Best Fuel Injector Cleaner
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Joined: Aug 2020
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2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic
Best Fuel Injector Cleaner
Hi everyone,
I’m planning on buying some fuel injector cleaner as I’ve noticed a small dip in my gas mileage. I’ll be changing my oil in 3 days and will be buying 2 bottles to put in my tank (1 per fillup) on my 2011 E550 4M.
That being said, does anyone have a recommended brand to use or one that perhaps works better?
All suggestions are appreciated, thanks!
I’m planning on buying some fuel injector cleaner as I’ve noticed a small dip in my gas mileage. I’ll be changing my oil in 3 days and will be buying 2 bottles to put in my tank (1 per fillup) on my 2011 E550 4M.
That being said, does anyone have a recommended brand to use or one that perhaps works better?
All suggestions are appreciated, thanks!
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From: New Orleans Area
2015 E400 Sedan
Techron is good and comes for free when you fill up at Chevron..
Shell, texaco and other major fuels have good cleaners in them specially when using the premium high octane fuels...
SEafoam works well too.
Shell, texaco and other major fuels have good cleaners in them specially when using the premium high octane fuels...
SEafoam works well too.
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Joined: May 2012
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From: Pepper Pike Ohio
24 GLS580 '23 E450 4matic 12 E350 4Matic
Hi everyone,
I’m planning on buying some fuel injector cleaner as I’ve noticed a small dip in my gas mileage. I’ll be changing my oil in 3 days and will be buying 2 bottles to put in my tank (1 per fillup) on my 2011 E550 4M.
That being said, does anyone have a recommended brand to use or one that perhaps works better?
All suggestions are appreciated, thanks!
I’m planning on buying some fuel injector cleaner as I’ve noticed a small dip in my gas mileage. I’ll be changing my oil in 3 days and will be buying 2 bottles to put in my tank (1 per fillup) on my 2011 E550 4M.
That being said, does anyone have a recommended brand to use or one that perhaps works better?
All suggestions are appreciated, thanks!
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Joined: Aug 2020
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2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic
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From: Las Vegas
2012 E350 sedan
Another Techron fan here. It's really not needed if you always use Top Tier gas but I'm old school and add a bottle every 10K miles. I've heard a lot of good things about SeaFoam too but never used it. I've tried other brands I saw on sale at the parts store in other cars over the years but they sometimes caused a CEL so I've stayed with Techron which has always been safe. BTW, there are some very good articles on the internet where folks did a before and after of adding a single dose of cleaner on internal engine parts and it has very little effect but I do it anyway. One article says the best cleaner is just adding a slug of generic toluene which is much cheaper if you can find it.
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From: Pepper Pike Ohio
24 GLS580 '23 E450 4matic 12 E350 4Matic
Also if you have an E-85 compatible car, that will scour out your tank, lines, pump and injectors, my car runs fine on it, only tried it twice though. milage goes down 30%
Last edited by pierrejoliat; Jan 8, 2021 at 10:40 AM.
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2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic
Well, no. I would suggest you run it down to the low fuel light comes on then put in two bottles of Techron with 10-12 gallons of gas and run it until the low fuel light comes on then fill it with Sunoco 94 octane, well that's what I do anyway. I usually put two bottles in an empty tank and fill it once a year, before a long highway trip, for example I'm driving to Jersey tomorrow, I will put in two bottles and fill it up before I leave. Just as PM. With direct injection it is only cleaning the fuel system and injectors anyway.
Also if you have an E-85 compatible car, that will scour out your tank, lines, pump and injectors, my car runs fine on it, only tried it twice though. milage goes down 30%
Also if you have an E-85 compatible car, that will scour out your tank, lines, pump and injectors, my car runs fine on it, only tried it twice though. milage goes down 30%
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From: Pepper Pike Ohio
24 GLS580 '23 E450 4matic 12 E350 4Matic
Costco is fine, my daughter puts it in her EOS for the last five years, in my neighborhood there is a Sunoco, Shell, BP and Marathon refinery, so the Costco gas comes from one or all of them.
