Do fuel injector cleaners really work?

Question

I may have a problem with my fuel injectors in my 02 mitsubishi galant. It keeps hesitating and idles very rough, i just got new spark plugs, wires and coil packs. Someone else on here told me it may be my fuel injectors... so should I try those additives they sell at the store?? Or do I have to bring it somewhere and pay all that money to have it done??!?!

Answer 1

Todays fuels already have additives that help clean fuel injectors. It would probably help but not significant enough for you to notice.

If you are driving an automatic, turn off O/D (Overdrive) temporarily and drive the car with the RPMs above 3000 for at least 30 seconds. Do this everyday, once when you go to work and once more when you go home. You should notice the difference after 2 or 3 trips.

If you drive a manual, just keep it in low gear (like 4th on the Highway) and do the same thing, keeping it slightly above 3000rpm.

The increase fuel line pressure and volume running on the injectors cleans the nozzle tips.

Answer 2

The products for cleaning fuel injectors do work but most gasoline is now high detergent so injectors do not really get that fouled. It is cheaper and the same if you do it yourself however it does not cost that much more to have it done. However your car's symptoms suggest two other things: you could have bad fuel or a computer chip could be going out. You can buy a product to neutralize or remove excess water from fuel. Otherwise, a service department would have to use one of those analyzer computers to detect the problem. Good luck.

Answer 3

Fuel injector cleaners are usually of the pour-in type. They are poured into the fuel tank as additives. They are meant to clean injectors off the dirt and carbon build up that have adhered onto it. They dissolve and wash off the dirt by means of their powerful cleansing agent formula. The fuel injection system is essentially an electric machine that closes and opens in specific periods for administering fuel. However, fuel deposits as small as portions of a millimeter may adversely affect the function of the fuel injector. With time, the carbon that gets cooked onto hot surfaces in the injector cause wear, which can encourage delivery of excess fuel for every pulse.

Answer 4

They only work as preventative maintanence. If you were to use a bottle of STP every once in a while, the idea is there wouldn't be so much gunk building up in your injectors. Once there is already a problem, there is no way to get a mechanic in a bottle, the injectors will have to be removed and cleaned or replaced. There is one product you may want to try as a last resort before costly repairs, however. MoM, or Marvel Mystery Oil, available at most car parts stores, is really good at cleaning. Add a little bit to your gas as per the instructions.

Answer 5

I like STP fuel injector cleaner. Gumount is also really good to. Lucas is over priced and it's the exact same as the others.

Answer 6

I just run a can of cleaner through the fuel and it usually fixes the problem. If after running 2 cans through 2 tanks of fuel then take it to a shop. The cleaner is a whole lot cheaper that a mechanic.

Answer 7

try a bottle of Lucas fuel injector cleaner first and then if not any better take it to the shop and have them machine cleaned, just add the full bottle to your tank and then fill the tank with gas. You didn't say if you had the fuel filter changed but if you didn't you should.

Answer 8

Sometimes they do sometimes they don't. Just go to your auto parts store and buy the most expensive fuel system cleaning system they have (like $10) and try it out. It will be alot cheaper than taking it somewhere and it's only $10 if it doesn't solve your problem.

Answer 9

Try Lucus fuel treatment it worked great on my old junk hauler pick-up truck. While you're at it try the oil additive, my junker truck also has a rod knock and it helped quite it a bit. It's great for high mileage cars and trucks. Good luck!

www.lucasoil.com/products/display_products.sd?iid=26&catid=2&loc=show

Answer 10

If it's running that badly, those additives probably won't work. You should have your injectors pressure cleaned at any reputable shop. Additives are, at best, preventive in nature and not strong enough to cure most problems.