How to clean Digifant injectors.

[Briano1234]

For those of us with Digifant engines, it is nice to Clean injectors when the occasion arises, but with the injector it is electrical, so you need a way to energize them.



Take a Injector connector from the Junk yard next time you visit.



Extend the wires and attach them to a 9v DC battery, polarity don't matter.



Clip it to the injector, and you should hear it "pick".

Now you have a power source that can attach itself to the injector, so that you can "pick it" and spray your favorite cleaner through the "opened" injector.

[Thicketmatt]

I would like to make a setup like you have, but I haven't come across any digifant cabbies that I can pull a connector from. Are there certain years on other models (eg Golf, Jetta) that use the same connector?
Thanks, Matt

[Briano1234]

I would like to make a setup like you have, but I haven't come across any digifant cabbies that I can pull a connector from. Are there certain years on other models (eg Golf, Jetta) that use the same connector?
Thanks, Matt

Should be the same connector on a ford, these are pretty common... Just take a injector with you and match it up in the yard.

[kamzcab86]

I would like to make a setup like you have, but I haven't come across any digifant cabbies that I can pull a connector from. Are there certain years on other models (eg Golf, Jetta) that use the same connector?
Thanks, Matt

Vanagons (1986+), Mk2 Jettas/Golfs (1988+ give or take; don't recall the change-over year for them). CIS uses the same type of connector in a couple of places too, so there are numerous '80s VWs you can check as well.

You can also go to your local electrical store (Radio Shack, etc.) and buy a couple of female disconnects (or even alligator clips) and wire and accomplish the same thing.

Be sure to clean the ISV as well with your new connector.

[Thicketmatt]

Will a 9 volt battery be enough to activate the ISV for cleaning, or willI I need a little more voltage?

[Briano1234]

Will a 9 volt battery be enough to activate the ISV for cleaning, or willI I need a little more voltage?

The ISV is one of them things that you clean it on the car, if you look at the Bentley it is very pricey, and fragile.
Spraying MAF cleaner through it and shaking it about a bit has always worked for me.

From the Bentley unpluging it when running can blow it up, or the ecu.... so best to leave the voltage off of it while you are cleaning it.

[kamzcab86]

Will a 9 volt battery be enough to activate the ISV for cleaning, or willI I need a little more voltage?

From the Bentley unpluging it when running can blow it up, or the ecu.... so best to leave the voltage off of it while you are cleaning it.

A Vanagon (which uses the same ISV) expert advises to remove it from the engine and apply 12v to it to open the valve in order to clean it thoroughly:

That's how you do it, spray it in from both ends. Let it soak in there, then blow it out. You can also easily work the valve when off the car by just jumping its two pins to a 12V battery, polarity doesn't matter. It is a simple solenoid, apply power to hold the valve open as long as you want, and you can shoot cleaner thru it while held open. Work it a bunch of times and spray and blow it out, eventually it will free up. If it doesn't open and close with a smart snap, but a thud instead, then it's still dirty. They catch a load of oily crap from the crankcase breather system. Your symptoms sound like the solenoid still works, so it seems pretty sure you'll get it to work better just by cleaning.

A maintenance cleaning every few years wouldn't be a bad idea to keep it working smoothly.

Lots of folks have done it without ill-effects.