Is Diesel Kleen Any Good? (Diesel Kleen Reviews and Guide)
Endorsed by Cummins. That may be all you need to know about this product. Cummins has said that this product is okay to use in their engines so it must work well. But test it out for yourself to see if it gives you the better performance the manufacturer of this product claims it provides.
Diesel Kleen is said to clean injectors, boost cetane, and lubricates fuel injection components. Plus, it is supposed to restore lost power by 7%. The benefits look good when you use this product and it may be worth the price.
To learn more about Diesel Kleen, just continue to read our article. It explores the topic so you have the best information possible to make a wise purchase decision. There is a lot to know about this product so make sure you have the time to read the whole article.
Diesel Kleen 101
Is Diesel Kleen Any Good?
This product is made by Power Service Diesel Additives, a company that has been around since 1956. According to the company’s website, they have been manufacturing the most technologically advanced diesel fuel additives ever since.
Out of 412 Amazon reviews, 95% of the customers who posted a review gave the product 4 to 5 stars. There must be something to this product to get such a strong review on Amazon.
Other truck owners who have used this product vouch for Power Serve and its product line up. So it seems to be doing a great job when put in your fuel tank. One owner liked how this product smoothed out his idle.
It is possible that this is a very good product but with so many competitors in this area of diesel engines, it may just be one of the crowd that does some good to your diesel engine.
But do not take everyone’s word for it. Try a bottle or two to see if you get the same results as everyone else who has used it.
Does Diesel Kleen Work?
This is a hard question to answer as not all product results are reported. Then you have to filter out the extreme reports to get to the truth. It takes a while to get to the nitty gritty about any product.
From what we can tell, the majority of users who have placed this product in their fuel system have reported positive results. They have been very pleased with the improved engine performance.
However, with that said, there are other users who reported that they did not see any improvement or any of the claims made by the company. There could be a variety of factors that gave them that negative result.
We cannot promise that this product will do as the company and advertising claim for everyone but since Cummins has endorsed it for their engines, then it must do something right.
After our research, we will say that until further notice, and unless something changes, this product should work and work well.
Diesel Kleen Reviews
The reviews are posted almost everywhere on the internet. The majority of the people who have actually used this product have been positive about their results.
Some owners have reported an mpg increase with one owner saying he got an extra 2 miles per gallon after adding this product to his fuel line. Others have said that their ‘ping’ is gone after using this product which made them give the Diesel Kleen 5 stars.
Some of the negative reviews did not focus on the performance or the claims of the product. One negative review was about doubling the price of the product. Another was about the strong odor associated with it.
This product may have worked for them but other factors influenced what they thought about Diesel Kleen. Other users/reviewers said the product worked as advertised.
Then some mentioned that if they forget to add this product to their fuel system, they get more engine noise than when they add it in. Even a Mercedes Benz diesel owner said it worked wonders on his engine. It cleaned out the sludge, etc. And helped it to run a lot better.
While there were some negative reports, those bad reviews certainly did not outweigh any positive ones.
Diesel Kleen Review Cummins
In 2017, the Cummins Newsroom on their website placed in very large and bold letters the two Power Serve products they recommend for their engines. This is what the headline said:
“Cummins Inc. Officially Recommends Power Service Diesel Kleen +Cetane and Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost For Optimized Engine Performance” and in smaller bold print, this is what they also said:
“In a historic industry move, Cummins Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of diesel engines, (NYSE: CMI) now officially endorses and recommends two Power Service products – Diesel Kleen +Cetane Boost and Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost – for use in diesel engines. The announcement comes after significant internal testing concluded both products meet Cummins®' requirements, becoming the first fuel additive products that Cummins Inc. has ever officially recommended in the marketplace.”
You can read the full article at this link. That report also has another link to a Business Week article that provides even more information about Cummins's view of Diesel Kleen.
There is nothing more that we could add to that statement and news release. Except to say we have not come across any article that has Cummins rescinding their endorsement. If we do as we research further, we will let you know later in the article.
Is Diesel Kleen Good For Injectors?
Motor Trend magazine has placed this product as one of its top 5 best fuel additives. In their short review of this product, they said it is a tried and true additive that works in diesel engines.
The answer to the question is yes, this additive is very good for injectors as that is one of its prime duties. It is supposed to clean them out and keep them clean.
The company makes this very clear on its product page talking about this product. However, it is not a miracle worker as it is not designed to work in temperatures that go below +30 degrees F.
