How To Clean Electronic Fuel Injectors

Your fuel injectors are clogged. You’re getting poor mileage and the car is running badly. So, how do you go about cleaning electronic fuel injectors?

Fuel injectors are, of course, the pointy end of the stick when it comes to fuel injection systems. You can have the greatest ECU, sensors and engine, but none of it means anything if the fuel isn’t getting through each injector as intended. Fuel is much cleaner than it used to be and comes with detergents, but fuel injectors still get clogged. So, how do you clean them?

Gas

The gas at the pump is all coming from the same transportation pipes, but there is one big difference. The individual oil companies add different detergents and mixes to keep cars running clean. If you think your injectors are plugged, try switching to a better gas such as Mobile or Shell. It is a minor difference, but one tank of good fuel can really make a difference.

Fuel Cleaner Additives

You can buy fuel cleaner additives as well. They come from brands like STP. You usually pour the entire bottle into the gas tank when you fill up. Do they work? Yes, but they are not miracle workers. If you’ve put bad gas in your car for years, they will make a bit of difference, but not much. Still, they cost $10 to $20 a bottle and are worth trying out before moving to more expensive options.

Test, Test, Test

At this point, you need to make sure that clogged injectors are actually your problem. You could have problems such as sensor failures that are appearing as an injector issue. The tests will make sure there is nothing electronic at fault. If there is, you can get it repaired without wasting money on injector repairs.

Professional Cleaning

There are a number of different professional cleaning options available to you. The best in my opinion is ultrasonic cleaning. As the name suggests, the process involves using sound waves to remove deposits, gunk and other debris. The process works so well the injectors will look practically new. On the downside, the cost is prohibitive. You can expect to pay $20 to $30 an injector. That’s a couple hundred bucks on a V8 engine. Brand new injectors only run $30 to $50, so there may be some merit to just getting new ones if you are going down that road.

How do you clean electronic fuel injectors? Start with the cheap options and work your way up to a professional cleaning.

<< Back to Fuel Injection