The Best Fuel Injector Cleaner for High Mileage (Updated for 2022!)
If you own a vehicle, chances are there will come a time when using some sort of fuel system cleaner is a must, especially if your car has high mileage. And there is no shortage of products when it comes to fuel injector cleaners for high mileage cars. And most are decent products, other can be harmful and actually do more damage to your car.
And that’s what this list is about, how to choose the best fuel injector cleaner for high mileage cars and get your automobile running as close to new as it can. Although It’s not something that’s talked about too often or included in your owner’s manual, It’s easy and something you can do yourself and should be part of your regular maintenance routine.
Plus, there are plenty of places to go online these days to get discounts and your top products can be shipped right to your door, sometimes overnight. So no excuses!
If you’re curious (or in a hurry):
Here we’ll discuss what makes a really good cleaner, what to expect when using one, and how often you should use it.
I will also include a brief review of the top 5 injection cleaners so you don’t have to do too much searching on your own.
This will be your one stop shop when it comes to treating your automobile right.
Why Do I Need to Use a Fuel Injector Cleaner?
Although we have some cleaner gasoline these days, using Fuel Injector Cleaners is still among the top of the list when it comes to auto maintenance priorities.
Every time you park your car or truck long enough for the engine to cool down, the humidity levels in your engine will also change.
When fuel tank “breathes” some of the fuel will oxidize and create a hard resin coating in your injectors. This caked-on coating is sometimes referred to as “varnish”.
If you ride around with this stuff in your engine for a long time it can lead to bad fuel economy. That means you’re getting less gas mileage and spending more on gasoline at your local service station.
To eliminate this coating that can screw up your engine system, use one of the best cleaners you can buy, whether at your auto parts store, or online at places like Amazon.
What it Takes to Be the Best Car Injector Cleaner
With so many products on the market claiming to be the best additive around, it may be difficult to discern which is truly the best for your vehicle.
So here’s my breakdown of what a good cleaner should do for you.
Clean the fuel lines. These are the special hoses that carry fuel from your gas tank to the engine. These are in just as much danger as your injectors.
Clean the fuel injectors. That’s what the cleaner is supposed to do!
The fuel injector is a small nozzle that will shoot out a fine spray of fuel into the cylinder in your car.
As you can imagine, if the nozzle gets clogged in any way, the spray isn’t so fine anymore, and that means less efficiency in your engine.
Remove deposits. These troublesome little tidbits are what cause gunk buildup of that fuel resin, or varnish that clogs everything up. It is true that in some cases the deposits are more resilient to certain kinds of fuel cleaners. Sometimes it takes something a bit stronger to get the job done (if you know what I mean).
Increase fuel economy
Overall the best Fuel Injector Cleaner will increase your overall fuel economy in 2 ways:
- Higher gas mileage
- Greater power
As far as we’re concerned, it shouldn’t take much to see better results, but like I mentioned you may need something stronger for your needs.
✅ Top 5 Best Fuel Injector Cleaners – The Quick List
If you want a more “in-depth” review of each product, scroll below and you’ll see why we choose to rank each manufacturer the way we have. This is just a quick hit list in case you’re not so into reading and just want to know which cleaner you should buy and that’s it.
I know there might be a lot of controversy surrounding cleaning additives and fuel additives out there. Some people swear by them and others say they’re not necessary.
Here we have tested multiple fuel injector system cleaners and found some to work better than others in helping to keep your engine clean and running smoother and overall maintaining your car.
This may also depend on what kind of engine you have, how long you have had it, and how well you take care of it in general.
Using the best fuel injector cleaner may not solve all of your engine problems, but it will definitely make the engine run smoother in general and help maintain a healthy combustion process.
I present to you our picks for the top 5…
✅ 1. Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner
Based on our own personal experience, multiple customer reviews, and full analysis of this product, the Chevron Techron takes the cake.
