# Fuel Induction Service



## aupieddecochon (May 10, 2003)

I searched the forum for this topic, in title and post text, with no result.
The dealer called to advise that the rough start of my vehicle indicated the need for a fuel induction service, at a cost of $440. 
Has anyone had this done? I am a little shocked that this is necessary with only 45,000 miles and the fact that I am a fanatic about using only premium gasoline with 'cleaners.' 
I supposed that the cleaners would help avoid the carbon build up and that only a vehicle that had been driven mostly in the city would show signs of carbon build up. Do I need to take my Phaeton to a car run, so to speak, and dash it around the track for a few laps at 120 mph every so often?


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## car_guy (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*

Can you be very specific as to the symptoms (what is a rough start?) that you are experiencing? As many details as possible would help. Under what conditions are you seeing the problem, cold starts, warm starts, etc?
What exactly does the dealer do for a 'fuel induction service'?
BTW, all gasolines have detergents. But for the best ones, google "top tier gasoline".
Steven


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## Reflect (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (car_guy)*

Steven,
I did this and found many websites, but I check the first one and I found out around here in Worcester MA there's only SHELL that has the top tier.
I'm glad to know that since I always put SHELL unless im stuck with low gas in a area I dont know. I love the premium shell with the V-power since all my cars,newer VW's need this premium only stuff.


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## aupieddecochon (May 10, 2003)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*

I use Shell almost exclusively since I have a Shell mastercard and that gives me a 5% rebate on every gasoline purchase. So I would say probably 98% of all gasoline consumed in the car has been shell premium.
To answer car_guy's other questions: I don't have many answers. That's why I posted. Yes, the vehicle runs rough at a cold start, but then begins to purr after a few minutes.
When the service writer called to say I needed a fuel induction service, he said the car was running rough and asked if I had noticed anything. I said no except for the cold start and he said that is exactly what is wrong. That the car should start smooth and purr every time. He only explained that a fuel induction service is some kind of cleaning of the engine valves or pistons to eliminate build up. That's all I know. I said yes, to go ahead, because I love the purr of the car. 


_Modified by aupieddecochon at 9:50 PM 12-28-2008_


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## aupieddecochon (May 10, 2003)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*

Just found this link.







It's a long vid and reminds me of the canned voice over of my car driving school classes in high school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...edded
Hope the link works. With a long string, you may have to cut and paste into your url.


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## remrem (Jan 20, 2008)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*

Have you had the 40,000 mile service performed, at which time the spark plugs were replaced? (all covered by VW under the maintenance plan)


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## aupieddecochon (May 10, 2003)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (remrem)*

yeah, I had the 40,000 service done in July 2007. hmmmm, did I just get suckered?


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## remrem (Jan 20, 2008)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*

I doubt that you got suckered, at least not intentionally. I'm sure some of the more knowledgable and technical forum members will be chiming in soon with more valuable input.
I just asked, because I guessed that worn out spark plugs could exhibit similar symptoms. Something else that crosses my mind is that last summer, I had a few episodes where my car would stall while waiting at a stop light. The service department couldn't replicate the problem, so they too suggested servicing the fuel system. I held off on that service, hoping either it would go away or else appear at a time where my Phaeton tech could witness it. Well, it went away and in retrospect I think the likely culprit was merely a batch of bad fuel. 
Anyway, this may in no way relate to what you are experiencing, but I thought I'd mention it in case it might be of benefit. Best of luck. 


_Modified by remrem at 7:55 PM 12-28-2008_


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## mhoepfin (Dec 20, 2007)

W12... hmm.... could this possibly be ethanol related?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mhoepfin* »_W12... hmm.... could this possibly be ethanol related?

Not likely in California.

_Quote, originally posted by *aupieddecochon* »_The dealer called to advise that the rough start of my vehicle indicated the need for a fuel induction service, at a cost of $440. 

Sounds to me like one of those things that dealers (who are independent businesses) try to sell, along with oil changes every 5,000 miles and nitrogen in the tires, in order to increase their top line revenue.
My personal opinion (and I stress, this is a personal opinion) is that you need a 'fuel induction service' like a fish needs a bicycle. I mean, for Pete's sake, the fuel either goes into the cylinder and explodes like it is supposed to, or it doesn't. If it doesn't, you will get trigger a misfire warning, and that will write a very specific fault code indicating which cylinder has a problem.
Ask your dealer to show you the diagnostic printout that details exactly what fault codes have been reported. By the way, when does it 'start rough'? All the time, or only when the engine is hot?
Michael


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## car_guy (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (PanEuropean)*

PanEuropean, I agree completely with you. At 45k miles, this is likely to be one of those ADP (addition dealer profit) items like undercoating and fabric sealer that they like to tack onto new car invoices. 
Aupieddechchon, I wasn't looking for you to diagnose what was causing the problem, just to give as many details as to the symptoms themselves. One detail may point us in the right direction.
What evidence other than this one symptom does the dealer have that carbon buildup is causing the problem? What is their explanation for the symptom going away when the engine warms up?
BTW, have you looked at the engine air filters and snow screens to see if they are clogged? It's an easy first step.
Steven


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (aupieddecochon)*

Brian,
At first, I thought $440 was a little steep for a fuel induction service. Then I remembered you have a W12, so the process has to be done twice (once for each intake/bank).
As far as induction service/injection cleaning goes, there is some indicaton for having it performed under certain circumstances. If you are using Top Tier gasoline, then the frequency with which you will want to have it done will decrease. 
What happens is this: under certain operating conditions and with gasoline which has inferior cleaning properties, carbon and deposits will build up on the valves (there may also be varnish built up on the intakes as well). The vehicle will meter out what it believes to be the correct amount of fuel. However, initially, the carbon will absorb some of the fuel and/or cause a deviation in the path of airflow over the valves and into the cylinder, potentially causing a poor "burn". (Michael, it's about the same effect as ice on wings with respect to the disruption of airflow and/or undesirable turbulance induced.)
http://www.TopTierGas.com lists the fuel stations which carry highest concentration of detergents across their full line, so using premium in a W12 is not necessary to get the full benefit of the detergents in the brands listed.
Have I had a FIS performed on my vehicle? Yes. Was there an idling issue? Not really. Did it improve the performance? I believe so. Was this a placebo effect? Perhaps.
Finally, while I would never condone wanton recklessness, there is some validity to the so-called "Italian Tune-Up".


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## B5Speedo (May 2, 2001)

*Re: Fuel Induction Service (PanEuropean)*

While it sounds important it's really something like what a snake oil saleman would recommend. 
http://www.10mostwantedcarkill....html
http://www.gminsidenews.com/fo...0063/
Many people with VWs have had success treating their engines with Seafoam. 
Just using good gas makes the most sense.


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