How to Buy Fuel Treatments

Adding a fuel additive to your gas tank when you fill up is one way to clean vital engine parts of deposits, improve the performance of your engine, and increase gas mileage. When trying to decide on which additive to use, you need to keep a few things in mind, including what part of the fuel system you want to clean, the strength of the fuel treatment, and whether you just want to improve your vehicle's overall fuel mileage.

Part 1 of 2: Choose the fuel treatment strength

The strength of the fuel treatment plays a large part in how often you have to use it. Your choices basically boil down to treatment with a low concentration and those with a high concentration of additives, each designed to work for a specific length of time.

You should have your fuel system inspected on a regular basis, though some systems, such as the fuel injectors, only need to be looked at once a year.

  • Warning: Do not overuse fuel additives, as they can do more harm than good if used too much. Overusing a fuel additive can lead to damaged sensors. Follow the directions located on the fuel additive directions pertaining to use to avoid these problems.

Step 1: Compare the benefits of each concentration. The table below will give you a sense of the benefits of each type of concentration.

additive concentration types

Part 2 of 2: Choose the specific fuel cleaner type

In addition to fuel treatment strength, consider what parts of your vehicle's fuel system you need to clean. While some fuel treatments are designed to clean the whole system, others are manufactured with individual parts in mind.

Step 1: Compare cleaning methods. Since there are a variety of ways to clean your fuel system, the table below will give you an idea of which way is best for your needs:

cleaning fuel methods

  • Tip: Normally, you should use a fuel treatment once per year, or roughly every 15,000 miles for best results. It sometimes helps, though, to use a maintenance fuel cleaner that you add to your fuel at every fill up.

  • Note: Vehicles with a carburetor use fuel cleaners similar to those used for fuel injection engines.

  • Tip: If you have different parts of your fuel system that need cleaning, you are better off using a treatment that cleans the whole system as opposed to using one for each individual area.

Keeping your fuel system clean is essential to the health of your car, and additives and cleaners are good ways of doing this. They can both improve your comfort while riding and save you money at the pump. Eventually your your fuel injectors will need be replaced, however, so have one of our expert mechanics replace the fuel injectors for you.


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Robert

32 years of experience
646 reviews
Robert
32 years of experience
BMW 328i L6-3.0L - Fuel Injector - Mountain View, California
Robert brought the whole mechanic shop with his amazing knowledge/experience into my garage, and he was very flexible. He paid attention to every details during the repair process and didn’t bother to explain on my questions. Most importantly, Robert is a very honest man whom you can count on...^^
GMC K1500 Suburban - Fuel Injector - San Jose, California
I cannot begin to describe how great of a mechanic Robert is not only did he constantly keep me updated , was very straightforward , extremely professional and did absolutely excellent work we'll probably never use another mechanic other than him ever again I would recommend him to absolutely anybody

William

35 years of experience
731 reviews
William
35 years of experience
Cadillac STS V8-4.6L - Fuel Injector - Phoenix, Arizona
He came to the first appointment explained what was happening he was able fix and get me a quote for the issue I had and scheduled me quick for the other issue I had was able to explain with my certain items were not needed even though online portal stated was needed. Only paid for the services required to fix the issue. He kept in contact with me to advise on the repair status and the final result. Nice to have the mechanic come to you. Would recommend William very courteous.
Mercedes-Benz 380SL - Fuel Injector - Sun City, Arizona
William was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and hardworking. Absolutely the best of the best mechanic.

Torrieanto

13 years of experience
632 reviews
Torrieanto
13 years of experience
Chrysler Town & Country V6-4.0L - Fuel Injector - Saint Petersburg, Florida
Torreanto replaced all 6 injectors on my 2008 Town and Country for an extremely reasonable cost. He is a very competent mechanic with excellent experience. His troubleshooting and analytical skills were very apparent during our discussion of the work at hand. I really enjoyed talking with him on an engineer to engineer level. The job was completed in a timely manner with careful attention to detail. My car is running smoothly again with excellent power. He was also helpful in discussing other issues that were identified that may need addressing in the future. I will definitely look for him to do any necessary work on my van in the future.
Volkswagen Jetta - Fuel Injector - Riverview, Florida
Torrieantos arrived on time to complete the repairs. He was courteous, knowledgeable and got the car back up and running like new.

Jermaine

25 years of experience
382 reviews
Jermaine
25 years of experience
Saab 9-3 L4-2.0L Turbo - Fuel Injector - Silver Spring, Maryland
As always, the service I received was 5 star. I have never had a bad experience. It’s super convenient having your car fixed at home. No drop off. no waiting. rooms no missing work. I would highly recommend yourmechanic. Mechanics are always super friendly, fast and knowledgeable.

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