If you live in a region of the country that gets that cold or colder, then you need to switch to the white bottle of Diesel Kleen. The silver bottle is what most people use at this time and the product they are talking about.
As it cleans, this product is also supposed to keep injectors from sticking. That is always good for injectors.
Diesel Kleen vs EDT
The EDT product seems to be made by the HotShots company which has its own HotShots brand of additives. That company’s products seem to be very good as well. According to the EDT website, their product should give you a 7% increase in mpg.
It is also supposed to boost your cetane levels by 7 points. However, as we look at the information on that web page, we do not see it mention anything about being an engine or injector cleaner. It does mention that it maintains clean injectors but not cleans them.
That may be an important point for many owners. As you know, Diesel Kleen is a cleaner and that is vital when you want your engine to perform up to its maximum potential.
But Diesel Kleen has the trump card. It has Cummins's recommendation and that will tell you that while EDT is a great product, Diesel Kleen is better. The comparison may boil down to the cost of the products which we have not investigated yet.
1 to 2 ounces of EDT will treat 25 gallons of diesel fuel. We are not sure how much you need of Diesel Kleen to treat the same amount.
Diesel Kleen vs Hot Shots
Hot Shots is also a very good brand and it is often at the top of many reviewers’ lists for being one of the best products to use in your diesel engine. What the Hot Shots Diesel Extreme is supposed to do is as follows:
- Clean Out The Tank, Lines, And Injectors
- Remove Free Water From The System
- Stabilize Fuel, Boost Cetane
- Lubricate The Fuel Pump And Injectors
That list may not be all the duties this product performs but it is a lot shorter than the duties listed for Diesel Kleen. We have not seen what type of engines or diesel fuels Hot Shots treats but with Diesel Kleen, you can add it to any diesel fuel variety or any diesel engine out there and get the same benefits as you would if you added it to a Cummins engine.
Both products are going to aid your engine but the Diesel Kleen may be the better of the two although it does not always top the best additives lists for diesel engines as Hot Shots does.
Diesel Kleen vs Howes
Diesel Kleen will have an advantage here as well. The Howes product does not seem to add cetane to your fuel to help it produce better fuel efficiency.
That is a major drawback to this product. But it does do a lot of the same duties as Diesel Kleen does. It cleans, lubricates, and it is safe for all engines and many furnace motors that burn diesel fuels.
Plus, it also reduces smoke and smooths out the idle in your diesel engine. Two other duties that Diesel Kleen does. The two products are similar but the edge must be given to Diesel Kleen due to the fact it does a bit more than Howes’ products do.
How Does Diesel Kleen Work?
The exact formula and process of how it works is most likely an industry secret. We did find out that you should add the full bottle of the smaller options to 40 gallons of fuel to get the most benefit from its cleaning power.
But the ingredients inside this additive should attack, for lack of a better word, the sludge, carbon, and grime inside your diesel engine, and the fuel should move that dirt etc., out of your injectors so they work better.
If that sounds unresponsive to the question, here is what a Cummins Data Sheet has to say about how this product works:
“Power Service Diesel Kleen +Cetane Boost is formulated with the most effective diesel injector detergent technology in the industry to provide maximum clean-up and prevention of diesel deposits found in modern direct injection diesel engines." (source)
Those ingredients are what help boost the engine’s power and make other improvements in performance.
When To Add Diesel Kleen?
The company’s web page for this product has a maintenance schedule to follow when you select their additive for your vehicle. Those instructions simply state that you add this additive to either 40 gallons of fuel or 20 gallons.
That means you can use it at every fill-up if you are getting a lot of fuel or you can wait and get maximum cleaning power and only add it when you put 20 gallons of fuel in your vehicle.
You do not have to do this at every fill-up that other additives recommend you do. Overlapping the product’s use does not seem to harm your engine but helps give it a really nice cleaning.
On this web page, you will find a product calendar to help you determine how much of this additive you should use with your vehicle’s tank size. You may have some leeway and be able to use your own judgment as well.
How Often Should you Use Diesel Kleen?
The Power Service website does have a web page that talks about this frequency. Their message supports most of what we said in the last section. You should use it with every fill-up.
But not everyone fills their tank when they stop for fuel so play it by ear. Also, you should be wary of the ambient temperatures in your area. If that is going down for the year, make sure to switch to the type of Diesel Clean made to be used for colder weather. The 30-degree F temperature is your benchmark.
