Not that there's anything wrong with my car, but about how long do our fuel injectors last before wearing out?
My car is a stock 1992 LT1, has just over 100k on it, runs good, decent mileage.
Is this something owners replace at a particular interval?
I prefer not to just run something until it breaks ...

 

Get some Chevron Techron Fuel Injection cleaner and add it to the gas tank when you fill up. Best to add the cleaner to a nearly-empty tank and then fill up with gas. Do this a couple times and you shouldn't see any injection problems. I would suggest that you replace the fuel filter as a maintenance item. Not really hard to do and the filter is not expensive.

 

If you have Multec Injectors, adding any of the snake oils in might do more harm than good. They are fuel cooled and IIRC, there was a TSB about additives that might eat at the windings of the coil. I do see some deposits when I send it out for cleaning every 3 or even 4 years. I didn't have the cleaner but a nearby tech college does have the injector tester which shows you the spray pattern and volume for a given time. I did verify that FIC did test it since they got the "Before and After" as did I. Their numbers were a good match for what I got before AND after so I know what I am sending in and I know if they did the work or not. Tested them a few times so will assume they do the job.

While doing it during the deep winter, it is a nice time to clean the TB and IAC and other crap.

 

Check the resistance on them, I bet you have at least a couple that read low.

 

If you have Multecs, I would not even waste your time. Change it so you don't have to worry about getting non ethanol fuel

 

How do I identify them? Are they marked or labeled?
I haven't really been intimate with the engine since I bought it in April other than a casual clean up.

 

 

Injectors replaced at a regular interval? No. I do agree with aklim, if you have Multecs, get them out of there.

Items to replace at a regular interval that can affect performance? Your oxygen sensor!. Every 10 years.

If you are running the original O2 sensor it would be wise to replace it. Why? They do become less efficient with age, and if that sensor that tells the ECM the incorrect amount of oxygen in your exhaust it can result in the ECM sending sending too much or too little fuel to the engine. Will it leave you stranded? No. Can it affect your gas mileage? You bet...it can and it does!

That is the one sensor that can cost you $$$ without you even knowing it. They're cheap and easy to change. As a rule of thumb, for maximum fuel efficiency they should be replaced every 10 years

 

I do have mine cleaned and tested. My target is 3 years but you know how that goes. I have noticed some build up based on the before vs after flow numbers. I had one that was very bad because the filter collapsed thst was noticed on the bench. The only reason I would replace them is that the testing and cleaning is about the same price as a reman set.

O2 sensors I dump in 5 years or 100k.

 

If I had any good quality fuel Injector in my Car that had lasted over 100,000 miles then I would probably remove them and have them checked out and cleaned professionally. Injectors do require maintenance, some people might disagree but I try to encourage people to follow through and service their injection system occasionally.

O2 sensors are clearly one of the wear items no body wants to "have to do". They have an incredible effect on the vehicles performance but so do the injectors. Radiator Caps cause a lot of breakdowns by not allowing engines to operate at above 212* without boiling over. Fuel injectors can fail pouring raw fuel into your intake which waters down your engine oil. Or they can fail by not delivering any fuel at all.

An O2 sensor can't be cleaned effectively so we replace them. A fuel injector is at the mercy of the fuel filter and subject to a lot of questionable fluids mixed in with the fuels. I use B&G 44K fuel injection cleaner every few thousand miles to keep the system clean. The difference is in a smoother idle and noticeable performance improvements to me. The spray pattern of a fuel injector can be restored by the cleaning agents used in B&G 44K. I have not compared it to other brands of fuel cleaners because the job that the B&G does for me is great. In my past I tried other brands but none had the effect of the B&G 44K does.

I also change the fuel filter annually.

Best regards,
Chris

 

100k on the injectors for most cars works for me because I drive them all day long. OTOH, if you don't drive the C4 during the winter or for a while, it could be that the fuel sits and varnish forms. This is my theory based on my daily drivers that get fuel flushed through the injection system regularly getting, percentage wise, a little bit more build up as evidenced by the flow bench. This is with zero additives or snake oils. My DD at 100k vs the C4 that sits more and Jetskis and ATVs