If engine is running fine there is no need to do this,. Ask them to show you where this appears in the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual? 99% of the time this service is just a $$$ maker for the dealer and not needed.

 

Totally agree with armtdm! If it aint broke, dont fix it!!

 

Funny you should mention this today, the same day I took my 2012 Sonata 2.0T to a Pittsburgh area dealer for the current recall. I purchased my 2012 used with 8,000 miles on it from a local Ford dealership. I take it there for recommended maint because I got a warranty there and they will cover all costs for the deductible if they do the service plus every 4th oil change is free. This was my first visit to a Hyundai dealer for service and during their 42 point inspection they recommended the injection cleaning as well as changing filters more frequently than the service guidelines. I know most fuel injection cleaners are a waste and wonder what more they will do at the dealer besides using a gas tank additive.

 

Thanks for the replies. Confirmed my thoughts.



West Liberty?

That's the one I always use. Honestly in 26,000 miles the fuel injector cleaner is the only thing they've recommended other than filters.

 

According to the manual, if you don't use a top tier gas brand you should put Techron (or an equivalent) in the gas tank every 3,000 miles. My car has 51K miles and runs well without ever having the injectors cleaned. (I generally use no-name gas from BJ's and put in Techron every 3K miles.)

 

I burned no-brand 87 E-free and never used any Techron to somewhere around 15,000 Mi. It's sorta of like feel good insurance as far as I'm concerned. I'd be more apt to use a bottle in the middle of winter blend if you use no name petrol.

Handy though to have a bottle around if the ride isn't running quite up to snuff. A bottle is a cheap shot at possibly restoring lost performance or eliminating clogged injectors as a cause.

Back in the day on diesel mills the air filter was removed and a can of aerosol Gumout was sprayed in judiciously until empty.

 

Today I took my car for the fuel injector cleaning service and throttle body cleaning. This wasn't for my Sonata, but rather for a Mazda 3 with 130,000 kms..

The way my mechanic did it was use a valvoline fuel injector cleaning system and hooked it up to the engine and all lines directly. He also added some additive to the fuel tank, but the bulk of this magic was from the machine that was directly connected to the engine system. After the work was done, the car doesn't idle rough, rpms are more free running and the throttle response, power and acceleration was like new again.

So the moral of the story here is to have the injectors properly serviced. Ask them what steps they will take to clean it and what system they use. Also, seafoam doesn't work. They don't recommend seafoam at all and seafoam can cause more harm than good.

 

The way my mechanic did it was use a valvoline fuel injector cleaning system and hooked it up to the engine and all lines directly. He also added some additive to the fuel tank, but the bulk of this magic was from the machine that was directly connected to the engine system. After the work was done, the car doesn't idle rough, rpms are more free running and the throttle response, power and acceleration was like new again..

Sounds like you were have issues though, rough idle etc. Did you ever use any additives in the fuel? What did they charge you for the service 100-150???

 

Is there any way to "clean" injectors in place other than mixing some chemicals with the incoming fuel?

If not, then the fancy machine that hooks into the fuel supply is just an unnecessarily more complicated equivalent to dumping said chemicals into the tank. It seems to me that the machine is there solely to impress the customer and help justify the exorbitant cost for the service.

I will stick with adding techron every other oil change. Even that may be unneeded (given detergents already in the fuel) but at least it only costs a few bucks.

 

...every time I take my 2012 SE to the dealer they try to sell me a fuel injection cleaning for $109. Is this necessary? I assume I can do it myself for much less if it is?

$109 is ridiculous. They are upselling. They're adding Techron, plain and simple. Try Wal-Mart. In the automotive department: $4.99. Some local auto stores offer a BOGO every so often. Watch for those sales.

Pour it down the tank's filler tube before refueling. Every 10,000 miles, or so. You just saved yourself $104.01! Or bought 3-4 tanks of gas with the savings. :thumbsup:

 

Speaking of BOGO: 2x 12oz. Chevron Techron Concentrate Plus Fuel System Cleaner $8 + Free Store Pickup - AutoZone Deals, Coupons and Promos

 

It's not slight of hand though I don't think it worth more than 50 clams and that is including a double shot of Techron in the tank. The fogger is cleaning everything else that doesn't get a wash due to DI.

