with and spray directly into their ports in the throttle body - but then take off the nozzle to spray the rest in the manifold as it will take a ship load longer using the nozzle.

Post by **Alex** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:55 am

bobbyjimmy wrote:Keffa is the car your talking about the Gen 3 in your sig? If so, you don't have a AFM/MAF sensor.

Try a can of SA459 sprayed onto the butterfly (as someone said before, take off the whole airbox assy) and into the IACV (Idle Air Control Valve) and TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) - if your not to mechanically inclined, or don't want to potentially break stuff, use the nozzle it comes with and spray directly into their ports in the throttle body - but then take off the nozzle to spray the rest in the manifold as it will take a ship load longer using the nozzle.

tooo easy mate.

thanks

alex

BBoypebs · Post by **BBoypebs** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:35 pm

Well worth using the upper engine cleaner. I use it every 10000km. At first you may have to use two can's to start off with.

Post by **Alex** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:49 pm

just did it...could see it working all the darker dusty crap got owned down the throttle body.

car blew afew little puffs of smoke and thats about it haha...i figure it was still pretty clean in there but seems well worth it

alex

Post by **Alex** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:37 am

initial results are astounding actually.

car runs alot smoother, acceleration is much smoother and a fair bit more punchy.

it is hard to tell tho cos i did alot of things at the same time. This included oil(penrite sin5), air filter, injector cleaner, wire brushed my plugs(iridiums), upper engine cleaner and i re-inflated my tyres which were underinflated at 30psi. (now running 42 in them) And onto my second consecutive tank of BP ultimate 98. I also re-lowered the car again (maybe increasing aerodynamics but i doubt it haha)

fuel economy is great also, it seems i have my old economy back getting 315km to half a tank, where as i use to struggle to get 250 to half a tank(wont know the exact stats until i refill it)

next few thing is to get some nice new fat leads.

im a very happy chappy at the moment, my love has been re-born, especially with the improved handling.

alex