Does Fuel Injector Cleaner Really Work? Here’s What We Know – SlashGear

Chevron Techron Concentrate Plus is one of the most highly recommended fuel system cleaners on the market, consistently appearing on lists of top fuel injection cleaners. Chevron claims it can maximize fuel economy, restore engine performance, reduce harmful emissions, and improve deposition-related knock in any engine. Fuel injector cleaners usually consist of solvents and detergents that remove and flush out any build-up that might have occurred thanks to lower-quality gas, incomplete combustion, or contaminants getting into the fuel lines. 

According to experts like VP Racing Fuels, fuel injector cleaners work as inexpensive preventative maintenance. What you might see, though, are posts and comments on places like r/AskMechanics on Reddit from people claiming that fuel injector cleaners have previously ruined their gas mileage or even caused engine running issues. This possibility can be caused by the cleaner removing build-up from places like the fuel tank and fuel pump into the fuel system and injectors. In such a case, the fuel injectors would likely need manual cleaning to restore proper operation. According to Techron, the best results come from using injector cleaners once every three months, regardless of your vehicle’s make or model. 

Fuel injector cleaners work, but they’re only meant to extend fuel system cleaning intervals, not replace the service entirely.