STP® - Maintenance: Fuel System

Why It Matters

A properly maintained fuel system is one of the keys to keeping your vehicle performing like it should. By following our recommended system of basic maintenance on your fuel system, you'll help maximize fuel efficiency, and help avoid problems such as rough idling, weak acceleration, stumbling and stalling.

How It Works

The fuel system provides fuel storage in the vehicle, filters out particulates, delivers fuel to the intake air system, and mixes the air and gasoline in the correct ratio to provide the most efficient combustion (i.e., the highest fuel efficiency) in the engine.

Making sure your flow of gas is not blocked is vital to getting the most mileage for your money. Optimal use of your gasoline is helped by fighting the accumulation of performance-robbing deposits in the fuel system. Today's modern engines are more susceptible to deposit buildup than ever before. Deposits have been found to start forming in as few as 1,500 miles. Studies have shown that deposits can decrease your fuel efficiency by as much as 11 percent.

Fuel System Deposits

Fuel Injector and Carburetor Deposits
Fuel injectors and carburetors are designed to accurately meter fuel into the engine in a fine spray. Fuel injector and carburetor deposits can reduce fuel flow and alter the spray pattern of gasoline to the engine leading to a loss of power, reduced fuel economy and increased exhaust emissions.
Intake Valve Deposits
Intake valves are subject to the high temperatures of combustion and are susceptible to deposit buildup. Intake valve deposits can restrict the flow of air into the engine and adversely affect the air/fuel ratio, leading to reduced power and slower acceleration, as well as stumbling and hesitation when the engine is cold.
Combustion Chamber Deposits
Combustion chamber deposits unfavorably increase the temperature at which gasoline burns, leading to knocking and pinging, increased exhaust emissions, as well as slower acceleration and poor fuel economy.

What You Do

Regular Use of STP® Fuel Additives
- Every fill-up (STP® Gas Treatment)
- Every other fill-up (STP® Fuel Injector & Carburetor Treatment)
STP® gasoline additive products are formulated with different amounts of specially designed detergents. These detergents are delivered to the various parts of the engine by the gasoline. Products such as STP® Gas Treatment and STP® Fuel Injector & Carburetor Cleaner are formulated with maintenance levels of detergents. They are considered keep-clean products and they do just that; with regular use, the detergents in these products can help protect engine parts from the accumulation of harmful deposits. The use of these products can help keep the engine running at optimum performance and prevent deposit-related problems from occurring.
STP® Fuel System Clean-Up Additives
- Restore lost power and acceleration (STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner)
- Unclog dirty fuel injectors for better engine performance (STP® Super Concentrated Fuel Injector Cleaner)
Products such as STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner and STP® Super Concentrated Fuel Injector Cleaner are formulated with high levels of detergents. They are considered clean-up products, which can help rapidly remove existing deposits that have already formed in your engine. The detergents in these products begin to soften and dissolve the deposits as they pass over them and ultimately remove them from the surfaces of critical engine parts, so they can be swept into the combustion chamber and harmlessly burned with the gasoline. These detergents help gasoline work better; just like laundry detergent helps water remove dirt and stains from soiled clothing.
Change Your Fuel Filter
- Once every two years or every 30,000 miles
Your fuel filter removes contaminants including rust and corrosion from the fuel before it enters the fuel injectors or carburetor.