Hi all,
Do the little bottles of fuel injector cleaner that you dump into your gas tank really work? Are using them, say every six months, proper preventative maintenance or a waste of money?
Thanks,
-sweep
In my experience, Techron is the best brand out there, and yes, it works. In some cases, it will solve minor drivability problems. I recommend using it about every 4 months for preventive maintenance.
While I tend to think of most fuel additives as legless reptile lubricants (AKA snake oil), if a problem seems fuel system-related, then dumping in a bottle of this stuff is the cheapest and most expedient solution to try first.
Keep in mind that most major brands of gasoline (particularly the higher grades) already contain plenty of detergents and solvents to keep fuel system clean.
As far as preventative maintenance goes, you should absolutely make sure fuel filter is changed according to service interval. Grit that clogs fuel injectors usually cannot be dissolved using anything in a bottle. Using fuel injector cleaner probably won’t hurt anything, though, so if it makes you feel better go ahead and use it.
I have driven fuel injected cars and trucks for 20 years and have never used it, nor felt the need to use it.
FWIW I know of one car maker that recomonded Techron by name as good preventive maintence.
How do you know if your car’s fuel injectors are dirty? Does it cause any symptoms in particular?
This stuff does some good, even if only a bit. I had a company vehicle that was running sluggish and such. Everytime I dumped a bottle of cleaner in the tank it ran better. Then our mechanic told me the fuel filter was completely clogged and the only reason the vehicle didn’t stall completely was because the fuel injector cleaners I was pouring in was cleaning away some of the gunk that was clogging the filter.
[insane petpeeve]
First I’d like to state that higher grade fuels do not contain more detergents than say 89 octane compared to 92 octane. That is a myth. The difference between the two, is, um… the octane rating. What you should use depends on your engine Compression Ratio, not cleanliness.
[/insane petpeeve]
The only time injector cleaner is really ever worth your while is if you vehicle has been sitting for more than 30 days. This is when fuel begins to degrade, gets corrosive and gummy. This is the only time it is effective. Otherwise the gas you put in your car on a weekly basis is enough to keep your fuel system clean. Gasoline is pretty much a cleaner in itself. It’s filtered at the plant, filtered at the gas truck, filtered at the pump, and filtered in your fuel system. It’s clean enough. Now using an additive such as liquid heat, now that’s beneficial.
sweepkick, yes they do work, assuming that you have fuel injectors & not a carb.
Very timely post. I’ve been having problems with injectors and wondered about the subject. I’ll try the cleaner out and check into my fuel filter, also.
Thanks,
Bob
Well, considering they are cleaning the nozzles, I suppose they would work to a degree on carborated cars. You’d be better off with a can of carb cleaner, it’s cheap and it works well.
The injector cleaners do work, it’s as simple as a chemical reaction. Back in the old days we had tiny little files that we’d shove into the nozzles on carboraters. It looked like a jacknife, with a bunch of different sizes. I would have loved to break the gunk up with a fluid before attacking it with my file. Some of it it pretty darn hardened. The cleaner breaks down carbon pretty darn quickly.
uppercut, most fuel additives/cleaners are marketed for both types of systems.
You’re painting with way too broad a brush here. I’ve seen plenty of vehicles that have not sat for longer than a weekend (if that) that have shown noticeable improvement with Techron.
Gasoline does clean grease and oil, but it doesn’t clean the deposits that result from some components of it getting baked onto injector pintles and the backs of exhaust valves. This is the “dirt” that injector cleaner is designed to help remove. Filtering of the gas has nothing at all to do with what we’re talking about–the problem isn’t dirt in the fuel, it’s deposits derived from the fuel itself.
Heet and other methanol products are effective cleaners. They’re also effective destroyers of components in the fuel injection system. Methanol can corrode metals and erode plastics. It’s not wise to use it any more than necessary. The only time I would use it is when there’s good reason to suspect an ice blockage in the the fuel delivery system.