sgull

New fuel injector O-rings came included among the others with my head gasket set for my 92 Accord, so i went ahead and replaced those O rings. I thought especially since I already have the injectors out it would be a good opportunity to clean them. Not that I necessarily have reason to suspect they particularly need it, although they might, and why not if I could? There's various different do-it-yourself methods of cleaning injectors on video at YouTube, most of which involve applying electrical power (usually via a AA or AAA battery and/or with use of a transformer, etc) to the electrical plug connection of the injector while spraying injector cleaning fluid under pressure into the injector. These methods can also apparently indicate whether the injectors might have faulty operation such as not closing properly or leaking. (You can see plenty of such videos by going to YouTube and typing in "clean fuel injectors")
However, my Honda repair manual states the following: "Bench testing of the injectors can only be done using expensive equipment. Generally this equipment can be found at a dealership and sometimes at a well-equipped machine or performance shop. There is no provision for field testing the injectors by the owner/mechanic. DO NOT attempt to test the injector by removing it from the engine and making it spray into a jar. Never attempt to check a removed injector by hooking it directly to the battery. The injector runs on a lower voltage and the 12 volts from the battery will destroy it internally."

So my question is: If I did happen to be able to find out and then apply the correct amount of voltage to the injector(s) while removed from the engine, could I still go ahead and try one of those DIY injector cleaning methods and have it work out just fine, "spray into a jar" anyway despite the clear instruction not to do so in the manual? Any comments appreciated.

basket_case

Only a guess here, but that warning about spraying into a jar is probably for safety. Not a good idea to have atomized gas being sprayed about. The warning about the voltage should be heeded. The resistor pack is in series with the injector so there's a voltage drop across the resistors then another drop across the injector. The injector doesn't see the full 12 volts.

I just take mine to a shop. They flow test the injectors and make sure that the flow is balanced across all four. To make it more convenient with less downtime, I just go to the junkyard and grab a set for a few bucks each, have them cleaned and swap them out.

There is also a filter basket on the inlet to the injector. It's a good idea to change that. The injector cleaning shop will do that and put a new pintle cap on.

I understand the desire to do it all yourself, but without the flow bench, you really can't tell if your injectors are fully cleaned. You could always measure the flow into a container over a given time, but fuel vapors in enclosed areas make me nervous. I just pay the man and get them back a few hours later all nice, clean and flow balanced. This is one service I don't mind paying for.

sgull

My situation is that there is no local shop that is equipped with such flow bench testing equipment. I live in a small relatively isolated community in SE Alaska, where neither of the two auto repair shops can perform the thorough cleaning and flow testing as mentioned. That's why I was hoping there was actually a reliable, relatively uncomplicated DIY method for cleaning the injectors on this vehicle, but apparently that is not the case. thanks

Shmallow

I've heard a lot of good things about injector-rehab.com find yourself a spare set like basket_case mentioned and send them off.

sgull

Thanks Shmallow. That looks worth considering. For a cleaning and flow test it looks like the cost would be a total of $42. Plus of course the shipping charges.