At 10:38 PM 6/11/2010, T-rev Reynolds wrote:
>I recently had a "VW Mechanic" tell me that when he listened to my
>engine he didn't hear the familiar "whine" of the injectors doing
>their thing;

Listen yourself with a mechanic's stethoscope (Lisle make a good one)
or a long screwdriver stuck to your ear.  At idle you should clearly
hear the "tick" as the valve operates.

>   He suggested that I have a injector flush to maximize
>fuel economy.   Do any of the Mechanics on this Vanagon List have an
>opinion on whether a full injector flush/clean is recommended or
>would a simple fuel additive suffice for preventative maintenance for
>the injectors?

Some years ago it was the received wisdom on the list that a bottle
of Techron every so often was a Good Action.  Haven't heard much
about it lately -- I suspect that it's because the fuel companies
have finally gotten it together and everyone's gas now has enough of
the right detergents in it to avoid injector fouling.  But Techron is
still around, and I think it's pretty good stuff.  Certainly won't
hurt (except paying for it) to use a bottle and see what happens.

That's as far as my knowledge goes.  But your mechanic's tale sounds
just a tad fishy to me.

Yours,
David