How Do You Know Your Fuel Injectors Are Bad
Last Updated on November ten, 2021
Nearly vehicles from the 1980's and newer are equipped with advanced electronic fuel injection engines (replacing the carburetor). A major part of this organization is the fuel injector.
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While you may never accept a problem with your fuel injectors (especially if you regularly use a proficient fuel injector cleaner), sometimes they get dirty, clogged, or completely fail and need to be replaced.
Below are the most mutual symptoms of a bad fuel injector and the average cost to replace them (when cracked) or clean them (when clogged).
How a Fuel Injector Works
The basic function of a fuel injector is to supply the engine with fuel. The injector sprays (injects) fuel into the cylinder of the engine through a nozzle and so that the internal combustion process can begin.
The fuel must be delivered at the correct time, in the correct corporeality, and at the correct force per unit area, angle, and spray pattern
The Engine Control Unit (ECU) is the central computer or "brain" of any vehicle and manages many individual components, such equally the fuel injector. Via various sensors, the ECU makes sure the injector sprays fuel at the right fourth dimension and in the right amount and so the correct air/fuel mixture is created.
A vehicle's fuel pump pushes gasoline from the tank, through fuel lines, and into the fuel injectors. When the ECU determines fuel is needed, it communicates this to the fuel injector solenoid which then opens to permit the pressurized fuel to spray into the cylinder.
9 Common Bad Fuel Injector Symptoms
If something were to go wrong with one or more than of your fuel injectors, then your vehicle'due south engine won't be able to perform the manner information technology'due south supposed to.
A faulty fuel injector will either prevent fuel from being sprayed into the engine all together or it will mess up the intervals at which it is supposed to be sprayed. Either way, your vehicle won't run the way it's supposed to or even exist undriveable.
Below are ix signs of a bad fuel injector that y'all tin recognize early on. Some of the symptoms of a clogged or dirty fuel injector may be similar so it's always a good idea to first try running a good fuel injector cleaner through your fuel system before spending the money to replace them.
Alternatively, may need to pay a mechanic to properly clean your fuel injectors or purchase a fuel injector cleaning kit and practise information technology yourself. Either style, y'all'll want to accept care of the issue soon and so no serious damage to your engine occurs.
#1 – Crude Idle or Engine Stalls
Because your vehicle is not getting enough fuel or an uneven supply of fuel, the RPM while idling drops below the optimal level and results in a rough or even violent idle. If the RPM falls too depression, the car will actually stall and you will need to restart.
#ii – Engine Vibrates
A faulty fuel injector will cause the respective cylinder to not be able to burn down. This means that while driving, the engine will vibrate or hiccup after information technology tries to terminate each cycle without fuel.
#three – Engine Misfires
If the engine does not get enough fuel sprayed into due to a clogged injector, and so the engine volition misfire every bit you drive. Your vehicle will struggle to accelerate or in that location will exist a break later you step on the gas pedal.
Either mode, you'll want to accept care of the trouble soon or the engine volition exist susceptible to overheating or other problems that occur when the proper air/fuel mixture is upset.
#iv – Check Engine Lite Turns On
The near obvious sign of a problem is when the "Cheque Engine" lite illuminates on your dashboard. Although this could hateful a lot of things, a bad fuel injector could be one of them.
Whatsoever fourth dimension an injector delivers less fuel than needed (or more than in some cases), the engines efficiency is lowered and tin can trigger the CEL to come on. Use an OBD2 scanner to ostend the event.
#v – Fuel Leak
If your fuel injector is really broken or cracked from harm or old historic period, and so gasoline will begin to leak out of it. This ways the fuel won't be able to reach the nozzle simply instead, it will leak from the body.
If yous check the fuel injector, yous will notice gasoline on the exterior or on the nearby fuel track. Often, the leak is coming from the fuel injector seal which deteriorates over time.
#half-dozen – Fuel Odor
This goes along with a fuel leak but when you have gasoline that's not getting burned due to a damaged injector or ane that's stuck open, you're going to odour gasoline. Sometimes the event may be your fuel lines or a faulty sensor telling the ECU to inject more fuel than in necessary.
Either manner, y'all demand to find the cause of the gasoline scent and fix it right abroad before information technology becomes a large safety hazard.
#seven – Engine Surge
If the fuel injector is spraying too much fuel into the engine cylinder, this will create a surge in the engine causing your dispatch to be much slower. When yous drive, you'll notice that the engine RPM will change noticeable under constant load rather than remaining at a constant RPM.
#8 – Bad Fuel Economy
If the engine is not getting the right amount of fuel it needs for combustion, then it volition place more than demand on the injector to supply it with additional fuel. This results in poor fuel economy due to the excess fuel that the motorcar's ECU thinks is needed simply is in fact not necessary.
#9 – Failed Emissions Test
Because a broken or leaking fuel injector can cause an uneven or incomplete fuel burn down, increased emissions are a result. This ways your chances of declining an emissions inspection increment greatly.
In some cases, a fuel injector leak can cause the air/fuel mixture to be and then rich that it somewhen burns out the catalytic converter.
Cleaning Cost
Fuel injectors do not last forever but yous can have steps in preserving their lifespan for every bit long as possible. Many experts recommend that the fuel injectors exist cleaned every 30,000 miles or so. That style, the injectors don't get chock-full and prevent fuel from spraying into the cylinder.
Fuel Injector Cleaner
Using a bottle of fuel injector cleaner every at present is good preventive maintenance and information technology'southward fairly inexpensive. Look to pay about $10-$15 for a bottle of cleaner.
For maintenance, you'd utilise i canteen correct around the time y'all do a regular oil change simply every bit often as every time you fill up your gas tank if the injectors are already showing signs of being chock-full.
Related: How to Clean Fuel Injectors
Professional Fuel Injector Cleaning
For more astringent cases of dirty or chock-full injectors, a more expensive professional cleaning is required. Expect to pay anywhere from $l-$100 for this service.
Some companies even permit y'all to ship them your dirty injectors where they'll make clean them for around $15-$20 each and and then send them back. They'll probably practice the about thorough chore only you'll obviously have some downwardly fourth dimension if yous need your vehicle.
DIY Fuel Injector Cleaning Kit
Alternatively, part-time or full-time professional person mechanics tin can purchase a fuel injector cleaning kit that will usually pay for itself after a few uses. A skillful kit (like this OTC set) will include diverse adapters to let yous to work on almost fuel injected vehicles.
Fuel Injector Replacement Price
Fortunately, near fuel injector issues can be fixed with a professional cleaning or replacement of the O-rings if a leak exists there. Only when a fuel injector cracks or breaks, replacement is necessary and it tin can be expensive.
Although fuel injectors are individual, they are designed to work as office of a team with the other injectors. And so if you lot're wondering if you can replace just 1 injector or all, the answer is nearly e'er to replace them ALL.
Depending on your make and model, you lot tin usually expect to pay around $800 to $1,450 for a complete fuel injector replacement. Parts alone are about $600 to $1200 and the labor cost will run about $200 to $250.
There are exceptions of course. Using non-OEM parts can save you some money while certain makes/models of vehicles tin run upwards of $ii,000 for a replacement. It makes sense to shop around for this type of job.
Source: https://cartreatments.com/fuel-injectors-symptoms/
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