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Do Fuel Injectors Need Periodic Cleaning?

202411 do fuel injectors need periodic cleaning scaled jpg Fuel injectors | Adobe Stock

While fuel-injector cleaning is often recommended by shops and dealer service centers, it probably isn’t necessary unless it’s correcting a running problem. In many cases, just using a quality gasoline and perhaps the occasional bottle of fuel-injector cleaner added to the gas will be enough to keep your fuel injectors working properly.

Related: Do I Need to Use Engine Oil or Fuel Additives?

Signs that’s not enough, though — and that a professional cleaning might be in order — can include rough idling, stalling, misfires, sputtering and poor acceleration. These symptoms often crop up in cars that haven’t been driven for a while or are only run occasionally. However, regular fuel-injector cleaning as a preventive measure is not typically mentioned in manufacturers’ maintenance schedules.

The cleaning of fuel injectors can be broken down into three categories, all of which will be expanded on below:

  • Detergents in the gasoline itself
  • Bottles of fuel-injector cleaner that can be poured into the gas tank, which cleans the injectors as you drive
  • Cleaning done by mechanics that either force cleaners under pressure through the fuel injectors while they’re still on the engine or with the fuel injectors removed

Detergents in the Gasoline

This is certainly the easiest way to keep your fuel injectors clean, and it’s likely also the least expensive. Although detergent additives to do just that have been federally required for quite some time, the quantity of detergent can differ by brands. The best fuels get rated as Top Tier gasoline, which is determined by independent testing. Some manufacturers specifically recommend using Top Tier gasoline; check the index of your owner’s manual for “Fuel” or “Gasoline.”

According to Top Tier, those rated as Top Tier gasolines have two to three times as much detergent as federally required. Some stations offering Top Tier gas display a logo for it, while others don’t. You can find stations in your area or download an app that can determine your location and list Top Tier gas stations nearby.

Bottles of Fuel-Injector Cleaner

Some manufacturers recommend using a fuel-injector cleaning additive if you don’t always use Top Tier gas. These are best poured into the tank before filling it with gasoline so that the two mix thoroughly together. There are numerous brands of these additives on the market for about $5 to $15 per bottle, but unfortunately, there’s no independent testing entity that applies a rating to them.

However, an internet search may turn up some reputable sources that give suggestions, perhaps including that using additives in an older engine — or one that’s not running well — could actually cause further problems by dislodging built-up debris. It’s important to read the instructions, as some fuel-injector cleaners can be used at every fill-up, while others recommend using them less often, as using them more often can cause problems. It’s also important to note that some manufacturers recommend against using any gasoline additives you pour into the tank. Again, check the index of your owner’s manual for “Additives,” “Fuel” and “Gasoline.”

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Cleaning Done by Professionals

Having your fuel injectors cleaned by a mechanic might be your only option if good gasoline and additives don’t cure a running problem, or if you don’t want to take the risk (or driving time) of using an additive. Prices vary quite a bit, but these procedures cost more than using Top Tier gas or bottled additives.

However, having the injectors cleaned while they’re still on the engine usually isn’t as expensive as when they’re removed. The former typically involves (or at least should, if done correctly) hooking up a bottle of cleaner to the engine’s fuel-injector rail, shutting off the fuel pump by removing either the fuel-pump fuse or relay (the engine can run on whatever compounds are in the cleaner itself), running the engine for several minutes while the cleaner is forced through the injectors, shutting off the engine and possibly cleaning the throttle body (which can build up gunk), removing the cleaning bottle, replacing the fuel-pump fuse or relay, and restarting the engine.

Some sources figure $150 to $300 (with the throttle-body cleaning) for this service. It’s possible to buy the cleaner and do the injector cleaning and throttle-body cleaning yourself, but it can be quite the procedure and is not a job for rank amateurs since you’ll be dealing with flammable gasoline under high pressure — a potential recipe for disaster.

Removing the injectors to clean them is more involved and thus more expensive, primarily due to greater labor hours. It can also be done at home with some additional equipment — but with the same hazards.

There is no set answer as to whether or not fuel injectors need periodic cleaning that will apply to all cars and all situations. But using a Top Tier gasoline with the occasional bottle of fuel-injector cleaner should work to keep your injectors clean, and perhaps even to cure some mild rough-running issues.

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