It is a fact that “fuel efficiency is crucial for both automobile & the environment” and when you buy a new car after a period of time.
It might not accelerate as it used to, engine may start slagging a bit or you might face some problem regarding your car engine.
The reason behind this can be the debris or pollutants building up in your car’s fuel system/ or fuel injector.
A fuel system/ injector discharges fuel into car’s engine and it is a known fact that many of the gas/ or automobile fuel contain contaminants.
Also, after a while all these contaminants starts accumulating and the engine becomes clogged with all the valves, pistons, cylinder heads, carbon build-up & varnish.
This may lead to number of car problems, and the most common is increased fuel consumption.
Well, you can always visit a mechanic to deal with this but you can do it by yourself & save money.
Fuel System cleaners are probably the most useful & easiest engine additive that anyone can use without using any tool or a garage.
And, there are lot of products available in the market and it might get a little tricky in finding the right fuel system cleaner for your car.
If you are also, wondering about the same thing then don’t worry, because in this article we have collected all you are going to need to choose a perfect fuel system cleaner.
Features to Consider in Good Fuel System Cleaners
Before we start talking about what are the best options for you, let us talk about the features to look for in a good fuel system cleaner. We used following features to separate the good ones from the other.
Type of Vehicle: Always make sure to see whether a particular fuel system cleaner is a good fit for variety of vehicles and could be used with almost every model.
Type of Engine: Another important feature is to see if the product is good whether for gas engines or diesel engines or for both.
Improved Fuel Economy: Sole purpose of buying a fuel system cleaner is to help your system function more efficient & smoothly, thus make sure to check if the product really improves fuel economy or not.
Value for Money: By this we refer to how much of a fuel certain amount of cleaner is capable of treating.
10 Best Fuel System Cleaners to Buy
Now, let us take a look at the list of products you can choose from:
1. Hot Shot’s Secret P040464Z Diesel Extreme Clean and Boost
This one here is the most concentrated fuel system cleaner for a diesel engine in the market and what makes it stand out is its ability to target all the important parts of fuel system.
Including fuel injectors, valves, pistons, rings pumps, tank or lines the whole fuel injector with just one simple treatment.
Not just this, but Hot Shot’s Diesel Extreme promises to restore your engine’s power, performance, fuel economy and also improved combustibility as it contains a cetane booster.
The higher cetane helps improve fuel economy by 7.9% and it’s been verified by third party.
One more thing is that it just doesn’t clean your fuel system but also lubricates almost every part i.e., tank, lines, fuel pump, injector with corrosive inhibitors also.
The product is available in two variables a 16 oz or 1 qt bottle, each one of which lasts for around 6000 to 10, 000 miles.
You can use Hot Shot Diesel Extreme for motorbikes, boats, RVs, agricultural equipment and for small gas engines as well.
Lastly, it helps to remove water as well.
PROS: value for money, improves fuel economy, removes pollutants, contaminants and corrosion, provide coating & lubricates, deep cleaning
CONS: the only drawback is it can be little difficult to use because of the bottle pack.
2. Chevron 65740 Techron Concentrate Plus
one of the best sellers on Amazon, loaded with benefits and often recommended by car manufacturers.
It gets its name due to its high PEA content that helps in getting rid of unwanted, hard-to-remove contaminants & gunk accumulated on fuel system.
Another benefit is that deep clean each and every part of your fuel system including fuel injectors, carburetors, intake valves, combustion chambers, tank, lines.
The product is proven to show noticeable results with improved fuel economy, acceleration, efficiency, allows your automobile to move faster in cold weather as well.
This is an excellent product for those vehicles that has been standing for like ever, after using Chevron Fuel Cleaner your abandoned vehicle will not miss a step.
If works with lighter vehicles of all types, vehicles with carbureted or fuel injected engines and two-stroke motorcycles.
It goes for 3000 miles for cars & trucks or you can use it before oil change and for engines without counter use it as per needed, as recommended by the company itself.
All over the product is fine but it can be little over the line when comes to price. One bottle is able to treat around 20 gallons, which works fine with smaller vehicles but might be costly be for other vehicles.
PROS: improved fuel economy & efficiency, deep clean entire & old systems as well, combines well with cold starts,
CONS: can be a little pricey so, we would say poor value for money.
3. Lucas Oil 10512 Deep Clean
If your main concern is carbon build up then Lucas Deep Clean is just right for your car’s engine.
As its name suggests it targets & deep cleans injectors, intake ports, piston tops, cylinder heads, valves, combustion chamber & reduces nitrous oxide emissions as well.
It works slowly & steadily, removes all the debris, gunk caused by using cheap gasoline or ay fuel with low octane content.
Once you start using this product you will clearly see all benefits, there will be no smoke, smell or any noise coming from fuel system and smooth uninterrupted driving.
