What’s A Fuel Injector Cleaner?
To better understand the role of a fuel injector cleaner, you first need to understand exactly what the fuel injector is. The fuel injector is the part that sprays fuel into the engine in the form of a mist. Each cylinder has one injector that’s responsible for transporting fuel into the engine.
- Traditional fuel injectors: work by spraying fuel into the intake manifold, which is where fuel combines with air so it can enter the combustion chamber and be burned.
- Modern fuel injectors: systems utilize direct injection, which skips the intake manifold and puts fuel straight into the cylinder. These types of systems are more efficient and put out fewer emissions.
A fuel injector is a small part that regulates how much fuel is sprayed into your car’s engine. Every time you fill up your tank with gas, all the impurities and debris in the tank pass through the injector. Eventually, this debris can get lodged inside the injector, or you can experience carbon buildup. Without the proper size flow, your fuel won’t be used as efficiently, causing a major drop in your MPG. Luckily, there’s a way to keep this from happening: use a fuel injector cleaner whenever you notice signs of clogging.
In short, ‘A fuel injector cleaner is used to clean out all of the dirt, debris and build up in your fuel system.’
Why Do They Need To Be Cleaned?
Fuel injectors are one of those ‘out of sight, out of mind’ car components. You never really see them, and as long as they’re working correctly, you don’t think about them.
The truth is, fuel injectors sometimes do need to be cleaned. Debris from the fuel system or the fuel itself can accumulate in your fuel injectors. Corrosion in your fuel system can also contribute to debris build-up. When enough carbon and debris deposits have built up, this can influence the efficiency of your vehicle, increase the emissions, and even affect the way your vehicle performs.
Do Fuel Injector Cleaners Work?
The idea behind fuel injector cleaners is that you add them to your gas tank, where they dissolve debris and restore your engine’s function to normal. Since fuel injectors cleaners are combustible, they are burnt off with normal engine use, meaning you’ll need to add more cleaner periodically. But do they work?
The answer: Maybe.
The best way to keep your engine clean, is to take care of it from day one. The fuel cleaners are best for cleaning off the lighter carbon buildup, which on a new engine is the only carbon buildup you should have. Therefore, using the fuel cleaner regularly (1-2 time per oil change) should keep the light gunk from building up and turning into those hard-to-shake carbon deposits.
Most injector cleaners will do
- Clean out dirt and debris
- Improve fuel economy
- Maintain your engine
- Save money through regular maintenance
The Verdict
Fuel injection cleaners are good new-car maintenance additives, but you can’t rely on them as a quick-fix for old engines. Use them early to keep buildup at bay, or don’t use them at all.
Gas vehicles, on the other hand, have a little more leeway. Generally, you can use fuel injector cleaner every 1,500 to 3,000 miles. Many people like to use fuel injector cleaners whenever they get an oil change, as it’s easy to remember.
Tips for buying
Before choosing a fuel injector cleaner, it’s important to make sure you’re picking the type that’s right for your car. Consult your owner’s manual to ensure that there are no special formulations you’re required to use with your vehicle. There are also special high-mileage cleaners available that might help. For the purposes of this list, however, we’ll focus on regular formulations.
A few tips to bear in mind include that can make the fuel system of your car cleaner and running more optimally. It must also be one that can increase the engine power and boost fuel mileage. Good ones are also versatile.
If they’re beyond cleaning, you may need to replace them entirely to restore your car’s functionality. If you do need to replace an injector, be sure to do all the others at the same time, because if one is clogged, the others may follow.
How to Choose the Best Fuel Injector Cleaners & Testers in 2022?