This is the number one best fuel injector cleaner around. Use the 20 oz bottle with a fuel tank of 18 gallons or more or try the 12 oz bottle for less than 18 gallons.
Chevron Techron is slightly more expensive than other brands of cleaners, but get it online for less than you’ll usually pay at an auto store.
2. Red Line SI-1
A much cheaper option, Red Line gives you a bit more bang for your buck. It’s the highest quality you’re going to find at this price point. So this would be our “Best Value” option.
A normal bottle comes in about 15 oz. and is so versatile you can use it on almost anything with an engine, even diesel engines. Just be sure to adjust the amount you put in depending on how big the tank is.
3. Berryman B-12 Chemtool
Another value product for an engine that’s running a little rough. Our team decided that this 15 oz. bottle is worth every penny if you need some light maintenance for your vehicle.
The good thing about Berryman’s product is that it’s solvent based whereas most other cleaners are detergent based.
So if the two products above don’t do it for you, try the Berryman product for a different chemical base to clean your fuel tank.
4. Seafoam
My team and I would like to say that you shouldn’t use this as a first time cleaner.
Seafoam is great for someone who upholds great maintenance on their engine because it’s not a very strong product. What Seafoam does is clean up light resins to keep your engine efficiently.
The product shouldn’t be used as a heavy-duty first time cleanser though, you should use something stronger for that.
5. Amsoil P.I.
This 12 oz. is exactly as the title describes; it’s a “performance improver”. Although Amsoil claims that the cleaner can help improve other facets of performance like odd surges and hesitations characteristic of poor drivability, we think it’s just a cheap brand of fuel cleaner that will help maintain a clean engine.
How to Use Your Fuel Injector Cleaner
Once you have decided upon which fuel injector cleaner is the best for your vehicle, you can get started!
However there are a few important steps you should keep in mind. Just because you have that bottle in hand doesn’t mean you can just dump the whole thing in.
Here’s our quick guide on how to use whichever additives you choose that are available, and what to expect as results after the fact.
Read the bottle: I mean everything, read the labels, the warnings, and the small print. Find your glasses and read the darn thing.
I have had too many clients turn around and complain about a terrible product only to discover that they didn’t follow directions.
The instructions on the bottle are there for a purpose. Unless you’re a mechanic with a streak of self-confidence and risk, just follow the instructions.
Bottle ounces to gallon size ratios: In order to adequately measure how much fuel injector cleaner you will use in your tank, assess how many gallons your tank holds. Most products will come in a bottle size that is perfect for an 18 or 20 gallon take plus a few. If you have a tank smaller than this, chances are you won’t need the entire bottle.
Fill up your tank
After reading instructions on most bottles, it may become apparent that you need to have a full tank of gasoline to correctly use the cleaning fluid. Sometimes you need to pour the cleaner in first and then fill your gas tank all the way.
Follow instructions on the bottle for best results.
Check for results
Before using the product, try gauging your fuel economy.
It’s difficult to note a result if you simply pour in the bottle’s contents and assume it works. Keep a mental note or write down how your car is behaving and what your miles to the gallon are. Also keep in mind the weather as it does effect fuel consumption or if it doesn’t. If you don’t keep an actual record, you’re never going to know if the price is worth the benefit. So keep records.
Next time you’re out on the freeway take note of your gas mileage and then do the test over again after using the product.
Keep track of any errors if you have an OBD car health monitor.
Track Your Results After Using a Fuel Injector Cleaner
It’s true that each type of fuel injector cleaner may work better in different types of engines. Depending on how old your vehicle is, the last time you gave the engine a good cleaning, and the type of behavior it’s exhibiting, you will get different results.
Keep a log of before and after and figure out which types of fluids are really best for your automobile. We have an article on How to Calculate Gas Mileage here as a helpful reference.
Some bottles will say to use one every 1,000, 3,000, or 5,000 miles. This is one item on the directions you can ignore.
