Fuel System Cleaning for Better Mileage in Your Ford

The fuel system delivers fuel from the tank to the intake manifold, where it mixes with air. Once the fuel and air mix in a precise ratio, they’re drawn into the engine cylinders and ignited to produce combustion. Regular fuel system cleaning ensures your vehicle continues to deliver top performance. As your Ford dealership, we want to tell you how the cleaning process works.

From Your Ford Dealership: How Fuel System Cleaning Works

Why It Needs Cleaning

As time passes, fuel residue, dirt, and other contaminants build up in the system and cause blockages. These blockages restrict fuel delivery to the intake manifold and can cause the engine to run fuel-lean. If this happens, you’ll experience rough idling, backfiring, and poor acceleration. The fuel system should be cleaned every 30,000 miles, but this can vary depending on your Ford model.

Steps in the Fuel Cleaning Process.

Clean the Injectors

The fuel injectors spray fuel into the intake manifold, where it mixes with the air. Fuel residue can build up on the injectors and block them. Our technicians carefully clean the injectors to ensure they can spray the right amount of fuel into the intake manifold.

Clean the Throttle Body

The throttle body is a flat valve that controls airflow into the engine. This is important, as we saw above, as combustion requires a precise fuel-air mix. Oxygen sensors measure the amount of air in the manifold and inform your computer. The computer will then open the valve to allow more air in or keep it closed and adjust the amount of fuel sprayed into the manifold to compensate.

A dirty throttle body can alter the fuel-air mixture, resulting in reduced acceleration and poor idling.

Clean the Valves

The valves control the amount of fuel that enters the injectors. Fuel contains volatile molecules, some of which evaporate over time even if stored in the fuel tank. This natural decay leaves behind a sticky substance called fuel varnish that clogs the valves and reduces the amount of fuel delivered to the injectors. Once they’ve been cleaned, the correct amount of fuel will pass through to the injectors.

Change the Fuel Filter

The fuel filter traps dirt and other contaminants that can enter the fuel tank, preventing them from reaching the engine. As time passes, the filter can become blocked, and your Ford might struggle to start or suffer misfiring or stalling. We replace the filter so the fuel can flow freely on demand.

Contact our service department today at Chestatee Ford in Dahlonega, GA.

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