Fuel injectors become dirty and clogged when deposits build up after thousands of miles of frequent use. When this clogging occurs, the engine does not receive the correct amount of fuel it needs, causing lower fuel economy or a decrease in power. It’s vital to clean fuel injectors regularly and effectively to help remove harmful carbon deposits, prevent new deposits from occurring and improve overall performance.
What Is a Fuel Injector?
Gasoline and diesel engines inject fuel differently. Traditional gasoline engines use carburetors to mix fuel and air before sending it into the cylinder to compress. In contrast, modern gasoline engines use a port injection system that adds air to the fuel immediately before the intake stroke.
Diesel injectors send fuel directly into the engine’s cylinder. Diesel fuel requires more injection pressure because it’s heavier than gasoline and burns at higher temperatures.
Your vehicle’s fuel pump delivers fuel to the injectors, which can open and close as frequently as needed to control intake. During system operation, a plunger opens the injector, allowing pressurized fuel to escape through a tiny nozzle. This nozzle atomizes the fuel, turning it into a fine mist so it can burn easier.
When heavy deposits and clogs are present, the injectors cannot deliver the optimal amount of fuel to the engine.
What Does Fuel Injector Cleaning Involve?
Injector cleaners contain different solvent types formulated to clean your fuel lines. Consumers typically add these cleaners directly to a full fuel tank, allowing the cleaner to move through the injectors as the engine burns the regular fuel.
The solvents work by dissolving the buildup inside the injectors and other parts of the fuel line. Because the solvents are combustible, they burn off with the fuel as your engine runs and are not harmful to your vehicle.
Depending on the cleaner’s formula and fuel type, these products contain different ingredient combinations. Many injector cleaners add extra benefits besides cleaning, like removing moisture from fuel lines and reducing misfiring and knocking.
Does Fuel Injector Cleaning Really Work?
Many consumers do not realize that the gas or diesel they buy at pumps contains additives to clean injectors and fuel lines. However, removing heavier deposits from your fuel system requires higher additive concentrations than those from the pump. That’s where fuel injector cleaners come into play.
Consumers have mixed opinions on the effectiveness of over-the-counter fuel injector cleaners. While there’s no doubt that high-performance injector cleaners work, product success can vary from brand to brand based on ingredients and formulation. The best way to determine a specific brand’s effectiveness is by evaluating a vehicle’s engine performance after using it.
High-grade products from industry leaders like Hot Shot’s Secret are scientifically proven to increase fuel economy while reducing emissions. The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research conducted a study involving a commercial FedEx truck with nearly 250,000 miles, evaluating its performance before and after adding Hot Shot’s Secret Diesel Extreme. The tests revealed a 2.1% increase in fuel economy when driving in the city and a much more significant 5.1% increase on the highway.
Researchers determined the improvements resulted from the product removing deposits in the diesel injectors that prevented optimal combustion. They also concluded that the fuel’s overall quality improvement was due to the cetane improver in the cleaner.
How Fast Do Fuel Injector Cleaners Work?
Although most fuel injector cleaners begin working immediately, it takes time before the improvements become noticeable. Before the cleaners start working effectively, the vehicle should travel several hundred miles and burn a good portion of a full fuel tank. Noticeable improvements include increased acceleration, higher fuel mileage and smoother idling.
The improvement rate can depend on several factors, like the quality of the cleaner you use and the condition of your fuel system. If you’re using a reliable high-strength cleaner on a newer engine with minimal buildup, the sludge should dissolve rapidly, returning your engine to peak performance. If your vehicle has an older engine with increased contamination in the fuel system, it often takes longer for the cleaner to have a positive effect.
How Often Should You Use Injector Cleaner?
Many industry professionals recommend using a high-performing fuel injector cleaner at each oil change. While some manufacturers recommend oil changes at different intervals, using a fuel injector cleaner every 6,000 miles for most vehicles can be beneficial. If your vehicle shows decreased performance in acceleration, reduced fuel economy or irregular idling, adding a fuel injector cleaner to your fuel tank as needed may help.
If your injectors are still causing problems after you use a high-quality cleaner, you should visit a reliable repair shop to diagnose your problem accurately.
High-Performance Fuel Injector Cleaners by Hot Shot’s Secret
At Hot Shot’s Secret, we prioritize fixing engine problems and improving performance for vehicle owners worldwide. Much of our success comes from the advanced testing and engineering procedures we use before marketing our products. We carry several fuel additives for specific types of engines and fuel systems, including Diesel Extreme and Gasoline Extreme.
- Diesel Extreme: Hot Shot Secret’s Diesel Extreme is a high-performance, 6-in-1 additive for diesel engines that contains the most concentrated detergent formula available. These detergents remove and prevent external diesel injector deposits (EDIDs), internal diesel injector deposits (IDIDs) and other harmful deposits that often cause your fuel system’s most vital components to fail prematurely. Diesel Extreme also contains a powerful cetane improver that can increase your fuel’s cetane rating up to seven points, improving horsepower, fuel economy and combustibility.
- Gasoline Extreme: Hot Shot Secret’s Gasoline Extreme is a concentrated fuel injector cleaner that cleans the most critical components of your fuel system while removing carbon deposits from your engine’s combustion chamber. Gasoline Extreme also lubricates your upper cylinders to restore power, fuel economy and performance. This fully formulated solution can clean almost any part of your gas engine, from valves and pumps to rings and pistons.
Contact the Experts at Hot Shot’s Secret Today
If you’ve been searching for a high-quality, scientifically proven fuel injector cleaner for your diesel or gas engine, Hot Shot’s Secret can help. Browse our product selection today to find the ideal solution for your vehicle. Contact us online or call 800-341-6516 with questions or to request additional product information.