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, poor acceleration, and stalling.

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

Making sure your flow of fuel is not blocked is vital to getting the most mileage for your money. Optimal fuel usage is helped by fighting the accumulation of performance-robbing deposits in the fuel system.

Significantly, today's modern engines are more susceptible to deposit build-up than ever before. Deposits have been found to start forming in as few as 1,500 miles. Moreover, studies have shown that deposits can decrease your fuel efficiency by as much as 11 percent.

Fuel System Deposits

Fuel Injector and Carburettor Deposits
Fuel injectors and carburettors are designed to accurately meter fuel into the engine in a fine spray.

Fuel injector and carburettor deposits can reduce fuel flow and alter the spray pattern of fuel to the engine, leading to a loss of power, reduced fuel economy, and increased exhaust emissions.

Inlet Valve Deposits
Inlet valves are subject to the high temperatures of combustion and are susceptible to deposit build-up.

Inlet 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 uneven running when the engine is cold.

Combustion Chamber Deposits
Combustion chamber deposits unfavourably increase the temperature at which fuel burns, leading to knocking and pinking, increased exhaust emissions, as well as slower acceleration and poor fuel economy.

What you should do

1. Regular Use of STP® Fuel Additives

Every 1,000 miles or 1,500 km - STP® Petrol Treatment or STP® Diesel Treatment

STP® fuel additive products are formulated with different amounts of specially designed detergents matched specifically to the type of fuel used. These detergents are delivered to the various parts of the engine by the fuel.

Products such as STP® Petrol Treatment and STP® Diesel Treatment are formulated with maintenance levels of detergents. They are considered as ‘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.

2. STP® Fuel System Clean-Up Additives

Every 3,000 miles or 4,500 km - STP® Fuel Injector Cleaner or STP® Diesel Injector Cleaner

(or)

Every 4,000 miles or 6,000 km - STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner for Petrol Engines or STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner for Diesel Engines

Products such as STP® Fuel Injector Cleaner are formulated with high levels of detergent. They are considered as ‘clean-up’ products, which can help rapidly remove existing deposits that have already formed in your engine, and help restore lost power & acceleration.

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 fuel. These detergents help fuel work better; just like laundry detergent helps water remove dirt and stains from soiled clothing.

The STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner range is the most advanced fuel additive products that we produce. One treatment cleans the entire fuel system, helping to restore the vehicle’s optimum operating condition by removing power robbing deposits which would otherwise result in knocking and pinking, increased octane or cetane requirements, lost horsepower, hard starting, engine run-on, poor fuel economy, hesitation, and increased emissions.

STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner has been specially formulated with a concentrated synthetic deposit control package, and will help enhance the additives provided by today’s fuel, removing deposits from the following engine areas

3. 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 carburettor.

Trouble Shooting Guide

1. Difficult starting
2. Engine Smoke
3. Knocking and Pinking
4. Oil leaks
5. Reduced Fuel Mileage / Fuel Economy
6. Lost Performance, Hesitation & Stalling
7. Rough Idling
8. Fuel Line Freeze

* These tips provide information on which STP® Products can help you with common car troubles. We also strongly recommend that you have your car checked by a qualified mechanic when your car is not performing normally.

1.Difficult starting
Have you had to make several attempts to start your engine in the morning before it will finally run? This can be a symptom of a number of different problems including fuel intake system deposits. We recommend:

STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner for Petrol Engines
STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner for Diesel Engines

2.Engine Smoke
Does your car seem a little smoky when you are idling, or accelerating from a stop? It is particularly prevalent in older vehicles. For petrol engine vehicles this can be caused by excessive wear of the valve guides and/or piston rings, and for this we recommend:
 
STP® Smoke Treatment

For Diesel engine vehicles this is more likely to be caused by injector fouling problems and for this we recommend:

STP® Diesel Stop Smoke

3.Knocking& Pinking
Do you hear a knocking or lighter tinkling type of sound coming from your engine, especially when accelerating? Combustion chamber deposits in your engine can cause this to happen.

We recommend:

STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner

4.Oil Leaks
Have you noticed oil spots on the ground under your engine or sometimes an oil smell and a little smoke around the engine? You may have oil leaking from your engine’s gaskets and seals. We recommend:

STP® Engine Stop Leak

5.Reduced Fuel Mileage / Fuel Economy
Is your car's fuel mileage not what it used to be? Fuel injector deposits are a common cause of this problem. We recommend:

STP® Fuel Injector Cleaner or STP® Diesel Injector Cleaner to remove existing deposits, and
STP® Petrol Treatment or STP® Diesel Treatment to keep your engine clean

6.Lost Performance, Hesitation & Stalling
Does your car seem to have lost some of its performance? Does it at times hesitate and stall or have a tough time starting? These are all symptoms of fuel intake system deposits that can accumulate in your car's fuel intake system over time. We recommend:

STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner for Petrol Engines or
STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner for Diesel Engines

7.Rough Idling
Have you ever noticed that your engine doesn't idle quite as smoothly as it used to? Poor idling can be caused by fuel intake system deposit build up on the throttle plate in your fuel injected engine. We recommend:

STP® Fuel Injector Cleaner or STP® Diesel Injector Cleaner