Restore Your Get-Up-and-Go (Fuel and Air Induction Cleaning)
May 14, 2023
You may have heard the old saying, "My get-up-and-go got up and went." If your vehicle's engine's fuel economy is noticeably worse, your engine is idling roughly or stalling or your vehicle's acceleration isn't what it used to be, ask your service advisor if you might need your vehicle's fuel and air induction systems cleaned.
As the hours pile up on your engine, carbon deposits can build up. It's not unusual for some of the impurities and additives in fuel to leave behind a black residue that eventually will negatively affect your fuel economy and performance. Maybe you're noticing your engine is harder to start, you hear knocking or pinging in your engine and your vehicle just doesn't have the pep it used to.
While it's a sophisticated process with a lot of components, a gasoline engine essentially produces power by drawing in air from the outside and mixing it with fuel in the cylinders where this blend of fuel and air is ignited by spark plugs in synchronized explosions.
The fuel and air enter your engine through the fuel induction system and air induction system. Because of things like high operating temperatures and impurities, carbon in the fuel can leave behind dark, sooty deposits in the fuel induction system such as the fuel injectors and the throttle body. These and other residue reduce your engine's efficiency and performance. Our service center can use special fuel injector cleaners to remove those deposits from your engine.
The technician may manually clean some of the deposits and also put a fuel additive in the fuel tank that will get rid of other deposits that are still in the fuel system
Keeping the air induction system clean is also important. A technician can use a liquid cleaner specially designed for the job. Not only can this improve your fuel economy, it may also reduce exhaust emissions and help your engine last longer.
Most gasoline now contains detergents that help reduce or prevent these problems, but direct injection is now being used in more vehicles that are more susceptible to clogging. Ask your service advisor if your vehicle could benefit from fuel and air induction cleaning.
Auto Pro Troy
512 East Maple Rd.
Troy, Michigan 48083
248-270-3002
Need Service?
More articles from Auto Pro Troy Auto Repair
Gearing Up (Differential Fluid Service)
January 25, 2026
You may have never thought about it, but when you turn a corner, the wheels on one side of your vehicle turn at a different speed than the other side. What is this magic? The answer is something called the differential. A differential is a gear box placed between the drive wheels and needs lub... More
Why Maintaining Your Windshield Wipers and Washers Matters (Windshield Wiper and Washer Inspection)
January 18, 2026
What do mud, bird droppings and frost all have in common? When theyre covering your windshield, they can temporarily obscure your view of the road, leaving you driving blind. And when you cant see the road clearly ahead of you, it can be really scary. Thats one of the reasons its important to m... More
U and your U-Joints (Lubricate U-Joints)
January 11, 2026
If your vehicles power goes to the rear wheels, then you have something called U-joints in the drivetrain. U-joints are connectors that allow the rotating power from your vehicles engine to deliver its power through a driveshaft to make the rear wheels rotate. You need U-joints because the surfa... More