Best Fuel System Cleaner?

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Is there even one? If so, which have you had the best luck with? I'm talking about the, "pour in the tank and drive", fuel system and fuel injector cleaners. I've heard Gumout Multi-System Tune Up is good for the newer engines. I know one can doesn't do much. Most people run several cans through before they notice a change. There are so many of these types of engine cleaners on the market, I wondered if one is any better than the other. Also, can any of them damage your catalytic converter?

https://gumout.com/multi-system-tune-up/
 
I've searched and never found any real evidence that any of them do very much. Youtube wrench ChrisFix tested a couple with varying results, but most were unimpressive. I used Redline's SI-1 several times, no idea if it had any impact. On my old 4.0 Jeep it seemed to help with some pinging/stalling off the line but thats about it.

The one thing I've seen that was actually studied was the effects of top tier fuel on valve and piston cleanliness. Seems that has the biggest impact. It would work overtime of course, but it doesn't seem there is a magic bottle/can on the market that will do it in one tank anyway.
 
The best means consistent, frequent periodic treatment. A little each time, not one big blast every now and then. This includes using good fuel and keeping up with the filter(s).
 
I used to think not much, although I used a bottle of Techron at every OC.
However, I dumped a bottle of Berryman's Chemtool into the Ranger.
The truck now runs the best it ever has in the nine years that I have had it.
 
Fuel system cleaner's don't do much. They have a purpose and I feel it's mainly intended for vehicles which where not properly maintained.

If your vehicle us running well the cleaner shouldn't make much difference but if it's some teens first car and it's running poorly or has a bad throttle position sensor it can help clean some of the build up caused by it running poorly.

9 times out of 10 if in using a cleaner it's on a car that is hard to start. It works well in this case. I remember when I bought our Regal a few years back. Car took 6-7 tries to start each morning.

After a quick tune up nothing really changed until I dumped a few bottle's of cleaner into the the tank. Since then it's started first try every time for nearly two years.

This is the most noticeable change for me.
 
ChemTool is one of the harshest chemical mixes you can buy.That said,I would use it sparingly and only when really needed.That being said I use it and have had some success with it.Seafoam is largely pale oil and isopropyl.I don't know why it supposibly works as well as it does for some people..its not aggressive at all.
 
IAM gonna use Scotty Kilmer's advice on this.( He has a phD in chemistry) and recommend techron if your car is for starters on good condition, if you need to get rid of water in your fuel.




He's said chemtool is very good as well as Gomout.
 
Yep, PEA is a proven cleaner and at higher concentrations will perform a one tank clean up.

In lower concentrations, it will clean fuel injectors and in even lower concentrations, it will keep clean as it does in Top Tier fuel.

Costco had the additives in their top tier fuel tested and they have enough concentration to perform gradual cleaning.

If you use the one tank cleaner and notice no difference, that's good news! It means your system is clean.

PEA is a pretty generic additive so I buy whichever out of Techron or Gumout's one tank products is cheapest per gallon treated. But, I almost exclusively use top tier gas, so I only use it every 2 to 3 years.
 
Originally Posted By: The_Captain
In my opinion any product with a good dose of PEA works well. Redline and Gumout both have PEA.


The Gumout Regane products have PEA, and I think there is one other high priced Gumout product that also contains it, but it's not in the whole Gumout line.
Same thing with Techron now, there is a lower priced product in their line with little to no PEA.
 
Gumout seems like a decent product (complete and the high mileage one). Last time I checked RedLine S1-1 had the largest percentage of PEA of any fuel injector cleaner available. It also has a upper cylinder lubricant. I have personally used both Regane and Redline. Redline is my product of choice about 3 times a year coupled with only running top tier gasoline.
 
Originally Posted by The_Captain
In my opinion any product with a good dose of PEA works well. Redline and Gumout both have PEA.

I have PEA in my toilet at home.
 
I use Amsoil P.I. and I actually cleaned a plugged injector on my beater Neon with it. I had tried all sorts of stuff prior and within a few hundred kilometers with the P.I. in the tank the injector started spraying properly again. I verified before/after. It was just dripping before the treatment and after it was spraying almost perfectly. I would say 80%
 
Originally Posted by billt460
Is there even one? If so, which have you had the best luck with? I'm talking about the, "pour in the tank and drive", fuel system and fuel injector cleaners. I've heard Gumout Multi-System Tune Up is good for the newer engines. I know one can doesn't do much. Most people run several cans through before they notice a change. There are so many of these types of engine cleaners on the market, I wondered if one is any better than the other. Also, can any of them damage your catalytic converter?

https://gumout.com/multi-system-tune-up/


So far I have tried Gumout, Redline, Techron, Amsoil, Berryman, Prestone, STP and nowadays I only stick with Redline, Techron and Berryman. I think the good thing about Redline is the Upper Cylinder Lubricant and tendency to soak, so seemes more effective in the long run. Berryman is good for shock dosage but seems very harsh to valve seal, Techron is good but once is the more expensive especially if you can not find the big bottle.
I find the Gumout and Amsoil is more on the average one, it comes with performance booster, so you will feel the engine more alive when the cleaner is inside your tank, but once you refill seems the final result is not as good as Redline. Redline at the other hand, will mute your engine performance if you put too much, but the performance much better once you refill the tank.
 
Originally Posted by TexasVaquero
IAM gonna use Scotty Kilmer's advice on this.( He has a phD in chemistry) and recommend techron if your car is for starters on good condition, if you need to get rid of water in your fuel.




He's said chemtool is very good as well as Gomout.


Wonder what university Scotty attended ? I've used Techron mostly on sale … but don't pass up the better Gumout PEA versions when they go on sale … guess I don't have enough faith to pay full price …
 
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