Top 4 4-Cylinder GDI Injector Cleaners 220V/110V
Comparison:
| Brands | Summary | Autool | Launch | Summary machine supports all kinds of injector cleaning and testing | |
| Model | PowerJET GDI S4 | CT160 | CT180 | CNC-402 | |
| 4 cylinder series |  |
 |
 |
 |
|
| size | 355*350*380 | 340*295*360 | 305*345*425 | 670*500*600 | |
| volume | 0.047 m3 | 0.036 m3 | 0.045 m3 | 0.201 m3 | |
| weight | 10KG | 8.5KG | 9KG | 30KG | Votec injector: |
| Support low resistance injector (1-2Ω) test and cleaning function | Yes | No | No | No | |
| Support Top-feed fuel injector test & cleaning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Top-feed fuel injector: |
| Support Side-feed fuel injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | Yes | |
| Support GDI fuel injector test & cleaning | Yes | No | No | No | Side-feed fuel injector: |
| Support GM TBI injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | No | |
| Support Votec injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | No | GDI fuel injector: |
| Injector resistance testing function | Yes | No | No | No | |
| RPM adjustable range:100～9900rpm, | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | GM TBI injector: |
| Pulse width adjustable : 0.1～25ms, | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
Top 4 4-Cylinder regular Injector Cleaners 220V/110V
(WON’T DO GDI)
Comparison:
| Brands | Summary | Autool | Launch | Summary machine can do all kinds of injector cleaning and testing | |
| Model | PowerJET 240 | CT160 | CT180 | CNC-402 | |
| 4 cylinder series |  |
 |
 |
 |
|
| size | 355*350*380 | 340*295*360 | 305*345*425 | 670*500*600 | |
| volume | 0.047 m3 | 0.036 m3 | 0.045 m3 | 0.201 m3 | |
| weight | 10KG | 8.5KG | 9KG | 30KG | Votec injector: |
| Support low resistance injector (1-2Ω) test and cleaning function | Yes | No | No | No | |
| Support Top-feed fuel injector test & cleaning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Top-feed fuel injector: |
| Support Side-feed fuel injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | Yes | |
| Support GM TBI injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | No | Side-feed fuel injector: |
| Support Votec injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | No | GDI fuel injector: |
| Injector resistance testing function | Yes | No | No | No | |
| RPM adjustable range:100～9900rpm, | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | GM TBI injector: |
| Pulse width adjustable : 0.1～25ms, | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
Top 4 6-Cylinder Regular Injector Cleaners
Comparison Chart
| Brands | Summary | Autool | Launch | Tektino |
| Model | PowerJET PRO 260 | CT200 | CNC-602 | INJ-6B |
| 6 cylinder series |  |
 |
 |
 |
| size | 375*405*510 | 485*465*490 | 670*500*600 | 670*470*600 |
| volume | 0.077 m3 | 0.111 m3 | 0.201 m3 | 0.189 m3 |
| weight | 18KG | 22.5KG | 31KG | 25KG |
| Support low resistance injector (1-2Ω) test and cleaning function | Yes | No | No | No |
| Support Top-feed fuel injector test & cleaning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Support Side-feed fuel injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | Yes | No |
| Support GM TBI injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | Yes | No |
| Support Votec injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes(standard configuration does NOT support.) | No | No | No |
| Injector resistance testing function | Yes | No | No | No |
| RPM adjustable range:100～9900rpm, | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse width adjustable : 0.1～25ms, | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Independent ultrasonic cleaning machine | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
How to Choose the Best Summary Powerjet injector cleaner?
| Model | PowerJET GDI S4 | PowerJET Pro 260 | PowerJET Pro 240 | Summary machine supports all kinds of injector cleaning and testing |
| 4 cylinder series | |
|
 |
|
| size | 355*350*380mm | 375*405*510mm | 355*350*380mm | |
| volume | 0.047 m3 | 0.077 m3 | 0.047 m3 | |
| weight | 12KG | 17KG | 11KG | Votec injector: |
| Support low resistance injector (1-2Ω) test and cleaning function | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Support Top-feed fuel injector test & cleaning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Top-feed fuel injector: |
| Support Side-feed fuel injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | |
| Support GDI fuel injector test & cleaning | Yes | No | No | Side-feed fuel injector: |
| Support GM TBI injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | |
| Support Votec injector test & cleaning (With Optional Spare parts) |
Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | Yes( standard configuration does NOT support.) | GDI fuel injector:(Only PowerJET GDI S4) |
| Injector resistance testing function | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| RPM adjustable range:100～9900rpm, | Yes | Yes | Yes | GM TBI injector: |
| Pulse width adjustable : 0.1～25ms, | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SUMMARY POWERJET GDI S4 supports for 99% of vehicle models, and it fits for most petrol cars and motorcycle injectors, but NOT for diesel injectors.
Support Audi, Australia Ford, Benz, BMW, Brilliance, Chevrolet, Chevy, Chrysler, Citroen, Dacia, Dadi, Daewo, Daihatsu, Demo, Fiat, Ford, GM, Holden, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Lancia, Land Rover, Mahindra, Maruti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Romeo, Rover, Saab, Seat, Skoda, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Tata, Toyota, Volvo, VW, Yamaha, etc.
How to use an Injector Cleaner?
Video reference:
