Do fuel injector cleaners work? This is one of the most common questions that automobile users want to get an answer to. Well, to answer the question, I’ll say yes, fuel injector cleaners actually work. I’m sure you know that there are different fuel injector cleaner products out there.
Some of the products focus more on cleaning. On the other hand, some products focus more on improving the performance of the system. However, the main benefits of all these products are to help you prevent carbon deposits from affecting the entire fuel system, including the fuel injector nozzles and combustion chamber.
Furthermore, fuel injector cleaners are also effective for lubricating the fuel system, improving emissions values, enhancing cold starting, and eliminating engine knocking and pinging. With all that has been said so far about fuel injector cleaners, does it mean there are no drawbacks to using them?
As with every product, fuel injector cleaners can cause several different problems to your engines. For instance, choosing the wrong product can cause the fuel system to clog. Apart from that, some of the products can damage the fuel injectors and emissions components, like the oxygen sensors.
Is the use of fuel injector cleaner worth it? Can fuel injector cleaners damage the entire fuel system? What exactly is a fuel injector cleaner and what does it offer? You’ll find answers to these questions and more as you read further through the rest of this post.
Do You Need to Change Oil After Using a Fuel Injector Cleaner?
What Are Fuel Injector Cleaners and What Do They Offer?
Fuel injector cleaners are additives manufactured to eliminate the excess build-up of impurities that are present in the fuel system. As earlier stated, these products come in different types; some of them only focus on helping to maintain the fuel system, providing them with a better performance. Some other products mostly focus on cleaning the system and getting rid of dirt.
How does the fuel injector work?
Before proceeding to outline the benefits of fuel injector cleaners, let me start by talking about how fuel injectors work.
For those who don’t know, a fuel injector is one of the essential components of the engine. It primarily functions by helping to introduce fuel to the combustion chamber – this is the point where the fuel mixes with air to create the much-needed power for the vehicle.
Furthermore, the fuel injector works by receiving fuel from the fuel pump (at high pressure) through a small nozzle. As soon as it receives the fuel, it atomizes it into very small particles. The purpose of that is to make sure the fuel mixes well and quickly with air inside the combustion chamber.
I’m sure you know that the fuel (gasoline and diesel) that we put into our vehicles are not clean. Some of them contain small particles, while others have water and other octane-boosting ingredients. Furthermore, the injector is a delicate part that packs very small canals. Apart from that, it’s always working under high pressure from the fuel pump.
That said, you need to understand that the more the fuel injector works, the more it gets exposed to carbon build-ups. With traces of water in the fuel, the fuel injector can become rusty over time. Moreover, the presence of octane-boosting ingredients can also introduce various issues to the engine, such as reduced power and high fuel consumption.
To avoid all the issues listed above, here’s where the need to clean your engine with suitable fuel injector cleaners comes into play.
Do You Put Fuel Injector Cleaner In Before or After Gas?
Here are some of the benefits of fuel injector cleaners
Now, we’re back to where we started from – the importance of using fuel injector cleaners. As earlier mentioned, these additive products offer tons of benefits. You can check below to see some of them:
- Power loss
As previously stated, power loss is one of the signs that your fuel injector is faulty. And of course, this issue surfaces, to a large extent, due to the effect of octane-boosting ethanol and other ingredients. Also, the issue can be a result of the fuel injector clogging up.
- Misfiring Engine
Misfiring engines is a type of issue that surfaces as a result of a bad fuel injector. Most times, it occurs because the injector valves aren’t closing or opening properly. Here’s another point where the injector cleaners come into play.
With the help of the right fuel injector cleaner, you can always solve the issue of the “misfiring engine.” Doing that will help you improve the mileage performance of the engine.
- Smoke emission
Smoke emission is another issue that arises as a result of poor fuel quality. Over time, the accumulation of smoke can cause the fuel injectors to clog. To avoid that, you need to apply the right injector cleaner to help break the carbon deposit and keep your engine working fine.
With the best fuel injector cleaner, such as Chevron Techron Concentrate Plus Fuel System Cleaner, you’ll be able to clean your injector and improve the power of the engine.
How to Avoid Fuel Injection Cleaner Issues
- Use fuel injection cleaner on your last gas tank before an oil change (why you should change oil after using fuel injection cleaner)
- Don’t use too much fuel injection cleaner (recommended use is ever 3,000 miles)
- Make sure the product you are using is safe for your fuel injectors
Red Line 60103 Complete SI-1 Fuel System Cleaner is safe for any fuel injector type.
Pro Tip: Always be sure to buy gasoline from “Top Tier” branded stations. The gasoline at these stations has extra added detergents to help keep fuel burning cleaner inside and out of your engine.
Can Fuel Injector Cleaner Cause Problems?
So far, we’ve seen some of the benefits of fuel injector cleaners. Now, let’s go back to the burning question of this post – can fuel injector cleaners cause problems to the fuel system?
The answer to the question is yes, but not in most cases. Let’s face it; it’s not recommended to use these addictive chemicals in all cases. For instance, in the case where you have a vehicle with a fuel system that sat up for a long time with fuel in it, it’s not a good idea to use fuel injector cleaners. Doing that will, no doubt, cause serious problems to the fuel system.
Furthermore, some older fuel systems are designed with metal fuel tanks. For this type of system, you’ll need to be extra careful when choosing the right injector cleaner – if not, you might end up damaging the entire fuel system.
Knowing how to choose the best fuel injector cleaner is important. Apart from that, you need to also understand when it is best to apply these addictive chemicals. That said, I’ll advise you to contact your manufacturer for recommendations regarding the use of injector cleaners.
