Fuel injector cleaning - necessary or beneficial ??

[Jeff Clode]

2020 Subaru Forester with 40 k miles. Runs fine, gas mileage hasn’t dropped. At routine interval service it was suggested I “might consider” a shop performed preventative fuel injector cleaning. From what I read, opinions vary from “this might be a good practice” to “it might be akin to changing the air in the tires every 12 months”:). Does anyone have any strong opinions (or any data)?
Thanks in advance
Jeff

[George Yetka]

Id say no, Id watch fuel economy and if you see it dip then look into that.

[Edward Weber]

If you buy good fuel and the car runs fine, as you say, you can probably wait until 60k or so.
If you put in cheap fuel and your car doesn't run like new, then it might be worth it.
The better the spray from the injector, the better the fuel burns, this results in more power and efficiency you get from your fuel. Nothing wrong with getting them cleaned earlier than scheduled, it won't hurt anything.
Just my opinion not knowing anything else about the vehicle.
Every manufacturer has a recommended schedule, I'd stick with it.
Subaru is every 30k, I think

[Ron Citerone]

My 2007 Toyota Sienna, 218K miles runs great. Never did injector cleaner. Maybe not the recommended procedure just throwing that out there.

[Jim Koepke]

Dr. Google is your friend:


CARS.COM — Cleaning fuel injectors is a service frequently recommended by dealers and repair shops. But unless there are noticeable signs of clogged fuel injectors (such as a rough idle, stalling, poor acceleration or high emissions levels), it might not be necessary. One tipoff is that fuel injector cleaning is not typically listed on automakers’ routine maintenance schedules.

Read at cars.com (https://www.cars.com/articles/do-fuel-injectors-need-periodic-cleaning-1420680479051/#)

There are also cleaners available at automotive supply stores. Ask Dr. Google about > fuel injector cleaners < and one of the links will likely be on Forbes evaluation of which are the best. Hint they chose Red Line SI-1 Complete Fuel System Cleaner as the best choice. Available from Amazon.

Sounds like a way for a shop to run some cleaner through your system to earn a bit more on the on the routine service.

jtk

[Bill Dufour]

To clean better then you can do they have to pull every injector and run pure cleaner through them while cycling them open. A gas engine will not run on pure cleaner. I have never cleaned the injectors. Change the fuel and air filter instead. Add some alcohol to the gas to clean out any water.
In my state they add alcohol to the pump gas already. How about the OP's country?
Bill D.
USA

[Bob Turkovich]

I'll cut and paste this from my response in a previous thread on this about two years ago...

In my 35 plus years working for an automotive OEM (retired in 2008), I neither experienced nor heard of an OEM approving any specific after market product for their vehicles. This included the period from 2000 - 2008 to where my department had responsibility for (among other components) fuel injector systems, air/exhaust control valves, etc.. These particular components are not designed by the OEM's but rather by the major component suppliers (such as Bosch, Siemens, Continental, Delphi, etc.) under the concept of "black box designs". The OEM provides the performance requirements of the parts and specific mating parameters (e.g., injector o-ring to manifold material) but leave the component internals and expertise up to the supplier (e.g., internal injector o-ring design and material) allowing the supplier to develop their advantage over their competition (e.g., pricing and performance). The OEM and chosen supplier then jointly coordinate the verification program to prove out the design.

The OEM's and suppliers do not have manpower and capital to test every after-market additive. In addition, the after-market additive suppliers do not have the facilities/capability to endurance test every vehicle/application that they are selling to.


My last discussion with any of the experts on this would have been in 2013. At that time, Bosch, Siemens and Continental recommended adding Chevron Techron to the tank for periodic injector cleaning.

[Bruce Page]

I have never experienced any fuel injector issues. That said, I use injector cleaner about once a year in all my vehicles.

[Edward Weber]

Different fuels use different levels and formulations of detergents. These can cause deposits that clog injectors.
If a "reputable" garage, like a dealer, offers and injector cleaning, they are typically removed from the car and cleaned by ultrasound and cleaning solution and spray pattern is checked.

Running off the shelf FI cleaners in the fuel tank can help but are no substitute for an out of engine cleaning.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

We bought an '86 4-Runner with 19,000 miles on it. The engine was a 22RE engine with automatic transmission. Every 20 months or so, it would begin missing whenever you stopped at a stop sign. I 'd have the injectors cleaned and it would quit missing. At the time it was costing me over $200 to have them cleaned. My daughter and her now ex-husband both have degrees in automotive mechanics. He was working as a mechanic at a GM dealer. I called him about buying a professional injector cleaner kit. He said they cost over $300 at the time. Instead, he recommended I go to Chevron station, buy 2 bottles of Techron injector cleaner, pour it in the tank, fill the tank and put the car on the road until the tank was nearly empty before refueling. Then he recommended I use Chevron gas. At the time, Chevron was the only major supplier considered a "top tier" gasoline. I followed his advice and haven't cleaned an injector since then even in my company cars before retiring.

Now days most of the major suppliers are top tier suppliers. I haven't had my local dealer recommend I clean either of our cars in a couple decades. I use several of the nationally known brands of gas as the need arises. I don't favor any one brand.

[Bill Howatt]

I have a 2005 and a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. Neither has had the injectors cleaned or additives used for cleaning. Just checked the 2017's maintenance schedule and there is no mention at all of injector cleaning. Don't know about the 2005 but don't recall anything over its life.
I did have the GM dealership do an injector cleaning they recommended on a '93 Blazer. No change as far as I could tell.

