Common Fuel Injector Problems

As discussed in our previous blog post, fuel injectors have a specific job. They are designed to spray the fuel in a fine mist mixes with the passing air as it is directed into the combustion chamber. Many cars today have multi-port fuel injection, which means that each cylinder is powered by its own fuel injector. Your vehicle requires a specific air/fuel mixture. operate at maximum efficiency and this recipe may be reset if the fuel injectors are not working properly.

Typically, fuel injectors have 3 main problems: clogging, fouling, or leakage. Other problems, such as computer errors or faulty sensors, can cause fuel injectors to malfunction, but are not the result of injector failure. Here's what you need to know about common fuel injection problems.

Clogged fuel injectors

Diagnosing a fuel injector isn't easy, as the symptoms it causes can be things like a bad spark plug or ignition coil, which means one of the cylinders isn't working. If this is due to a clogged fuel injector, then it is due to old fuel passing through the engine, causing residual fuel to get stuck inside the injector or filter basket. If a fuel injector becomes completely clogged, it will need to be removed from the vehicle and professionally cleaned as injection additives and cleaners put into the fuel tank will not be able to clear the clog as they cannot get through at all.

Dirty fuel injectors

If fuel can still pass through the injectors, but not in the proper amount, they will be considered dirty. Dirty fuel injectors will affect fuel consumption, which can lead to poor idling, stalling, difficult starting, or splashing that reduces your car's ability to accelerate efficiently. While some injector cleaners with gas tank additives can help reduce injector deposits, the only real way to clean them and restore peak performance is to remove them and use the right chemicals and equipment.

Leaky fuel injectors

This can be an extremely dangerous situation. If the fuel injectors are leaking from the outside, you should not drive. While a leaking injector causes the same problems as a dirty one, you can often smell gasoline or diesel fuel. under the hood or even detect a leak, depending on your make and model. Nozzles with external leakage present a fire hazard and must be completely replaced.

If you think your vehicle is running low on fuel, it's important to have a professional technician perform a diagnostic test to determine the cause.