Do Fuel System Cleaners Really Work?
BG Products Manufacturing Plant
Fuel Additive Industry
All modern fuels contain additives that enhance positive characteristics or reduce unwanted effects. The additives industry is worth billions of dollars worldwide and is tightly regulated by national fuel standards. However that regulation typically applies only up to the point of retail fuel delivery. In the automotive aftermarket, there are many fuel additive products that are promoted through clever marketing rather than proven science. Reputable companies typically reference standardised scientific tests and hold manufacturing or accreditations from organisations such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
The Development of Deposit Control Additives
Deposit Control Additives ( DCA) first appeared in the late nineteen seventies and early nineteen eighties. Although often referred to generically as “detergents”, their function is quite different from household cleaning agents. The chemistry inside a quality fuel system cleaner is engineered to break down and remove deposits already inside the system. Their chemistry binds to the carbon and lifts it away gradually, restoring proper fuel flow and improving combustion efficiency. With the correct concentration, fuel system cleaners can remove deposits not only from injectors and intake valves but also from the combustion chamber. In high enough quantities, these compounds can even survive combustion and help clean downstream components such as sensors and catalysts.
Why Quality Varies Among Fuel System Cleaners
The concentration and quality of DCA used in a product directly influences how effective the cleaner will be. Cheaper cleaners don’t use this specialised chemistry and instead rely on solvent-heavy formulas that provide little real cleaning ability. When selecting a fuel system cleaner, it is important to focus on products that contain a proven DCA and have been tested against industry standards. One of the most recognised tests is ASTM D5500 which was originally developed by BMW and ASTM D6201 which uses a Ford Ranger 2.3 L four-cylinder engine to measures a cleaner’s ability to keep intake valves clean.
Finding a fuel system cleaners that has passed tests like these is easy. It just so happens that BG 44K® Platinum® is one of these !
Before Fuel System Cleaner
GDI injector showing significant deposits
After Fuel System Cleaner
GDI Injector after using BG 44K® Platinum® Fuel System Cleaner
BG 44K® Platinum®
BG 44K® Platinum® has not only passed the two professional standards above, it has also been tested successfully in a large scale San Diego Yellow Cab program where engines were dismantled and found to have benefited from the treatment.
