I am one of those that puts fuel injection cleaner in the gas tank every so often. Each time I do that I wonder if I am wasting my money, putting 12oz of cleaning fluid into an 18 gallon gas tank.
Does this stuff really work and if yes, why?
I believe you’re wasting your time and money
Fuel has many additives nowadays
If your car is diagnosed as having a partially plugged injector, that’s when you hook up the fuel cleaner . . . not at all the same stuff that gets poured into the tank . . . directly to the rail. That is far more effective than putting that super diluted stuff into the tank
I put in a bottle of Techron at every oil change. I have never, knock on wood, had a fuel system problem. I use Kroger gas. It’s not “tier 1” and it makes me feel better.
I’m always skeptical of any kind of engine “sauce”. I’ve never used one that I could tell worked other than radiator stop leak. In my opinion they are all a waste of money if they don’t have a measurable improvement.
‘‘every so often’’ may just be keeping it perfect and keeping you out of a shop too.
many times, waiting all the way until you have all the bad symptoms is too long. and hoping for a cleanup to fix it could be a gamble, with hindsight showing you could have kept it clean and avoided the shop.
like brushing your teeth…it can in fact be done too much.
cleaners too often is a waste of money. too little is poor maintainance.
so…
how often IS ‘every so often’’ ?
Mine is once a year. ( Techron not teeth )
I use Top Tier gas for almost every tankful, so I tend to use a bottle of Techron just once a year.
If I wasn’t using Top Tier gas most of the time, I would use Techron 2 or 3 times per year.
The only time I ever needed injection cleaner was at the dealer back in 87 on an 86 Buick. The dealer treatment works for clogged injectors. After the late 80’s though, gas has cleaner in it and have never had a problem. A waste of money for you but helps the economy.
“After the late 80’s though, gas has cleaner in it”
That is true, but when Dick Cheney & company allowed the major oil companies to rewrite regulations that applied to them, the result was that they were allowed to reduce the level of detergents in gasoline by 50%, as compared to earlier levels.
In order for a gasoline to achieve Top Tier status, it must have a much higher level of detergents than the now-gutted EPA regulations require. In fact, most of the Top Tier brands (Costco comes to mind) have 5 times the amount of detergent required by those gutted EPA regulations.
@VDCdriver - I’m unaware of EPA regs that set required detergent levels. I didn’t find them on the EPA site. Anywhere I should look?
I have no clue where you would find that information–unfortunately.
I don’t doubt you and not going to defend Cheney except I wish he was Defense Secretary right now. It’d be kind of fun to see him go eyeball to eyeball with Putin. Point was though that in all the miles and cars I’ve driven, I’ve never had an injector problem since 1987 using mostly Mobil. Can’t hurt to throw the stuff in I suppose though.
“not going to defend Cheney except I wish he was Defense Secretary right now”
You’re right.
Why would anyone want Chuck Hagel–who served in Vietnam and earned two Purple Hearts during his service as an infantry company commander–when they could have Dick Cheney who received 5 draft deferments, and when later questioned about his lack of military service said, “I had other priorities in the ’60s than military service.” .
Please note that his well-known medical problems were not an issue in the '60s.
His only issue had to do with his…priorities…
Detergent in gasoline is NOT and never has been a government requirement.
I don’t use any additives in my engine on a regular basis but I have used some in the past and I’m sure I will use some in the future.
So back fuel additives, they are a must for my boat, sea foam, Now it won’t help the situation as in our old alumicraft boat where after a 5 inch rain I stepped into the boat to bail it and it sunk, first salvo, save the motor, pulled the 72 7 hp johnson onto the dock, pulled the plugs and drained the carb, then liberal doses of fogging oil into the cylanders and a few dry pulls to exhaust the water.
Now the gas tank was another issue, got a turkey baster, sucked out quite a bid of water and debris, then threw in some sea fome, and believe it or not the motor fired right up and has been running for the last 2 years no issues. Not sure where all the debris came from, maybe 25 years of use, but it did look like some fresh seaweed.
So the 90 horse on the speedboat I always sea fome the gas, fuel preservative and water dealer with, but luckily have the option to buy 91 octane non oxygenated gas and non methanol gas.
So for my cars, every couple of years I do a dose of sea fome, might help, can’t hurt, about that time of the biennial to do it again. I believe in cars have feelings, you do a little something special for them,
they will treat you well also.
No guarantee, but not doing too bad for repairs on or 2 03 vintage vehicles, 70k and 156k respectively.
Conclusion, it may help, but can’t hurt.
“I have no clue where you would find that information–unfortunately.”
Maybe because it’s not true?
Just because you can’t readily find certain information, doesn’t mean it’s not true
We’ve been through this before . . . on various subjects, on this forum . . . and it’s gotten ugly more than a few times. Especially when one person is straight out saying the other is wrong, BECAUSE they can’t provide the information. And when they do, they say you’re misinterpreting the information, because you’re not smart enough to understand what you’re reading
Yup, we’ve been through this before, and it’s not been pretty
I’m a fan of Techron. I put a bottle in the tank every year or two.
I’ve seen it smooth out a lumpy idle in a car in just a few miles.
I’ve seen it fix a balky chain saw.
I’m not sure whats in Seafoam and I’ve used that a few times in small engines and to clean the throttle body and it works well. I don’t think thats Techron though. At any rate a cleaner can’t hurt and especially if there is a problem, I’ve just never needed it.
Not to belabor but I believe Hagel was in Nam for a year as an E-5 squad leader, not a company commander that would be an officer rank. Never been a Cheney fan though either. May he rest in peace.