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2020 GLS450 (wife) / 2024 Ford Bronco (mine) / 2014 VW Tiquan (son)
It has been my experience over several decades that K44 is the best. It's not cheap, but every time I've used it, it made a notable and lasting difference. The others are good, but nothing has worked as well for me across my cars as the K44. BG owns it now, can find it on Amazon. Given the direct injection of the engine, their Platinum version is the one to get.
I also bought a case of the STP Fuel Treatment bottles recently to help combat the ethanol in the gas and the winter blend. One bottle treats about 20 gallons of fuel. I use it every other fill up. Can buy a case for like $30 bucks on Amazon to have around. My E350 responds well to it in the tank.
My 2015 GTI loves the K44 once a year, and really loves the STP in the tank too.
I also bought a case of the STP Fuel Treatment bottles recently to help combat the ethanol in the gas and the winter blend. One bottle treats about 20 gallons of fuel. I use it every other fill up. Can buy a case for like $30 bucks on Amazon to have around. My E350 responds well to it in the tank.
My 2015 GTI loves the K44 once a year, and really loves the STP in the tank too.
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2011 E-350 4Matic Sport
Been using our local Costco 93 for years - it qualifies as a top tier fuel with consistent blending. I believe one of the additives is Techron, which Chevron also sells to other companies.
I'll add Techron every few months as my car has minimal mileage per year - under 10k.
I've relied on bobistheoilguy.com for a long time for great info on lubricants and fuel additives.
I'll add Techron every few months as my car has minimal mileage per year - under 10k.
I've relied on bobistheoilguy.com for a long time for great info on lubricants and fuel additives.
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2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic
It has been my experience over several decades that K44 is the best. It's not cheap, but every time I've used it, it made a notable and lasting difference. The others are good, but nothing has worked as well for me across my cars as the K44. BG owns it now, can find it on Amazon. Given the direct injection of the engine, their Platinum version is the one to get.
I also bought a case of the STP Fuel Treatment bottles recently to help combat the ethanol in the gas and the winter blend. One bottle treats about 20 gallons of fuel. I use it every other fill up. Can buy a case for like $30 bucks on Amazon to have around. My E350 responds well to it in the tank.
My 2015 GTI loves the K44 once a year, and really loves the STP in the tank too.
I also bought a case of the STP Fuel Treatment bottles recently to help combat the ethanol in the gas and the winter blend. One bottle treats about 20 gallons of fuel. I use it every other fill up. Can buy a case for like $30 bucks on Amazon to have around. My E350 responds well to it in the tank.
My 2015 GTI loves the K44 once a year, and really loves the STP in the tank too.
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'11 E350, '11 E550, '98 M3, '95 E320
Cleaners with PEA seem to clean the best, such as Redline SI-1, Techron, and Gumout Regane. If you access to a pressurized fuel system cleaner, even better... we would use BG cleaners and they worked great. On the E350 I used the pressurized cleaner tool along with AC Delco X66P concentrate. Since I was running low on the AC Delco cleaner I bought a BMW variant (82140428376) as the AC Delco is harder to acquire. The BMW version appears very similar in appearance and dosage. I believe they both are very concentrated versions of Techron.
I have a bunch of BG 44K fuel treatment (in tank, not pressure cleaner) that'll use before my next oil change.
I have a bunch of BG 44K fuel treatment (in tank, not pressure cleaner) that'll use before my next oil change.
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2013 E550 sedan
I'm also a fan of Techron, the Complete is the highest consumer concentration you can get, these days. Yes it is based on PEA... But for those of you that are double dosing it, or even doing 2 tanks in a row... One: you are wasting your money, but more importantly you can create hard deposits with too much of it, and Two: it (in strong concentrations) is not friendly with your oil; but 3) I don't know about the other derivatives of PEA cleaners, but if you have a dirty system (fuel/valves/combustion chamber, etc.) you want to clean, you do a FULL tank with the dosage of Techron COMPLETE for that amount of fuel. And you run it down to where you are comfortable (1/8th tank?), and fill with just a Top Tier fuel, and then run that down to the same comfort level. THEN you do a second hit with the Techron... THIS IS ONLY FOR a dirty fuel and top end!!!
