How to Tell If Your Fuel Injectors Need Some TLC

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For an internal combustion engine to work perfectly, it must receive a very precise amount of fuel that must be mixed with the correct volume of air and ignited at the right moment. Many different components combine to make this happen, and one of the most important is the fuel injector. Generally speaking, fuel injectors are reliable, and their performance is managed by various sensors, but they will degrade over the normal course of things and will eventually need to be replaced. How can you tell if your fuel injectors are in such a state at the moment?

Passage of Time

Fuel injectors are designed to cope with harsh conditions, especially if they live within the combustion chamber itself. Yet they are still vulnerable to wear and tear and can be affected by the heat found within each chamber.

Cause and Effect

For example, the nozzle may absorb certain contaminants when the engine is switched off. In this case, heat will remain within the chamber, and this will cause any leftover fuel to evaporate. As this happens, those contaminants will attach to the tip of the injector.

On the other hand, the O-ring that is supposed to provide a seal between the fuel rail and the back of the injector may harden. Although this will take some time, it will eventually become more brittle, and this could cause a drop in pressure or a leak.

If the nozzle of the injector is compromised in any way, it will not be able to deliver the fuel in the correct form. The flow may be weak or inconsistent, and while it may be sufficient to allow the mixture to explode on time, it will not produce the ideal amount of downward force for normal operation. When this happens, the vehicle may feel somewhat sluggish, especially during hard acceleration. You may also find it difficult to start the car when the engine is warm or may notice that it is using far more fuel than it usually does.

If the injectors degrade to such an extent that the fuel delivery is very patchy, then this can lead to premature detonation or engine knock, and this can cause other serious issues to materialise.

Taking Action

If your injector starts to play up, this will typically trigger an engine warning light due to those ever-present sensors. In this case, you will need to attach a code reader to find out what's going on and, if needed, replace the faulty injectors as soon as possible. Reach out to auto parts suppliers when you need to buy fuel injection parts.

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27 December 2019