Re: Injector cleaner + CIS = Death?

[zm@mhcnet.att.com]

Chris,

>From the articles I have read in rec.autos and rec.autos.tech, I have
seen nothing but praise for Chevron's Techron fuel injector cleaner.
In fact, the FAQ list on these two newsgroups recommends the use of
a bottle of Techron in your fuel tank once every six months. I have
myself used Chevron's Progard (which contains Techron) in my Audi once
with no ill-effects. I didn't notice any improvement either (at that time
I was having idle instability problems which is what I was trying to
solve - that turned out to be  a vacuum leak). I plan to
buy the "real" thing - Techron itself and use it in the future. 

My understanding is that any cleaner formulated specifically for fuel
injection systems should be safe. You should not put any carb cleaners
in your tank. Also, for gas-line antifreeze, which absorbs moisture in
the gas tank, DO NOT use products containing methyl or ethyl alcohol;
these will destroy the rubber seals in the fuel injection systems in
most cars. Use gas-line antifreeze products made with isopropanolol.
These products are generally marked "safe for use with fuel-injected cars".

I have used STP and Chevron Progard fuel injector cleaners in all three
of my fuel-injected cars (including my Audi) with no ill-effects. But
you may want to get the opinion of others who have experience with using
such cleaners in their Audis...

BTW, I also find that the AC on my '87 5000 CS TQ saps a lot of power. I was
worried that the AC compressor was putting too much load on the engine due to
some problem (low/high freon, etc). When I checked with the Audi dealer, the
service manager said that this is the case with the Audis, there is nothing
wrong. I just shut off the AC temporarily (press the ECON button) when
I need to accelerate quickly or while passing.

I would try changing the plugs to the Bosch Tri-electrode ones and throw in a 
bottle of Tecrhron to see if there is improvement. But I think that the AC may
be the major culprit if what you are seeing is a flat response to the gas pedal
instead of a specific miss, jerk or a stumble.

Zafer