The silver bottle does not stop gelling from taking place when the temperatures get too cold. You will have to switch to the white bottle version to have the same benefits during the winter season.
Then keep in mind that the company says ‘its recommended maintenance schedule’ That gives you some leeway to add the additive when it is the right time for you.
Can you Sdd Too Much Diesel Kleen?
If there is a boundary where if you cross it you would be adding too much Diesel Kleen. However, no one knows where that boundary lies. The company hasn’t placed any information about using too much that we have found at this time.
The instructions on the bottles say to use double the amount if you want maximum benefits. Some people may think they can get away with tripling the amount. It is best not to go above the manufacturer’s suggested amount to use.
Some people use a 1/2 a bottle at every fill-up so they may be overdosing without knowing it. But so far that has not created a problem for them or their engines.
How Much Diesel Kleen Per Gallon?
The company has said to use a 12-ounce or a 16-ounce bottle per 40 gallons. That puts it at just under an ounce per gallon for a 20-gallon tank and about less than 1/2 ounce for a 40-gallon tank.
26 ounces are to be used for 100 gallons of fuel or you can add the entire 26 ounces to 50 gallons of diesel fuel. There seems to be a lot of leeway in how much you should use per gallon.
One thing is clear though, you are not using anywhere near an ounce a gallon. But as can be seen, you are free to add a little bit more if you feel it is needed at the time. The cost of the additive may dictate how much you use at any given fill-up.
Does Diesel Kleen Remove Water?
For the silver version of this product, we did not see any water removal under the benefits list. But Power Service has that covered with other products. They also make a green version called Clear Kleen and it is formulated to remove water from your diesel fuel.
This product is also supposed to remove slime from your engine as well as protect against tank corrosion. Plus, it is also safe for all diesel engines and use in all diesel fuel varieties.
The directions for use of Clear Kleen are to use it quarterly or as needed. So you do not have to put it in your tank at every fill-up. In addition, it should help stop premature fuel filter clogging.
Does Diesel Kleen Prevent Gelling?
No. You would have to buy the white bottle version to get protection from fuel gelling. This is what the product page for this product has to say:
“Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost is a winterizer/antigel that is used in the cold winter months to prevent fuel gelling and keep fuel filters from plugging with ice and wax. When temperatures drop, paraffin (wax) in ULSD fuel will gel stopping fuel from flowing through the engine, and water in the fuel can freeze on the facings of fuel filters, blocking fuel flow. It provides trouble-free winter operation for diesel fuel”
The good news is that this version of Diesel Kleen is also approved by Cummins. So you can use it without a worry in your Cummins engine vehicle no matter the brand of truck, etc.
Does Diesel Kleen Cause White Smoke?
No, it should not. White smoke is caused by several other sources and they are as follows:
1. Condensation- but this is normal when you start your engine in the morning. The condensation is found in the exhaust pipes, muffler, and catalytic converter. Once the engine heats up this white smoke should go away.
2. Faulty injection timing- this is caused by dirt, and contaminants in the fuel. Those contaminants etc., are what Diesel Kleen is supposed to remove.
3. Clogged fuel filter- just replace the filter to clear up the white smoke. But do not delay as a clogged filter can damage other components in your engine.
4. Coolant leak- white smoke is an indication that you have a blown head gasket. Nothing but replacing the gasket will work here
5. Transmission fluid leak- one source for this problem is a damaged or faulty diaphragm valve of the vacuum modulators at the side of the transmission case.
6. Leaking valve seals or piston rings- when this happens, oil is leaked into the combustion chamber and white smoke ensues. Diesel Kleen cannot help in most of these sources.
Can you use Diesel Kleen in a Gas Engine?
The answer here would be no you can’t. Diesel Kleen is formulated to work with diesel fuel and engines only. You may have a problem with your gas engine as cetane is the opposite of octane and you need less cetane in your gas engine and more octane.
There will be people who claim they have used it in their gas engine and got great results. But it is difficult to say if that is a normal result or an abnormal one. It is just best to play it safe and use it in your diesel engines only.
Some Additional Words
Having the Cummins stamp of approval says a lot about the Power Serve products. If that company recommends the Diesel Kleen additive then you should be getting positive results when you do use it.
As we said earlier, the competitors’ products may be good and do more than certain Power Service products do but you cannot beat that trump card. This is a good product to add to your fuel tank when you fill up.
