The Right Tools to Clean Your Fuel Injectors

March 20, 2025

6 min read

March 20, 2025

6 min read

Fuel injector cleaning doesn’t require many new parts and tools, if any. We’ll explain what you need. However, this buyer’s guide is aimed more at making sure you get the job done properly. If you aren’t sure if your fuel injectors need to be cleaned, check out our introduction to cleaning fuel injectors - opens in new window or tab..

What to Consider When Cleaning Fuel Injectors

A mechanic holding a diesel fuel injector. Three additional injectors sit on a metal cart in the background, along with a set of fuel lines. — Diesel fuel injectors are more robust and expensive than gasoline injectors.

The first thing you need to decide is whether the job is worth attempting yourself. Fuel injector cleaning isn’t technically challenging, but it’s messy and dangerous without the right tools. If you’re going to clean injectors once, it might be cheaper to have a shop do it. The proper tools are spendy.

If you decide to tackle the job yourself, do yourself a favor and buy a fuel injector cleaning kit. It makes pulsing the injectors easy and shows the injector spray pattern and volume. A kit (or machine) also keeps flammable cleaning agents and gasoline contained and away from sparks.

Can you use a fuel injector cleaning additive instead?

Yes and no. The easiest DIY fuel injector cleaning method is to put a fuel system additive in your gas tank over the course of one or two fill-ups. However, if your injectors are truly clogged, you’ll need to remove them. But for small amounts of dirt and debris, a solvent like Techron or SeaFoam in your gas tank may be enough.

Can you be sure that the fuel injectors are causing engine problems?

Before you pull your fuel injectors, you should eliminate other issues that could cause rough running, misfires, and hesitation. Make sure the air and fuel filters are in good shape, that the ignition system is functioning properly, and that you don’t have bad spark plugs.

You should also decide whether to clean your old fuel injectors or if it is worth replacing your fuel injectors instead. Depending on the vehicle, OEM or OEM-equivalent parts can be affordable, and new injectors always work better than even the cleanest old injector.

Types of Fuel Injectors

Six previously owned OEM BMW index 12 fuel injectors displayed on a concrete background. — A set of six OEM BMW index 12 fuel injectors.

If your car runs on gasoline and was built after about 1990, you almost certainly have electronic fuel injection. Electronic fuel injection works by sending an electric pulse to each fuel injector to tell it to emit a jet of gas. Some diesels use mechanical fuel injection systems, which use fuel pressure to overcome a spring inside the injector to emit fuel.

In cars built in the last 10 years or so, direct injection is common. With direct injection, the fuel injector squirts fuel directly into the cylinder instead of the intake port or throttle body. This gives a more precise fuel mixture and cleaner burn. Direct injectors are fired similarly to regular electronic fuel injectors but operate at higher pressure and are not as easy to remove.

Cleaning mechanical fuel injectors is a tougher process because they require enormous fuel pressures—often a few hundred PSI—to open. If you have mechanical fuel injection, contact a diesel or specialty shop. They can offer guidance on cleaning and servicing these injectors.

How to Find the Right Injector for Your Vehicle

A set of six OEM Denso fuel injectors for 3.4-liter V-6 Toyota engines, displayed on a white background. — OEM fuel injectors are the safest bet for unmodified engines. This set of six Denso injectors fits 3.4-liter V-6 in the Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner.

As discussed above, the first thing to decide is whether you should clean your old fuel injectors or simply replace them with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or OEM-equivalent new injectors. That means buying Ford-brand or Motorcraft-branded fuel injectors if you have a Ford, ACDelco injectors if you have a GM product, or Denso injectors if you have a Toyota. Other manufacturers have their own name-brand parts, which are easy to spot.

To get what you’re looking for, use the eBay Parts Finder - opens in new window or tab.. Enter your year, make, model, engine, and trim to find and price the right injectors for your car.

The safest option for cleaning your fuel injectors is to purchase a fuel injector cleaning machine that is compatible with your car’s fuel injectors. The machine pulses the injectors safely, feeds them the correct amount of cleaning solution, and contains the excess that they spray. Most also hang the injector in such a way that you can watch the spray pattern to make sure the injectors get fully cleaned.

Fuel Injector Cleaning Sometimes Costs More Than New Injectors

A set of six OEM Mopar fuel injectors for the Pentastar V-6 engine. — If the fuel injectors in your V-6 Jeep Wrangler are causing issues, replacing them with a fresh set of OEM Mopar injectors is the way to go.

Fuel injector cleaning is an inexpensive process, especially if you can accomplish the task by simply running a fuel system cleaner. A bottle of fuel system cleaner is generally less than $20. It’s an effective way to keep the fuel system working properly.

For injectors that are too clogged or gummed up for an in-tank solvent to be effective, it’s a relatively simple task to pull the injectors. After that, plugging them into a fuel injector cleaning machine is simple, and running solvent through them is a no-brainer. Just remember that fuel injector cleaning machines can cost between $250 and $600.

Meanwhile, auto shops charge between $150 and $250 for the work and have the tools on hand. That saves you a lot of labor and mess and is cheaper than buying a fuel injector cleaning machine you might only use once.

It’s also worth checking the eBay Parts Finder - opens in new window or tab. for a set of OEM fuel injectors. For common domestic or Japanese cars, a set of new OEM fuel injectors could be under $100. It can be more effective than getting the old injectors cleaned. That’s not the case for every vehicle, but it’s worth checking.

Should you replace other parts when you clean fuel injectors?

Yes. When you clean or replace your fuel injectors, you should also replace your car’s fuel filter. If the fuel filter is clogged or worn out, it could pass contaminants to your clean fuel injectors. That shortens their service life. Fuel filters are generally inexpensive and can be changed in less than an hour by a DIYer. See our detailed guide and video for step-by-step instructions - opens in new window or tab..

About the author

Aaron Richardson

Aaron learned early on that it's easier to be decent at a bunch of stuff than great at one thing, which led neatly to a career as a writer. He has been an automotive writer, a newspaper editor, and a business reporter, and has always worked on his own cars and bikes. When he isn't writing stories, he's wrenching on a '74 BMW 2002 or riding a motorcycle.

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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.