With so many fuel injector, fuel system cleaners on the market today, which works best? Lets discuss a few. But first, a short discussion about the additives in fuel system cleaners. Most fuel system, fuel injector cleaners contain an "upper cylinder lube" and a "solvent" in varying strengths.
Upper Cylinder Lube
Lead was added to the fuel to reduce engine detonation (pinging), lubricate the valves, rings and cylinder walls of engine designs from the pre-1980's. When unleaded gas appeared on the scene, additives containing "upper cylinder lube" were widely used for older cars to substitute for the lack of lead. These lubricants were primarily high flash oils that could survive combustion and lubricate parts.
Over time auto manufacturers produced valves and rings out of harder alloys to reduce wear. Along came ethanol. There is no proof to support this, but it is widely thought that ethanol reacts with engine oil resulting in a lack of lubrication for the cylinder walls, rings and valves. So the fears of upper cylinder wear remain today, and so do high levels of upper cylinder lube in some products. Modern engines are designed to run on today's gasoline. Some are flex fuel, some have oil jets to add motor oil to cylinder walls, some run very thin oils that get to places older thicker oils could not. So today, the fear is not justified.
All engines today have catalytic converters to reduce emissions. Catalytic converter burn off exhaust gasses using exhaust heated catalyst media. Oil reduces the surface temperature of the catalyst media, reducing its efficiency. a high flash oil that results combustion temperatures will surely survive the lesser temperatures of the catalytic converter. That spells trouble and the spelling is P0420. For these reasons above a fuel injector cleaner that is low in upper cylinder lube is more desirable for a modern engine.
Lead was added to the fuel to reduce engine detonation (pinging), lubricate the valves, rings and cylinder walls of engine designs from the pre-1980's. When unleaded gas appeared on the scene, additives containing "upper cylinder lube" were widely used for older cars to substitute for the lack of lead. These lubricants were primarily high flash oils that could survive combustion and lubricate parts.
Over time auto manufacturers produced valves and rings out of harder alloys to reduce wear. Along came ethanol. There is no proof to support this, but it is widely thought that ethanol reacts with engine oil resulting in a lack of lubrication for the cylinder walls, rings and valves. So the fears of upper cylinder wear remain today, and so do high levels of upper cylinder lube in some products. Modern engines are designed to run on today's gasoline. Some are flex fuel, some have oil jets to add motor oil to cylinder walls, some run very thin oils that get to places older thicker oils could not. So today, the fear is not justified.
All engines today have catalytic converters to reduce emissions. Catalytic converter burn off exhaust gasses using exhaust heated catalyst media. Oil reduces the surface temperature of the catalyst media, reducing its efficiency. a high flash oil that results combustion temperatures will surely survive the lesser temperatures of the catalytic converter. That spells trouble and the spelling is P0420. For these reasons above a fuel injector cleaner that is low in upper cylinder lube is more desirable for a modern engine.
Cleaning Solvents
Since 1930 fuel system cleaners have used the additive Naphtha and Stoddard Solvent as the primary solvents to combat carbon deposits. Recent modern tests have shown that the additive Polyether Amine (known as PEA) is more effective at cleaning carbon deposits than the Naphtha and Stoddard Solvent based products.
Summary
A fuel system or fuel injector cleaner low in upper cylinder lube and high in PEA is the best choice for a modern engine. Here are a few of the most popular fuel injector, fuel system cleaners catagorized by % of lube and type of solvent:
- Seafoam
- Marvel Mystery Oil
- Techron Concentrate Plus
- Red Line Si-1
- Gumout Regane (not other gumout products)
