Ultrasonic Cleaning System Meets VW’s Fuel Injector Cleaning Specs
Rachel Kohn, Ph.D., Tovatech LLC, Plano, TX
Benchtop units teamed with a water-based cleaning formula and a special mounting plate design are adopted by VW Group America, VW Group Canada.
Volkswagen Group America and Canada dealers wanted to adopt the Elmasonic S30H ultrasonic cleaning system used in Europe for fuel injector maintenance. Cleaning in the Elmasonic S30H ultrasonic bath removes carbon deposits on the injector elements. By maintaining clean elements, replacement of these elements becomes necessary only in rare circumstances. Because the S30H model was discontinued, I was contacted to suggest an alternative for the North American automotive dealers.
I recommended the Elmasonic EP30H. This model has the same tank dimensions as the discontinued model, enabling it to accommodate Volkswagen’s specially designed fuel injector mounting plate. The mounting plate enables the injector modules to be suspended in a specific position in the cleaning tank. I guaranteed that the EP30H would meet VW’s specifications and provide additional cleaning performance benefits over the S30H system.
Elmasonic EP30H Features Supporting Fuel Injector Cleaning
Backed by a two-year warranty, the Elmasonic E Plus series ultrasonic cleaners operate at the 37 kHz ultrasonic frequency popular across a broad range of applications. I called attention to the units’ features enhancing the performance and efficiency when cleaning automotive fuel injectors. Included is an automatic Sweep mode that assures uniform cleaning throughout the bath. Additionally, the EP30H has a Dynamic mode with added power for challenging cleaning jobs.
The cleaning process is carried out with a neutral cleaning agent, Elma lab clean N10, diluted with water. Elma KS rust inhibitor is added to the cleaning bath. The laboratory tested process specifies that the EP30H tank should be filled with 1745 mL water, 355 mL Elma lab clean N10, and 60 mL Elma KS.
Service personnel set cleaning cycles from 1 to 30 minutes, depending on the condition of parts being cleaned. If service bays are particularly busy EP30H units can run continuously with auto shut-off at 6 hours.
Benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning Fuel Injectors
I strongly recommend ultrasonic cleaners to automotive service bay managers and small-engine repair shops for fast, thorough, safe removal of greasy, tenacious contaminants from engine and drive-train components. One of the most popular uses for ultrasonic cleaners is maintenance of carburetors.
The cleaning process is called cavitation – the implosion of millions of microscopic vacuum bubbles in an ultrasonic cleaning solution. These vacuum bubbles implode, (not explode) on contact with contaminants on parts, blasting them loose and leaving a clean surface.
In Conclusion
Volkswagen Group dealers as well as North American Audi and Porsche dealers are using the EP30H to clean fuel injectors with highly satisfactory cleaning results. Parts reach the necessary degree of cleanliness in a short time with no manual finishing or touching up and no damage to the parts being cleaned.