It is a good product at reasonable price, offering 16-ounce bottle to work with about 30 gallons of fuel.
PROS: works well with cheaper fuel, helps reduce NOx emissions, value for money product, targets & deep cleans numerous components.
CONS: Takes a little longer than expected to work, works better with gasoline engines only.
4. BG 44K Fuel System Cleaner
BG 44K Fuel System Cleaner removes all the accumulated gunk & debris that’s been ruining your internal fuel system.
It works extremely well in upper engine removing debris, eliminating issues & cleaning intake valves, ports, fuel injectors, combustion chambers thoroughly.
No doubt that works effectively for the rest of the engine as well.
The unique feature of BG 44K is that, it clean carbon & water out of your system, which is quite impressive if you use an ethanol-gasoline mix fuel for your car.
Another amazing feature about this fuel system cleaner is its speed, it begins to work as soon as you use it.
Which means all your engine problems such as power loss, stalling, noise, smoke, smell engine surge everything will be sorted out soon.
Last but not the least, BG 44K lubricates all essential parts of your engine system with help of conditioning components present which helps you get rid of corrosion issues and will improve your fuel economy as well.
Using BG 44K you will able to treat about 20 gallons of fuel with every 11 oz bottle.
PROS: removes every inch of gunk, improves fuel economy, works fast, lubricates & conditions, good value product
CONS: some might find packaging or bottle design a little less user-friendly.
5. Red Line (60103) Complete SI-1
This fuel cleaner is on the second number on Amazon’s best seller and the main reason behind this is their patented formula that makes this one stands out.
Most of the cleaners contains same chemicals but Red Line Complete SI-1 has high PEA content along with other detergents as well thanks to this it thoroughly cleans injectors, carbon build up.
All this means, that this product will not only deep clean your fuel system but will also lubricate it for efficient driving and will also help improve fuel economy.
To add more, it will improve you horse power and works great with cheap quality fuel too. You will be able to notice to increased stability, longer distance driving without having to refill tank again & again.
To talk about cost, it can get a little costly as it offers to treat approx. 20 liters for every 15 oz. So, we would say no to so great value for money.
PROS: improved fuel economy, horsepower and overall performance, reduced need for octane, works speedily, cleans out heavy & old deposits
CONS: doesn’t pass for value for money product.
6. Gumout 510014 Regane Complete
One of the many reasons that you should opt for this product is its ability to dislodge & remove toughest debris accumulated on your fuel system not only for now but for future references as well.
This means you will not have to use much amount again & again making it best value for money product.
Like all cleaners this one also targets all essential parts of fuel system including valves, ports, injectors, combustion chambers, piston tops and cylinder heads.
It contains conditioning agents as well which coats every region of your fuel system with lubricant which means less chances of corrosion and maintenance.
After using this product, you will be able to result real fast such as increased efficiency, less slagging of engine, improved horsepower & speed as well.
6 oz of Gumout 510014 Regane Complete can treat about 21 gallons of fuel at a time.
PROS: offers great value for money, improved horsepower & fuel economy, provides lubrication & conditioning, deep cleans & provide future protection.
CONS: can be a little difficult to use for some models because of bottle shape/ design.
7. Royal Purple Max-Clean Fuel System Cleaner & Stabilizer
To start with the obvious this product deep cleans your entire fuel system effectively, quickly & efficiently.
But, the unique feature of this product is that it not only clean but also works as a stabilizer for your fuel system.
Which means it will ensure you face no problem with driving your vehicle after its been idle for a while.
If you don’t like to spend too much on fuel and want to deal with outcomes then this is best choice for your vehicle.
You will be bale to see positive results of using this product with improved performance of your vehicle.
Plus, it is also proven to increase your horsepower by 2.6% and fuel efficiency by 3.2%.
As a result, you will be able to drive smoothly with increased power & speed without having to fill up your tank frequently.
On the down side, all the changes or improvements offered by this product might fade away.
A little sooner making you to use it more often to see continuous results and it offers to treat only 20 gallons for every 12oz bottle.
PROS: works as fuel stabilizer, deep cleans essential components, improve horsepower & fuel efficiency, goes well with cheap fuel
CONS: shows temporary performance improvements, not so good value for money product.
8. STP Ultra 5-in-1 Fuel System Cleaner and Stabilizer
The first thing you need to know about this product is that it ensures deep cleaning & removes all the dirt & gunk that has been depositing on the surface of your fuel system.
Second most amazing thing about this product is its versatility which means that works with most of the modern engines including hybrid, turbocharged, direct inject models and capless gas systems too.
As it offers deep cleaning, it is proven to improve your vehicle’s horsepower and enable to go a little faster.
On one hand its deep cleanses and on the other it helps increasing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency too.