Do what your owner's manual says, if it does, and forget about the up-selling.

[Keegan Shields]

After-market fuel additives are the wild west of snake oil. Kind of like the vitamin and dietary supplement industry. Poor regulatory oversight = buyer beware. Are there legitimate ones? Probably, but you'll spend your own money to find out.

[Ole Anderson]

Reminds me of the time I took my car in for a small coolant leak. First thing out of the mouth of the mechanic was "please tell me you didn't put stop leak in it".

[Bill George]

Posted from above he recommended I go to Chevron station, buy 2 bottles of Techron injector That is the only fuel system cleaner I have used for years IF I needed Chevron Techron Fuel System cleaner by far the best, IF Needed. You can buy at any good auto parts store.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Typically we (extended family) run vehicles to minimum 500K mark. Never once has injector cleaning been included in maintenance program. Do buy our gas at well used stations that pump around 10K gallons or more per week. Local Costco pumps over 10K gallons per day, but I don't buy fuel there as I don't want to wait in line for 30 minutes to save three cents per gallon. My time is more valuable.

[Kev Williams]

I've had 2 vehicles in the (way) past that developed injector issues, 1984 Turbocharged Buick Regal T-type (bought new), and a 1984 turbocharged Chrysler LeBaron (bought used)-- both cars got to a point they wouldn't pass an emissions test--the T-type had its injectors pulled and installed in the shop's injector cleaner on Friday before they went home for the weekend, where pure acetone was forced thru them the entire weekend. About 10am that next Monday I got a call, telling me 4 injectors are 'working better', but 2 needed to be replaced. DID make a big difference--

The LeBaron, which wouldn't pass an emissions test due to the O2 sensor not being able to compensate for the dirty injectors, the (different) shop suggested a rail-flush, no injector removal necessary... And they did run the car while they did the flush, about 3 minutes of pure white clouds of smoke from the exhaust. I had a ride home so I didn't get to see the whole procedure, but when done it passed emissions with flying colors and ran fantastic...

HOWEVER, back in those days, I was told by mechanics that Chevron gas was causing injector issues, problem with their Techron or something...

Anyway, I can say that both procedures worked. And I can also say, that since I've never had another injector cleaned in my life since the Ttype and LeBaron, including the injectors in my 2002 Ford F-250 I bought new and still own. Still runs like new-- of course, it just barely hit 64,000 miles last month, but that issue could lean either way; low miles means low usage, but low usage sometimes leads to gummy deposits building up.

So I would say, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'... And I did learn a way, with the LeBaron, to tell if injectors are dirty: When the mechanic did the emissions test on the LeBaron, he showed me how he knew the injectors, in his opinion, needed cleaning: He was holding a gauge that was reading the 02 sensor's voltage, and while idling, the needle would slowly but noticeably swing back and forth slightly over the course of about 5 seconds- he explained that the sensor and ECM were constantly trying to adjust the fuel delivery to keep the 02 levels constant, and couldn't because one or more injectors either couldn't keep up with the needed flow, and/or injectors can get to a point the put out a 'pee stream' rather than a fine spray... a pee stream of fuel won't atomize as it should...

Or just get an emissions test, if your car passes, your injectors are likely fine... :)

[Kevin Jenness]

The manual for my new Kia Niro with direct injection calls for either using only top tier gas or adding a bottle of injector cleaner to the tank every 8k miles. With direct rather than port injection the valves tend to get gunked up more. Around here the only top tier stations seem to be Chevron.

[Warren Lake]

one performance friend said he just uses shell V power in his cars and bikes chainsaw and and, never has issues. Ive used it since that talk and watched you tubes. Some say makes no difference but did see one at one point where they did testing took stuff apart and compared and proved it was cleaner. I use it for all and just pay even in the saturn. harder to swallow on the truck with a 411 rear. The truck is old and for some old stuff there is always the reality of ethanol and gaskets and supposed to be none in the V power and few others. Id have to look it up again. Will want to find out how to take out and clean injectors on one wally wagon with the older LT-1 motors.

[Bill Howatt]

It is easy to test if gas has alcohol in it.
Get a glass cylinder like a test tube (doesn't have to be that shape but it is easy to deal with and wastes less gas)
Fill it part way up with the gas to be tested and mark the level on the cylinder.
Add roughly an equal amount of water, cover end and shake
When it settles the gas level should be the same if there is no alcohol. If gas is lower and the water volume has increased then there was alcohol in the gas - the shaking caused the alcohol to bind with the water.

[Tom M King]

I run a tank of non-ethanol through the gas burners every once in a while, and sometimes run 2-stroke oil in the diesel.

I had to replace the injectors in the Duramax after 13 years and 230,000 miles. There was a leaking injector problem with the first generation Duramax injectors. The seller recommended running 2-stroke oil for the first few tanks. I still do a couple of times a year.

[George Bokros]

Reminds me of the time I took my car in for a small coolant leak. First thing out of the mouth of the mechanic was "please tell me you didn't put stop leak in it".

Radiator stop leak was / is known to plug up the radiator internal tubes.

[Jim Koepke]

I like the old words of wisdom.

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

On the other side of this using top tier fuels or running a pint of injector cleaner through the system may be good preventative measures.

jtk