Most vehicles these days are equipped with direct fuel injection. What this means is that the fuel is sprayed directly into the cylinders. The fuel injectors are in charge of this job. They have special nozzles to make sure that just the right amount of fuel makes its way into each cylinder. Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostic & Repair explains that the fuel injectors can get dirty, become clogged, or start leaking over time. When this happens, you will notice the following problems.
Dead Engine
If there isn’t any fuel that is making its way into the cylinders, you will end up with a dead engine. There needs to be fuel and air in the cylinders in order to cause the ignition that generates combustion. Unfortunately, when fuel injectors are extremely dirty, they can get clogged with carbon deposits. This will prevent the flow of fuel into the cylinders.
Misfiring Engine
If you do get your engine started, it may misfire while you drive it. This is an indication that there is not a steady stream of fuel making its way into each cylinder. Unfortunately, you will continue to have the misfiring problems until you get the issue with the fuel injectors resolved. This can make driving your automobile stressful as it may even stall.
Poor Fuel Economy
Any time the engine is behaving in an inefficient manner, your fuel economy takes a hit. In this case, the engine is not running efficiently because the fuel injectors are not supplying a steady stream of fuel. As a consequence, you will end up at the service station filling your tank more often than you normally do. Professionally cleaning the injectors can help restore your fuel economy.
Rough Idle
As you can imagine, if the dirty injectors are causing the engine to misfire, they will also cause your idle to be rough. A smooth idle is an idle that has the right mixture of air and fuel to sustain the engine performance. Compromised fuel injectors will create a condition where the air and fuel are imbalanced, and, as such, your engine will idle roughly.
Sporadic RPMs
Finally, dirty injectors can also cause your RPMs to go up and down sporadically. You will see this if you keep an eye on your vehicle’s tachometer. You will notice that the needle is dancing up and down.
Call Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostic & Repair in St. George, UT, today if you suspect you have dirty, clogged, or leaking fuel injectors. We would be happy to inspect them and clean or replace them if necessary.