It also provides lubrication and conditions each & every component & prevention against future build-up or corrosion in your fuel system.
Overall, by using this product your fuel system will be able to work smoothly, you will be able to travel farther without consuming much fuel.
It is a great value for money product; 12 oz treats 35 gallons of fuel.
PROS: perfect for modern engine vehicles, deeply cleanse essential components, Increased fuel efficiency, horsepower & acceleration, Lubrication & conditioning
CONS: might not go well with older engine models & extreme deposits
9. Berryman 2616 B-12 Chemtool Total
First of all, Berryman is a great product to clean extreme deposits of any kind whether its cheap fuel residue, carbon build up or emission debris, this one got it all covered.
And, with continuous use this helps to increase lifespan of your fuel injectors as well.It also helps you get rid of any moisture or water inside fuel system, by dispersing it and ensures your engine is working fine.
Because it removes old & hard deposits so you might have to wait for some or use it for more than one to see promising results, as it takes times.
Though it works a little slow but once you start using Berryman you will be able to notice improvements in your fuel system such as.
It will start better specially with cold starts, elimination of smoke or harmful gases, improved power & speed, better gas mileage, longer uninterrupted drives and improved fuel efficiency as well.
Downside of this product is that it might be little expensive i.e., it treats only 21 gallons of fuel with 15-ounce bottle.
PROS: Thorough cleaning, removes moisture & water, improved horsepower & speed, eliminates harmful emissions and better gas mileage
CONS: a little expensive and takes a bit longer to show positive results.
10. ACDelco Fuel System Treatment
This product might be last on our list but that doesn’t make it any less than others. This product is extremely effective, targeting all essential components of engine such as injectors, pistons, valves, combustion chambers etc.
It ensures that no deposit or gunk is left behind stuck on the surface of your fuel system.
ACDelco works amazingly well even with the older vehicles and thoroughly removes all long-standing deposits as a result fuel pass freely through your engine.
After using ACDelco you will be able to notice that your vehicle is able to start without interruption (even the idle ones) and increased power & speed.
To sum up, ACDelco will ensure you smooth & comfortable driving. However, it might be a little behind in terms increasing fuel economy.
Plus, the product is a bit on expensive side i.e., one ounce of this 12-ounce bottle treats only a gallon a fuel.
PROS: Thoroughly cleans internal system, Increased power & speed, prevention against future problems, works with idle vehicles
CONS: No use for fuel efficiency & a bit pricey
FAQs
1. How Does A Fuel Injector Cleaner Work?
Combustion chamber present in engine burns gasoline to generate energy that powers main engine.
In this process carbon-based are produced which deposits on the surface of engine and becomes hard to remove.
That is Fuel Injector Cleaner are used, they contain a chemical named Polyether Amine (PEA) designed to dissolve this carbon deposits form engine.
2. How Often Should a Fuel Injector Cleaner Be Used?
As recommended by the manufacturers, you can use it every 3000 miles, though most buyers tend to use it between 3-5k miles.
Anyway, if your engine is clean & free from issues you can use it 2-3 a year but if you are using a cleaner with low concentration e.g., Lucas Oil Product then it is advisable to use it more often.
However, do make sure to read instructions & labels given on product.
3. Fuel Injector Cleaner Vs. Octane Booster- What’s the Difference?
A Fuel Injector Cleaner is primarily designed to remove the carbon-residue build up on the surface of fuel injectors, so as to restore the maximum efficiency or power of engine.
On the other hand, an Octane Booster is specifically used to increase fuel efficiency; plus.
It contains anti knock additives which when added to any fuel, helps restricting onset of knocking (also known as pre ignition or detonation.
4. Can a Fuel System Cleaner Cause Problems?
Well a Fuel System Cleaner can also become problematic if used overly without noticing any visible signs pf vehicle stalling, poor acceleration, low fuel efficiency or high emissions levels.
What happens is that, when you overuse any cleaner, at some point its additives will start eating at various seals inside your fuel system.
Also, high concentration cleaner can cause the same problem as well. Often, people make the mistake of using “gasoline only” cleaner with a diesel engine, which is a big NO.
Conclusion
Fuel System or Fuel Injector Cleaners are basically designed to remove all the unwanted debris or carbon residue build up, that accumulates inside engine over a period of time.
If left untreated, this debris can cause many problems namely poor acceleration, using up too much fuel, harmful smoke & gases and so on.
A cleaner performs various functions that includes debris removal, improving power & speed and fuel efficiency, elimination of any harmful smoke or gases, noise pollution, lubrication etc.
This says that there are more & more reasons why you should use Fuel System Cleaner time to time.
There are several products in the market you can choose one form, but make sure to read all instructions given on the product, to make sure if its right for your vehicle or not.
