How to Clean Fuel Injectors

Partially or wholly clogged fuel injectors will dramatically reduce vehicle horsepower and performance. Why? Your engine’s fuel injectors are responsible for delivering fuel into the combustion chamber in synch with the motion of the pistons. But, the diameter of an injector orifice is tiny, much 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 horsepower and performance. The good news, your injectors can be cleaned to restore horsepower and performance. So, how do you clean fuel injectors? You have a few options, including a proven fuel additive to clean fuel injectors.

Do it for me

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 going to be 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. If you search DIY solutions online, you will find instructions on how to remove fuel injectors from the engine, clean them and reinstall them; the process can be done with the right tools, safety gear, knowhow and place to wrench. However, there is an easier way.

Fuel additive to clean fuel injectors

Using a fuel additive to clean fuel injectors is one approach that’s simple, inexpensive and just as effective with the right product. However, as this post explains, this technique requires a fuel additive with enough strength to get the job done.

Do Fuel Additives Work?

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.

We recommend using AMSOIL P.i. every 4,000 miles to thoroughly clean the injectors, valves and the combustion chamber.

AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant

To maintain performance between P.i. treatments, we recommend using AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant with every fill. While P.i. Performance Improver is designed to attack and remove stubborn deposits, Upper Cylinder Lubricant helps preserve injector and combustion-chamber cleanliness. Using it with every fill retains fuel economy and performance gains and maximizes component life.

Using AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant has other benefits, as well. Your engine’s top-end is sparsely lubricated and prone to the development of deposits and corrosion, an issue compounded by ethanol in fuel.

AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant delivers 18% more lubricity than Lucas and 20% more than Sea Foam for better retention of horsepower and fuel economy (see chart below).³ We recommend using AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant with every tank to maintain performance between AMSOIL P.i. Performance Improver treatments.

AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean

For diesel engines with dirty injectors, AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean will take care of business. Its concentrated formula uses unique chemistry to target and eliminate carbonaceous deposits and other specific performance issues to maximize power.

AMSOIL Diesel All-In-One

After using AMSOIL Injector Clean, we recommend maintaining your engine by using AMSOIL Diesel All-In-One with every tank. All-In-One effectively cleans dirty injectors and is engineered to provide exceptional all-season protection for a performance boost.

Using All-In-One restores power and torque, provides better cold flow and higher cetane. It also reduces smoke and emissions and combats fuel-system corrosion. Using it regularly provides significant lubricity improvement in diesel fuels found across the U.S., delivering improved wear protection.⁴

How to clean fuel injectors

You don’t have to live with a loss of horsepower and performance. Nor do you need to take your vehicle to a mechanic or tackle a mechanical problem on your own. A quality additive to clean fuel injectors can do the work for you with minimal cost and effort. AMSOIL fuel additives target issues that vehicles face – and they actually work. Visit us online to learn more.

¹ASTM D5598(M) – 2013 Buick Regal test vehicle.

²Based on third-party testing in a 2016 Chevrolet* Silverado* 1500, 5.3L V-8 GDI with 100,616 miles, using one tank treated with AMSOIL P.i. Actual results may vary.

³Based on independent testing of AMSOIL Upper Cylinder Lubricant, Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant and Sea Foam Motor Treatment obtained on 02/13/2019 using the ASTM D6079 modified for use with gasoline.

⁴Fuels tested in 2017.