Okay, let me tell you about my little adventure with one of those fuel injector cleaner machines. My old truck started feeling a bit sluggish, you know? Hesitating sometimes when I hit the gas. Figured the injectors might be getting gummed up after all these years.

Getting Started

First things first, I had to get my hands on one of these contraptions. Didn't want to shell out big bucks for a pro job right away. Found a decent-looking canister-style cleaner kit online, not too expensive. Looked simple enough in the pictures. When it arrived, I pulled it out of the box. Just a pressurized can, some hoses, and a few fittings. Seemed straightforward.

Prep Work - The Not-So-Fun Part

Alright, so Saturday morning, I popped the hood. The first job, and maybe the most annoying, was figuring out how to stop the car's fuel pump from running while I did this. Didn't want gasoline spraying everywhere, right? Took me a bit, digging through the fuse box under the dash, then checking the one under the hood. Finally found the fuel pump relay. Pulled that sucker out. Then, I started the engine and let it run until it sputtered out of gas to depressurize the fuel line. Made a bit of a cough, then died. Perfect.

Next, I had to actually find the fuel rail and figure out where to hook this thing up. On my truck, it's right there on top, thankfully. Had to disconnect the main fuel line going into the rail. Needed a specific tool for the quick-disconnect fitting, which, luckily, I had rattling around in my toolbox. A little wiggle and pop, and it was off. Always a bit of fuel drips out, so rags are your friend here.

Hooking Up the Machine

Now, the kit came with a bunch of adapters. Had to find the right one that screwed onto the Schrader valve test port on my fuel rail. Some folks hook it up where the main line was, but the test port seemed easier. Screwed the adapter on, then attached the hose from the cleaner canister to it. Made sure it was tight.

Then, you pour the special cleaning juice into the canister that came with the kit. Smelled potent. Screwed the lid back on the canister tightly. This canister thing connects to my shop air compressor hose. Had to dial the pressure way down on my compressor regulator, following the kit's instructions – think it was around 45 psi, matching the car's fuel pressure spec.

Running the Cleaner

Okay, moment of truth. Double-checked all connections. Opened the valve on the cleaner hose slowly. You could hear the cleaner fluid starting to fill the fuel rail. Then, the instructions said to start the engine. Felt weird starting it knowing it wasn't running on gasoline from the tank, but on this cleaner stuff fed directly into the rail. It cranked a bit, then fired up. Ran a little rough for a second, then smoothed out.

So, I just let it sit there and idle. The engine was literally drinking that cleaner cocktail. Took about maybe 10, 15 minutes? The canister slowly emptied. Watched the pressure gauge on the cleaner to make sure it stayed consistent. Engine just idled away. Eventually, it started to sputter again as the cleaner ran out, and then it died. Just like planned.

Finishing Up

Turned off the air supply to the cleaner canister. Closed the valve on the hose. Carefully disconnected the hose from the fuel rail adapter – bit more potent smell, used rags again. Unscrewed the adapter from the fuel rail test port. Then reconnected the main fuel line back to the rail. Heard that satisfying 'click'. Put the fuel pump relay back in its socket.

Important steps afterwards:

• Cleaned up any spilled drops of cleaner.
• Put away the tools and the cleaning kit.
• Made sure the fuel cap was on tight, though it wasn't really involved.

The Result?

Alright, time to see if it did anything. Turned the key. The fuel pump whirred, priming the system. Engine fired right up. Let it idle for a bit. Seemed okay. Took it for a spin around the block, then onto a bigger road. And you know what? It actually felt peppier. That hesitation seemed gone. Throttle response felt sharper. Maybe it was just in my head, but I don't think so. Felt smoother.

So yeah, that was my Saturday project. Took a bit of fiddling, especially finding that relay and getting the fuel line disconnected without making a huge mess, but overall, not too bad. The machine did its job. Happy with the result, saved some money compared to taking it somewhere. Worth the couple of hours I spent.