The use of a quality fuel injector cleaner can completely transform the performance of your engine and fuel economy. Within this article, we list some of the best formulas for diesel and petrol engines that simply pour straight into your fuel tank.
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After plenty of research and testing some of the formulas, we found that the best fuel injector cleaner is theSTP Ultra 5-in-1. It’s suitable for both petrol or diesel powered cars and is designed to clean and protect the fuel system and injectors. However, if you would prefer a dedicated diesel fuel injector cleaner, the brand offer adiesel specific formula.
In order to rate the fuel injector cleaners, not only did we test a number of formulas (as shown in the image above), we also rated them based upon certain factors. These factors included their cleaning abilities, brand reputability, treatment duration and value for the money.
Best Fuel Injector Cleaner Overview
- Best Overall: STP Ultra 5-in-1
- Best Budget: Redex Fuel System Cleaner
- Best All-Rounder: Wynns 55964
- Best For Diesels: STP Diesel
- Best Professional: Hydra Power Blast
- Best For Fast Results: Forte Diesel Specialist
For the best results when using a fuel injector cleaner, it’s advised that you pour the formula into the tank before you fill up with fuel. This allows the fuel and cleaner to mix more efficiently rather than the formula just sitting on top of the fuel if it was to be poured in afterwards.
Below is alist of the best fuel injector cleanersthat restore performance, reduce fuel economy and easily mix with a full tank of fuel.
The Best Fuel Injector Cleaner
1. Best Overall: STP Ultra 5-in-1 System Cleaner
The STP brand produces several fuel injector cleaners but their Ultra 5-in-1 formula is by far the best. It’s designed to clean both the fuel system and injectors as well as prevent the build-up of harmful deposits.
Pros
- Concentrated 400 ml bottle
- Restores peak performance
- Reduces friction and inhibits corrosion
- Designed for use every 4,000 miles
- Treats 50/60 litres of fuel per bottle
Cons
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
Although expensive when compared to some of the alternatives, the STP Ultra 5-in-1 is the best fuel injector cleaner in the UK and is worth the added investment. It completely clears out the fuel system and injectorswhilst also providing preventative measures to prolong peak performance.
2. Best Budget: Redex Petrol Fuel System Cleaner
Redex is a brand that specialises in additives and their petrol system cleaner is one of their most rated products. It’s designed to restore performance and reduce emissionsfrom a single treatment to a full tank of petrol.
Pros
- Suitable for all petrol engines
- Cleans and reduces engine emissions
- Restores performance
- Available in a 250 or 500 ml bottle
Cons
- Requires application upon every full tank of petorl
Overall, it’s one of thecheapest fuel injector cleanersthat’s actually worth buying and it won’t disappoint. For the best results, it’s worth pouring a bottle into every full tank of fuel, which will help maintain peak performance and efficiency.
3. Best All-Rounder: Wynns 55964 Fuel Injector Cleaner
The Wynn’s Injector Cleaner is another highly rated formula that’s designed for petrol-powered vehicles. From a single treatment of the formula, the brand states that it will clean and maintainthe fuel system to its optimum condition.
Pros
- Improves fuel economy
- Safe for turbochargers and catalytic converters
- Maximises engine performance
- Each bottle treats 50 litres of fuel
Cons
- Only available as a petrol fuel injector cleaner
Overall, Wynn’s Injector Cleaner is an excellent all-round option that’s affordable and highly effective. For the best results, it’s advised that you use the cleaner every three months or every third full tank of petrol.
4. Best For Diesels: STP Diesel Injector Cleaner
Another STP injector cleaner that’s highly rated is their formula dedicated to bio and regular diesel cars. According to the brand, it’s able to unclog dirty injectors in one tankful to restore lost performance and fuel economy. For the best results, the brand recommends using this injector cleaner every 3,000 miles so that your car continues to run smoothly.
Pros
- Cleans and prevents further build up of deposits
- Restores lost performance and improves fuel economy
- Pours into a full tank of diesel
- Smooths out rough idling
Cons
- Most effective when used regularly
Overall, this STP formula is thebest diesel fuel injector cleaner that’s relatively affordable and provides great results. It’s also produced by a highly reputable brand that specialises in additives for complete peace of mind.
5. Best Professional: Hydra Diesel Power Blast
The Hydra Diesel Power Blast is a premium fuel injector cleaner thatcleans the injectors and stabilizes the fuel. According to the brand, it can be used in all types of diesel engines, which include cars, vans, boats, generators, military vehicles and much more.
Pros
- Available in 250, 500, 1000 or 2000 ml bottles
- Restores lost performance and improves fuel economy
- Available as a petrol and diesel fuel injector cleaner
- Improves fuel stability
Cons
- Most expensive formula on the market
Although expensive, the Hydra Power Blast is a high quality diesel fuel injector cleaner and worth paying the extra. Considering that just 50 ml treats 50 litres of diesel, thefull bottle will go a long wayand won’t disappoint.
6. Best For Fast Results: Forte Diesel Specialist Injector Cleaner
Forte is a brand well-known for their highly rated DPF cleanerbut they also produce a range of other additives such as this fuel injector cleaner. The “Specialist” formula is designed to provide rapid cleaning of the injectors by removing harmful deposits that have built up over time.
Pros
- Compatible with all diesels
- Promotes easier cold starting
- Lowers exhaust emissions
- Mixes with 40 litres of diesel fuel
Cons
- Paying a premium price for the reputable brand
If it wasn’t for the expensive price tag, the Forte Specialist Injector Cleaner would be matching the STP alternative as the best. It pours straight into the fuel tank and specifically targets the injectors forbetter all-round performance. If the price isn’t an issue and you prefer to buy from the reputable Forte brand, their formula won’t disappoint.
How We Rated
Due to the large amount of fuel injector cleaners on the market, it can be difficult to find the best that promises results. Therefore, to help you choose the best, we have based our recommendations upon thorough testing of multiple fuel additives as well as the latest research. As you can see by some of the fuel injectors we recently tested below, not all of them made it into our list above due to the fact that they didn’t produce the desired results when tested.
As we own a number of cars, we were able to test the fuel injector cleaners on both old and modern cars as well as both petrol and diesel engines. Below are photos that display the ease of using both the STP diesel fuel injector cleaner as well as the Redex petrol fuel injector cleaner. Both simply pour straight into the tank but it’s important that you read the usage amounts per litre of fuel (labelled on the back of the bottle).
After using the STP Diesel formula in one of my diesel cars, I certainly saw an increase in miles per gallon on long motorway drives. It also distinctively started up better (particularly when started from cold in the morning). The Redex formula is one that we’ve been using for a while on many of our classic cars and we highly recommend it for regular use.
As well as testing the latest fuel injector cleaners and plenty of research, our recommendations are also rated based upontheir cleaning abilities, brand reputability, treatment duration and value for the money.
Conclusion
Fuel injector cleanershave been proven to work and they can completely change your car’s performance. From a sharper throttle response to improved fuel economy, there is a list of improvements that can be made.
All of our recommendations above are suitable for both diesel and petrol cars and they simply pour into the fuel tank. However, for the best results, it’s advised that youpour the cleaner into the tank beforefilling the tank up.
If you require further information with regards to any of the fuel injector cleaners listed in our roundup, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
Written By Dan Morgan
Dan has been a car enthusiast ever since he can remember and has an extensive range of cars that include classic cars that he has restored himself from a barn find condition to modern performance cars. Whether you need advice on how to install car parts or recommendations on what products to buy, Dan’s first-hand experience will certainly help.
If you want to find out more about Dan, our testing process or the website itself, visit our about page for further information.