Back to all

Restore Your Get-Up-and-Go (Fuel and Air Induction Cleaning)

March 19, 2023

You may have heard the old saying, "My get-up-and-go got up and went." If your vehicle's engine's fuel economy is noticeably worse, your engine is idling roughly or stalling or your vehicle's acceleration isn't what it used to be, ask your service advisor if you might need your vehicle's fuel and air induction systems cleaned.

As the hours pile up on your engine, carbon deposits can build up.  It's not unusual for some of the impurities and additives in fuel to leave behind a black residue that eventually will negatively affect your fuel economy and performance. Maybe you're noticing your engine is harder to start, you hear knocking or pinging in your engine and your vehicle just doesn't have the pep it used to.

While it's a sophisticated process with a lot of components, a gasoline engine essentially produces power by drawing in air from the outside and mixing it with fuel in the cylinders where this blend of fuel and air is ignited by spark plugs in synchronized explosions.

The fuel and air enter your engine through the fuel induction system and air induction system. Because of things like high operating temperatures and impurities, carbon in the fuel can leave behind dark, sooty deposits in the fuel induction system such as the fuel injectors and the throttle body. These and other residue reduce your engine's efficiency and performance. Our service center can use special fuel injector cleaners to remove those deposits from your engine.

The technician may manually clean some of the deposits and also put a fuel additive in the fuel tank that will get rid of other deposits that are still in the fuel system

Keeping the air induction system clean is also important.  A technician can use a liquid cleaner specially designed for the job. Not only can this improve your fuel economy, it may also reduce exhaust emissions and help your engine last longer.

Most gasoline now contains detergents that help reduce or prevent these problems, but direct injection is now being used in more vehicles that are more susceptible to clogging. Ask your service advisor if your vehicle could benefit from fuel and air induction cleaning. 

Sterling Tire & Auto
34701 Van Dyke Rd
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312
586-264-7775

Need Service?

Request a Quote

More articles from Sterling Tire & Auto

Catching Trouble Early

August 30, 2026

Your vehicle depends on wheel bearings. Sitting between the wheels hub and axle, they allow your wheels to spin smoothly, bear the vehicles weight and work in harmony to stay aligned with other parts. Wheel bearings can fail in several ways, and they may send the driver some pretty clear clues... More

The Car Fluid Most Drivers Forget—And Why It Matters

August 23, 2026

Heres an automotive part you might not be familiar withthe differential. Its a component that transfers power from the driveshaft to the wheels. Its called a differential because the left and right drive wheels travel at different speeds when you make a turn. During that turn, the wheel on the ... More

Save Your Tires and Fuel: Why TPMS Is More Than a Warning Lightc

August 16, 2026

You know that little light on your dashboard that looks like a tire? Dont ignore it. Its a lot more than a warning light. Its trying to tell you something that can protect your tires, improve your fuel economy and keep your vehicle traveling safely down the road. Its called TPMS. The abbreviati... More