Your engine’s fuel injectors deliver fuel into the combustion chamber in synch with the motion of the pistons. But, the diameter of an injector orifice is tiny, even smaller than the diameter of human hair. Therefore, it’s common for carbonaceous deposits on injectors to impede fuel flow and starve your engine of fuel, dramatically reducing performance. The good news, your injectors can be cleaned to restore horsepower and torque.
So, you want to know how to clean your fuel injectors?
Video transcript: How to Clean Your Fuel Injector
Featuring John Gardner, host of Motorhead Garage, and Leonard “Len” Groom, AMSOIL Director of Product Marketing (author profile).
John Gardner: Well, folks, the days of carburation are long gone. It’s all about fuel injection. And, you know, a fuel injection system is only as good as the fuel injector itself. This is the AMSOIL tech tip, and today it’s all about fuel injectors.
What are they? Why do we have them? And how do they work? This is pretty cool.
I actually have one right here, and I have a computer that’s gonna simulate one. So I can hook it up here, and you can actually hear it.
What’s going on? Well, there’s a little pintle inside of there. Every time that computer decides to open and close, that pintle’s opening and closing, and the fuel has to flow through it. I have one right here.
I actually cut one away, which is really cool. And what’s going inside of here? You can actually see it. This is a magnetic pull up here, and then here’s the little pintle.
The fuel has to flow through that pintle at high pressure to get down in that cylinder depending on what fuel system you have. So it’s important that we keep these things clean and keep them working properly. Where is it located? Well, you can take a look at the graphic right here.
It’s actually a multi port system. It’s shooting it right on top of the valve. But we take it one step further. I got Len with us.
Len from AMSOIL. Len, what do you think about those injector patterns?
Len Groom: Well, I think just real quickly, the one on the left is what we’re looking for.
And then it’s progression all the way to the one on the right, which is not what you’re looking for.
John Gardner: Absolutely not. I mean, that’s not gonna atomize. It’s not gonna do the job. It’s gonna have poor fuel economy and all kinds of performance problems. How can you fix that?
Len Groom: AMSOIL Performance Improver is what I would actually use in that situation.
It’s got some extremely potent detergents in it. You’re gonna retain horsepower. You’re gonna keep the performance where you’re where you want it to be real simply by just adding one bottle every four thousand miles.
John Gardner: Well, you can’t beat that. Your car’s feeling a little sluggish. Maybe your injectors are clogged up. Maybe the fuel system needs a little tune up. You wanna find out about this product and more? Just go to AMSOIL.com.
Pay the pros
One method is to take your vehicle to a mechanic and have them clean your injectors for you. However, as you might guess, this is not the cheapest approach, and it comes with the hassle of scheduling service and living without your vehicle while it’s at the shop.
Do it yourself
You could take on the project yourself. You can easily find instructions online on how to remove fuel injectors from the engine, clean them and reinstall them. The process can be done with the right tools and knowledge, but there is an easier way.
Use a fuel additive
Using the right fuel additive to clean fuel injectors is a simple approach that’s also inexpensive and just as effective. However, as this post explains, this technique requires a fuel additive with enough strength to get the job done.
AMSOIL P.i.® Performance Improver
AMSOIL P.i. Performance Improver gasoline additive contains concentrated detergents that aggressively clean stubborn, power-robbing deposits from injectors, valves and the combustion chamber. It’s effective in port and direct-injection systems and cleans the entire fuel system in one tank.
AMSOIL P.i. restores GDI fuel injectors up to a 100% flow rate¹ and restores up to 14% horsepower.² P.i. also fights intake valve and combustion chamber deposits to help restore power, control knock and reduce the need for higher-octane fuels. Use AMSOIL P.i. every 4,000 miles to thoroughly clean the injectors, valves and combustion chamber.
AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant
Your engine’s top-end is sparsely lubricated and prone to the development of deposits and corrosion, an issue compounded by ethanol in fuel. While P.i. Performance Improver is designed to attack and remove stubborn deposits, Upper Cylinder Lubricant helps preserve injector and combustion-chamber cleanliness between P.i. treatments. Use AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant in every tank of fuel to help maintain peak performance.
AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant also delivers 18% more lubricity than Lucas* and 20% more than Sea Foam* for better retention of horsepower and fuel economy.³
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Brad Nelson is an AMSOIL Technical Writer II who develops content about lubricant technology, product performance and vehicle maintenance. He works with engineers and product specialists to translate testing, application requirements and approved performance claims into clear customer guidance. Nelson’s work includes AMSOIL Blog articles, AMSOIL Magazine features and technical explanations concerning motor oils, gear lubricants, vehicle systems and maintenance practices.
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