The Best Fuel Injector Cleaner For Diesel & Petrol Engines

By on 28 August 2020 / Leave a comment Updated on: 17th February 2021

Fuel injectors are the final piece in the puzzle as the fuel makes its way from the fuel tank and into your engine. As the fuel is carried from the tank, it carries with it any contaminants and debris contained within. This debris is often pulled from the bottom of the fuel tank, though fuel can often become contaminated as a result of the process of extracting, refining and distributing fuel to the pumps.

The fuel you put into your car, though often of decent quality here in the UK, isn’t perfect and will carry small amounts of debris and contaminants which, over time, will be deposited and build up on your fuel injectors. This build of debris can block fuel passages and injector nozzles, leading to poorer performance as less fuel is being delivered to the engine, this results in poor running and decreased fuel economy.

How Injector Cleaner Will Benefit your Vehicle

Injector cleaning products will clear the injectors of debris build-up and allow them to function at maximum efficiency once again. Having injectors that are running at their designed flow is paramount to ensuring reliability from your vehicle’s engine. Keep your vehicles performance and reliability up to scratch with one of the following products.

These cleaners focus specifically on localised clearing of debris within the injectors, as opposed to products that clean the full fuel system but may have less affect on the injectors themselves. To learn more about full fuel system cleaners check out our fuel system cleaner article.

The Best Diesel Injector Cleaners

Wynn’s Diesel Injector Cleaner

wynns diesel injector cleaner

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Wynn’s bargain product promises to keep your injectors clear and maintain the performance of your vehicle’s engine. A top name brand in the sector, Wynn’s formula is available for a very small outlay but promises rejuvenated driving and reliability improvements for your diesel vehicle. The cleaning will be immediately clear thanks to the reduction in ugly black smoke, being emitted from your cars exhaust pipe.

Their specifically designed formula cleans the entire fuel system, with specific focus on clearing junk and debris that are clogging up your diesel engines injectors. The affect will be obvious almost instantly with restoration of lost performance and improvements in fuel economy and efficiency.

The improvements are not limited solely to performance either, with improved combustion and easier cold start resulting from a healthier flow of fuel into the engine. This could make for a more reliable vehicle and is particularly useful for those cold wintery mornings here in the UK, where optimum combustion is essential to your vehicle starting and running correctly.

Pros:

  • Cleans the entire fuel system
  • Fantastic brand reputation
  • Improve combustion & cold start
  • Reduction of black smoke emitted from exhaust

Cons:

  • Requires entire contents for full injection system clean

STP Diesel Injector Cleaner

stp diesel injector cleaner

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Another appearance here on Czok from the STP brand. Alongside their DPF cleaners and performance enhancing fuel additives, STP also offer their well-known diesel injector cleaner (as well as a petrol injector cleaner below). Not only is this the cheapest diesel-specific option here but is also provided by one of the best trusted brands in the industry.

The specifically designed formula aims to clean the diesel injectors, clearing carbon deposits and restoring your vehicles optimum air-fuel ratios. This will, they promise, provide improvements in your diesel engines performance and reduction in fuel consumption. The more efficient running will also promote a decrease in harmful exhaust emissions, with less black smoke emitted from the cars exhaust.

STP’s injector cleaner promises to clear out your vehicles fuel injectors, allowing for the properly designed spray pattern and fuel flow to the cylinders. The difference, they promise, will become apparent in less than 50 miles of driving.

Pros:

  • Rapid cleaning of your vehicle’s injectors
  • Enables proper running & ideal air-fuel ratios to be retained
  • Improvements in performance & fuel economy
  • Reduction of harmful exhaust emissions

Cons:

  • Entire product used for a full injector system clear-out

Forte Lubricants Specialist Diesel Injector Cleaner

forte diesel injector cleaner

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Forte, perhaps not a brand you’ve considered before. Despite lower sales and a smaller market presence, Forte’s diesel injector cleaner should definitely be a product in consideration. Their offering has been created with a bespoke formula, to remove internal blockages and ensure clean, efficiently working fuel injectors.

Optimal fuel flow will give noticeable benefits almost immediately after application, with noticeable reduction in black smoke emitted from the exhaust. The product promises to restore performance to your diesel vehicle, while also promoting long term reliability thanks to an efficiently running fuel injection system.

The product is available for a very small outlay, while also being compatible for use with biodiesel powered vehicles. Along with the typical features, the product promises to be kind to your other components such as the DPF and catalytic converter, ensuring no damage to other vital components.

Pros:

  • Removal of internal deposits from within the injectors
  • Restore lost power & performance to your vehicle
  • Lowering exhaust gas emissions & minimising black smoke
  • Improved cold start & ignition efficiency
  • Works with biodiesel powered vehicles

Cons

  • Lesser known brand

The Best Petrol Injector Cleaners

Wynn’s Injector Cleaner for Petrol Engines

wynns petrol injector cleaner

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The petrol injector cleaner from Wynns aims to restore lost performance caused by blockages and debris building within your petrol vehicles fuel injectors. This product can remedy issues such as high fuel consumption, poor acceleration and uneven idling.