It is a catalytic process, that Techron does, so it actually keeps working on the 2nd tank of good fuel...
Most don't need any additive (sorry Chevron), just Top Tier Fuel.
I knew one of the Chemical Physicists on the Techron design team. I'm taking the 5th on anything else :-)
And as always: YMMV
It is a catalytic process, that Techron does, so it actually keeps working on the 2nd tank of good fuel...
Most don't need any additive (sorry Chevron), just Top Tier Fuel.
I knew one of the Chemical Physicists on the Techron design team. I'm taking the 5th on anything else :-)
And as always: YMMV
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
I'm also a fan of Techron, the Complete is the highest consumer concentration you can get, these days. Yes it is based on PEA... But for those of you that are double dosing it, or even doing 2 tanks in a row... One: you are wasting your money, but more importantly you can create hard deposits with too much of it, and Two: it (in strong concentrations) is not friendly with your oil; but 3) I don't know about the other derivatives of PEA cleaners, but if you have a dirty system (fuel/valves/combustion chamber, etc.) you want to clean, you do a FULL tank with the dosage of Techron COMPLETE for that amount of fuel. And you run it down to where you are comfortable (1/8th tank?), and fill with just a Top Tier fuel, and then run that down to the same comfort level. THEN you do a second hit with the Techron... THIS IS ONLY FOR a dirty fuel and top end!!!
It is a catalytic process, that Techron does, so it actually keeps working on the 2nd tank of good fuel...
Most don't need any additive (sorry Chevron), just Top Tier Fuel.
I knew one of the Chemical Physicists on the Techron design team. I'm taking the 5th on anything else :-)
And as always: YMMV
It is a catalytic process, that Techron does, so it actually keeps working on the 2nd tank of good fuel...
Most don't need any additive (sorry Chevron), just Top Tier Fuel.
I knew one of the Chemical Physicists on the Techron design team. I'm taking the 5th on anything else :-)
And as always: YMMV
No need to overdo it or spend large amounts of money. If you use top tier fuels regularly, you should be in pretty good shape already.
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From: Fredonia, WI
2012 E550 v8-Biturbo
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2013 E550 sedan
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From: Phoenix, AZ
Mercedes E550 (Previous 450SL, CLK320, C63, SRT6)
I typically use Chevron or SeaFoam. I just had my first fill-up with my new to me E550 and poured the big SeaFoam can in first. It was also on sale my local AutoZone.
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From: Cincinnati
2010 E350 4Matic
This is it, right? I have a bottle of Techron that I have never put in because I fill my car with Costco premium regularly. So not seeing the value add of more cleaner. Never had any issues that would suggest that adding injector cleaner would improve things. What am I missing?
Last edited by MBNUT1; Jan 13, 2021 at 10:14 AM.
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
This is it, right? I have a bottle of Techron that I have never put in because I fill my car with Costco premium regularly. So not seeing the value add of more cleaner. Never had any issues that would suggest that adding injector cleaner would improve things. What am I missing?
I advocate for top tier, but Mercedes engineers these cars to run in all sort of environments and with all sorts of fuel qualities. Running top tier fuel here is plenty enough, even if you don't run it every time (I do not).
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From: Pepper Pike Ohio
24 GLS580 '23 E450 4matic 12 E350 4Matic
Yes, I buy gas at Shell or Marathon, always premium, once a year I throw a 4 dollar bottle of Techron in, just because. My '13 is also dal fuel, so runs on E-85. I tried it once with ten gallons, seemed to run fine but gas mileage was not so good. If it can run on E-85, it can run on regular with little pre-detonation, which is the main argument for premium gas.