Use the cleaner when you notice a change (through efficient vehicle behavior logging) or for every 5,000-6,000 miles. You shouldn’t have to clean out the fuel injectors every 3,000 miles (which is a standard oil change).
I hope my team and I have given you a better sense of what a great Fuel Injector Cleaner should be, what it does, and how to perform this type of maintenance on your vehicle. Best wishes from me and the guys here in the shop.
If you want me to include more in-depth topics about specific aspects of a vehicle, its maintenance or parts, just let me know in the comments. I’ll be sure to get to them as soon as possible.
✅ Why Chevron Techron Deserves the Title as “The Best Fuel Injector Cleaner”
There are plenty of products on the market that claim to boost your car’s efficiency, so what is it about Chevron Techron that’s so great?
Our panel of emissions, engine, and environmental experts provide a long list of advantages.
EPA requirements
Chevron Techron actually goes above and beyond the requirements as per listed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
They’re most worried about the detergent-based solution, and Chevron Techron exceeds expectations when it comes to environmental safety. It’s no wonder it holds the title of the Best Fuel Injector Cleaner.
Added to gasoline
If you don’t necessarily want to purchase your own bottle of Chevron Techron, then you can simply fill up your gas tank at a Chevron station.
At each Chevron service station Chevron Techron is already added to the gasoline in order to help improve engine performance on and off the road.
Affordable
A 12 oz. bottle of Chevron Techron is one of the most cost efficient options available right now. And you can even order a case for even more savings.
Proven Performance
There are few accredited fuel injector cleaners that actually provide the grounds for proper testing and great results. Chevron has been testing the product for over 30 years and the various amounts of customer reviews and personal testimonies should be enough to convince any car owner of the effectiveness of the product.
As our number one Best Fuel Injector Cleaner on the list, Chevron Techron will always be supported by my team.
The beauty of the product is not its work in miracles, but rather its achievements on your fuel economy.
Adding one bottle of Chevron Techron to your full tank of gas will provide you the perfect testing ground to feel an improvement in the performance of your vehicle.
Never underestimate the power of a happy engine.
Berryman B-12 Chemtool
It can be used on anything.
If you don’t believe us, we’ll provide a list so you can exactly what Berryman B-12 Chemtool is safe to use on. Of course, the amount you’ll put into a full tank of gasoline will vary for each piece of equipment, but you can’t argue with versatility.
Berryman has made a product made for everything and anything with an engine:
- Car
- Motorcycle
- Dirt Bike
- Truck
- Small Boat
- Riding Mower
- Racecar
- Push Mower
- Motor Home
- Large Boat
- Jet Ski
- Generator
- ATV
- Chainsaw
Comes in any size
I suppose this is what you would expect from a product that can be used in just about anything.
However I have reviewed multiple products similar to Berryman B-12 Chemtool that don’t provide varying quantities to the masses.
Here is what you can purchase through Berryman:
- 15 oz. can
- 1 gallon can
- 5 gallon can
- 15 gallon drum
Solvent-based
Most fuel injector cleaners are detergent based, but Berryman B-12 Chemtool is actually solvent-based which puts it apart on the market.
Using HEST (High Energy Solvent Technology) Berryman has paved its own innovative path in the realm of solvent fluids.
Oxygen sensor cleaning A solid engine cleaning solution has to have some sort of extra “oomph” to be on our list. Berryman B-12 Chemtool can actually clean more than just the fuel injectors. Try adding a few ounces to your oxygen sensor if you notice a check engine light on.
You’ll definitely see some great results.
HESTimonials. What better way to provide tips and tricks of the Berryman B-12 Chemtool than allow folks to share their experiences?
Through reading HESTimonials online at the Berryman website (berrymanproducts.com) you can see how well the product works for multiple different vehicles. You can also provide your very own HESTimonial if you have something positive to say about the product.