Some of that being crankcase blow-by reintroduced into the intake. I ordered a six pack of Techron online and a bottle is good for 12 Gl. If I thought I had blockage I'd dump 2 bottles in 12 Gl. and go out and keep my foot in the throttle.

Averaging 25-26 MPG w/o A/C my foot is constantly massaging the injectors for cleanliness.

 

Here's 3M DIY three piece for 37 clams & change:

Auto Body Toolmart - 3M Fuel System Tune-Up Kit - 39089

Here's your tutorial:

 

I have been told this too...every single time! I use Chevron Techron every oil change and I still get told I need them cleaned.

I went to https://www.hyundaiusa.com/maintenance-schedule/ and looked up my car. I could not find anywhere in the list of maintenance items that they needed to be cleaned. It only says, "Add Fuel Additive (recommended only if TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is not available. See owner's manual for details.)"

I'm going to print this out and shove it in their faces. Luckily, this will be my last free oil change with them. They LOVE to try and sell me **** that I don't need. Don't mention the cabin air filter...they wanted to charge me (if I remember correctly), like $40/$60 to change this out. I bought it on Amazon and changed it out myself for like $10.

Dealers are shady as **** and I try to avoid them at all costs now.

 

Much of the cost is paying the guy doing it. Most techs are flate rate, (paid per job, No hourly, No salary). If you get a premium service its 4 steps. Intake cleaner run through a vacuum line. Fuel rail / injector cleaner run through the fuel rail.
* This is plumbed through the fuel line fitting. The car runs soely of the cleaner. No gas*
Then a pour in the tank additive and a throttle body cleaner.
It can take 40-90 minutes depending on the vehicle. Some cars you have to remove covers, shields, wiper cowls, etc. Then depending on if its an versa or a hemi determines how long it actually takes to burn through the chemicals.
If it was $40 your tech would literally be working for free. Do you really want a guy with a, "I ain't even getting paid for this $h!t" attitude working on your baby?

 

That being said... I don't think ANY manufacturer has this in their required maintenance schedule. I do this to my own vehicles and have personally had it help mpg. Now all my previous vehicles were higher mielage than our (new to us) sonata. But none were direct injection turbos either. I will probly do this to mine since it has 30k and at a long red light it does miss intermittently. I also have no idea if the previous owner ever put techron in.
It's your call if you want it. Personally if it didn't have that occasional miss I wouldn't do it til 60k or so.

Just wanted to help clarify this from a dealer mechanic's end.

 

i was having problems with hard down and up shifting intermittently that scared the bejesus outta me so i took it to my dealer.the tech couldn't find anything wrong and the he asked me what kind of gas i used because he thought it sounded like my car wasn't getting enough fuel and bingo!! it hit me! my last fill up at the 1 station of only 2 stations that i use was getting THEIR tanks filled. i was told a long time ago not to fill up if the tanker truck was filling up the station due to the stirring up of anything that may settle in the tanks while filling. My car was running bad right off the rip when i left the station so i stopped and got some additive to clean my tank up.the tech did a fuel induction and reccomended shell gasoline. i haven't filled up with shell yet (i still have 1/2 a tank of gas) but.../ my car IS running alot better.not 100% but i think with shell gas and a cleaner added every 3k miles i'll be just fine and the car will run great again. the diagnostic cost $98. fuel induction cleaner was $135 and i was not charged for the diagnostic like i thought i would be. i have a 2011 sonata i bought in 2011 with 1500 miles on it. i bought it at a honda dealership so the only warranty i got with it was the remainder of 5 years 60k mile bumper to bumper and the 10year100k mile powertrain warranty was voided because the car had been previously titled and was not a cpo car. it has 43k miles on it now.

 

If the gas you use has ethanol in it no cleaner is needed. It does a wonderful job of cleaning the fuel system. The Hyundai recommended fuel cleaning is a sales tactic and only that.