The fluid passes through the entire fuel system meaning it cleans everything from the tank to the injectors and all lines in between. As it passes through it also lubricates the fuel injectors, which will prevent debris from building up again in the near future. This allows maximum fuel flow and full efficiency from your injectors and fuel system. These benefits are promised to give your vehicle and the fuel injectors their maximum lifespan, reducing future maintenance and preventing issues from occurring in the future.

Wynns is a well trusted brand, have spent 70 years in the industry and carry a vast range of products to keep your vehicle at its optimum performance and efficiency. Their petrol injector cleaner is specifically formulated to be safe for use in all petrol-powered vehicles including those with turbochargers and catalytic convertors fitted. Simply add the full contents of the container into your fuel tank at the next fill-up.

Pros:

  • Restore lost performance and fuel economy
  • Remedy uneven idling and cold-start issues
  • Cleans and lubricates fuel injectors
  • Improve long term reliability

Cons:

  • Recommended usage every 3rd tank refill

STP Petrol Injector Cleaner

stp petrol injector cleaner

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STP’s petrol offering claims many of the benefits boasted by rivals. Their petrol cleaner has been specifically formulated to remove the deposits found on petrol injectors and throughout a petrol vehicles fuel system. Use of the project will restore lost power, improve poor fuel economy and reduce emissions, increased as a result of clogged injectors and the automatic changes your car will make as a result. Increased emissions due to blocked injectors could be the difference in passing or failing future MOT tests.

The additive will pass through the entire fuel system and help prevent future build-ups, keeping your maintenance to a minimum and reducing the likelihood of any future issues occurring with your petrol injectors.

STP’s petrol injector cleaner is suitable for all petrol-engined cars and is applied simply, just by adding into the fuel tank every 3000 miles. The product is safe to use on turbocharged vehicles and those fitted with catalytic convertors. STP has over 60 years in the industry, so you know you’re buying from a well trusted brand.

Pros:

  • Reduce emissions
  • Restore lost power and performance
  • Improve fuel economy
  • Increase long term reliability
  • Refill only required every 3000 miles

Cons:

  • Less volume than competitors

Forte Lubricants Specialist Petrol Injector Cleaner

forte petrol injector cleaner

Check the latest price on Amazon

Like their diesel injector cleaner, Forte’s petrol injector cleaning product is not as well known as offerings from STP and Wynns, but is an option worth considering. Their product differs to rivals in that it aims to neutralise fuel acidity caused by fuel degradation. This occurs particularly in cars where petrol has been sat in the tank for long periods and become highly acidic.

Petrol that has degraded will cause deposits through the fuel system and particularly on the injectors, where it will cause blockages and malfunctioning. The damage caused by acidic petrol can cause air-fuel ratios to be negatively affected, this product promises to clear the injectors of debris and allow the engine to run at maximum efficiency.

The injector cleaner promotes improvements in both performance and fuel economy, with the engine and fuel system running as the manufacturer intended. Harmful emissions will also be reduced, particularly important for MOT tests. The product will remove layers of build-up as well as preventing build-ups on the injectors reforming for the duration of the products life within the fuel system.

Pros:

  • Prevents fuel degradation and acidity
  • Clears deposits from fuel injectors
  • Restores efficient running to your engine
  • Improve performance and fuel economy
  • Reduction of exhaust emissions

Cons:

  • More expensive than rivals
  • Brand doesn’t carry same prestige as some rivals

In Conclusion

Implementing an injector cleaner in your vehicle, can not only restore lost performance and fuel economy but could also save you money and heartache down the road. Injectors becoming blocked can not only cause poor running, but may in extreme cases, cause your vehicle to go into a “limp home” mode or cease running altogether.

The low monetary outlay required for these products makes it a no-brainer. Prevent the issues before they occur. With simple application and no downsides, there really is no reason not to grab some injector cleaner, clear up debris in your cars fuel system and help prevent against future build-ups from forming.

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Jack Gill

Car journalist and fully qualified mechanical engineer, Czok’s newest contributor and long-time automotive writer. Lifetime passion for all things automotive, from new supercars to rusty old hatchbacks. If I’m not behind the wheel, I’m likely under the bonnet or browsing the classifieds. Having spent over 5 years in the automotive industry and under the bonnet of my own car at home, I want to share the knowledge and learning that I have gained, with others without the time to study or the expertise, who just want their car to get them from A to B every day. We aren’t all interested in trawling through endless internet pages and forums. I aim to gather all the information up and roll it into a quick summarised format, to give only the information you really need.

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