Why Sea Foam is a Popular Choice
Sea Foam has really made a name for itself in the past 50 years by providing an entire line of cleaning products used especially for your engine.
Originally trademarked in 1942, it’s one of the oldest and most successful brands for keeping your engine up and running.
If you visit seafoamsales.com you can see a list of the current products being offered as well as which vehicles you can use them in.
Sea Foam boasts a wide variety of uses for its Fuel Injector Cleaner:
Varnish build-up. Also known as “gum” or petroleum deposits.
Sea Foam can help eliminate this tough varnish that makes your engine sluggish and your car make funny noises.
Lubrication
A side-effect of the varnish build-up, a lack of lubrication can create all sorts of problems for your engine.
Using Sea Foam will help lubricate your engine in the right places and get it running smoothly again.
Efficiency
Using Sea Foam will guarantee a longer lasting life for your engine if used on a regular basis.
Sea Foam Products:
Although Sea Foam manufactures its fuel injector cleaner, it also has 3 other major products.
Here we’ll take a bit to discuss the other products Sea Foam currently sells so you have a better idea of what else they have in stock.
Sea Foam Motor Treatment: this is your fuel injector cleaner that makes our top 5 list. Guaranteed to get rid of gummy deposits in your engine and increase mileage.
Sea Foam Spray: this can be used on your air induction systems, engine, and combustion chambers. Supposedly the spray will help to reduce odors and increase power in your vehicle.
Sea Foam Trans Tune: specifically for your transmission, this product boasts an impressive feat that it can rid your transmission of moisture while removing erratic shifting.
Sea Foam Deep Creep: perfect for cleaning parts, eliminating rust, and lubricating tools.
The best part about all of these products? If it comes in a spray can, you can spray it upside down.
Now that’s called an ingenious invention.
Red Line SI-1 complete fuel system cleaner
It does everything but sing and dance. And it’s even Amazon’s “Best Seller” right now.
If you don’t believe us just take a look at the menagerie of chemical treatments this products contains and how each component is built especially to maintain a specific part of your engine. Here’s a list at what Red Line can do for you:
- Lubricate upper cylinders
- Clean pollution control valves
- Clean injectors and carbs
- Clean chamber deposits
- Reduce octane use
- Safe for continual use
- Follows EPA standards
That’s right, Red Line follows the Environmental Protection Agencies guidelines. If a product is in accordance with environmental laws, then it’s certainly something to take a closer look at.
Economical
Not just for your car, but your wallet as well.
Contains PEA
PEA stands for Polyether Amines which are critical compounds necessary for cleaning your fuel injectors.
No product can be considered one of the Best Fuel Injector Cleaners without this special additive or another similarly tested and proven compound.
Long-lasting effects
Through our data generated from random samples testing, personal experience, and customer testimonies, Red Line has an average of 75% improvement on all vehicles.
The other 25% accounts for testing error and vehicles that didn’t have a clogged fuel injector to begin with. With more than half the results bearing a positive outcome, Red Line is definitely one of the best cleaners.
We’ll keep you updated with other economical tidings when it comes to your car. We take automobiles very seriously, and virtually everything is put to the test within our very own garage.
Count on us to provide you with the latest and greatest in reviews for products that increase the viability of your vehicle. Want to learn more about Red Line SI-1 complete fuel cleaner? Check out their website at redlineoil.com or ask one of their representatives for more information. Or get it here and have it delivered right to your door 🙂
Always be sure to follow safety procedures when adding chemicals to your full tank of gas. We wish you the best of mileage this fall season.
As our Best Fuel Injector Cleaner series draws to a close, inform us how we’re doing and what else you’d like to hear about.
Your fuel injector is not the only thing that you are going to want to keep clean, you are going to want to keep the rest of your car clean and shiny. A pressure washer is a great way to make this easier for you. Read this article about the best pressure washer to clean your car. That way you will be using the right tool for the job and get your car super clean quickly and with ease.
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