How long do fuel injectors last?

[Traz]

I have 213k miles on my 2004 LeSabre Limited. Should I worry about changing the fuel injectors? I'm sure they are original. Are they a maintenance item?

 

[02LTD2.0]

No, they are not.

 

[Traz]

No, they are not.

Everything is working great right now. The engine is happy. But I'm planning on taking a long trip and sometimes I get worried about what could go wrong. I do change the fuel filter and use fuel injector cleaner every 30k or so. I suppose when fuel injectors fail they usually fail gradually, so I would likely get some warning. (?)

 

[HotZ28]

You may want to use injector cleaner more often & use;

Techron® Complete Fuel System Cleaner | Chevron Lubricants (US)

www.chevronlubricants.com

 

[ulycyc]

I wouldn't be concerned with the injectors on a long trip. They would actually clean up better with the additives mentioned above on a long drive. With your mileage the transmission and fuel pump if original may be a problem.

 

[RD_Atlanta]

I myself have wondered the same question. I'm thinking of purchasing one of the fuel injector flow/pattern testers such as Link
I'm not sure how much they degrade with miles & time.

 

[02LTD2.0]

If you're feeding the car good quality gasoline and getting good gas mileage your injectors are probably ok.

 

[Traz]

It's getting great gas mileage and the engine has lots of power. I'm getting ready to put in a new OEM ACDelco gas pump (assembly). I've got a new fuel filter waiting too.

Trouble is, the teeth on the gas tank are almost completely gone (with rust). The rust of the retainer ring and teeth are what's holding it together. Unfortunately I cannot find a brand new gas tank, so I bought a used one (in fair to good condition) on ebay. That was about $400. I'm in Michigan, so chances are, the ones in the junk yard are probably even worse than what I'm replacing. The nice thing about it is, I can start out with a nice clean tank.

We always try to stay away from "sketchy" gas stations. When we are traveling and looking for gas we are often saying: "does this place look sketchy?" We try to stop at reputable places that sell big volume. If I see fuel trucks are delivering I move on.

Thank you HotZ28 for the recommendation! I'm going to start using the Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner from now on.

 

[02LTD2.0]

I stay away from "no-name" gas stations. I got a bad tank of gas about 25 to 30 years ago and have sworn by top tier gas stations ever since. I have been using Mobil, Shell and BP and haven't gotten a bad tank of gas in a very long time.

 

[silverbullet04]

I replaced my originals when I put my new motor in. I only replaced them because I wanted to start fresh with the new motor.

 

[Buick City Bert]

The fuel tank in these cars is what they put down first, and then build the car around it! The rear subframe has to come down to replace it.
There is a repair kit for the rusted ring marketed on E-Bay and purported to be made by a company in Michigan! I would try this first before trying to take the tank down.

GM PLASTIC GAS TANK LOCK RING REPAIR #TR14-R & #TR19-R | eBay

MANY OTHER GM VEHICLES THAT USE A TR14 OR TR19 LOCK RING TO HOLD THE. FITS: ANY VEHICLE THAT USES A TR14 OR TR19 LOCK RING. WITH A PLASTIC TANK. FITS ALL VEHICLES LISTED BELOW PLUS. GM PLASTIC GAS TANK LOCK RING REPAIR #TR14-R & #TR19-R (# 283063661736 ).

www.ebay.com

 

[RD_Atlanta]

I tried one of those after market rings and it worked well for me.

 

[ulycyc]

I also used the repair ring mentioned above a few years ago. Working great. Just make sure you have no vacuum leaks. If so you will get evac codes. I formed a wide bead of JB gas tank weld epoxy around the plate before installing.

 

[Traz]

Wow! I wish I had posted this before I puchased the gas tank. Good information. I'm going to give the ring repair kit a try!