Figured those fuel injector cleaning machines were a gimmick until I did a before and after on a 2012 F-150 that picked up 4 mpg on the highway.

What convinced me was seeing the actual spray pattern on my test bench change from a solid stream to a fine mist after running 3 cycles of cleaner through it.

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_murray8825d agoOG Member

Put a can of Seafoam through my old 4Runner once a year and the idle smoothed right out, but it was the injector cleaner that really made a difference in my 2007 Silverado. Took it from 14 to 17 mpg on the highway after two treatments, which is a solid gain for a truck that old. Saw the same thing you did with the spray pattern on a spare injector I cleaned, went from a dribble to a consistent cone. Definitely not a gimmick when you see actual results like that.

eva_rivera25d ago

I mean, I get why people swear by it, but maybe it's just me seeing different results. Tried Seafoam in my old F150 and honestly didn't notice any change in idle or gas mileage, just a little smoke for a few minutes. The injector cleaner made a small difference on a cold start but nothing like a 3 mpg jump, that seems pretty optimistic for a truck that age. Idk, maybe my engine was just too far gone for it to matter, but I think a lot of it depends on how well maintained the car was to begin with.