The fuel injectors play an important role in your engine’s performance. They have replaced the carburetor. Fuel is pumped directly into the injectors which, in turn, spray fuel directly into the cylinders or into an intake manifold. Your vehicle needs this fuel to start and run. Carbon deposits are a natural byproduct of combustion engines. Consequently, your fuel injectors will become clogged by carbon deposits eventually. Stringer Auto Repair lists the symptoms of clogged fuel injectors below.
Misfiring Engine
If you notice that your engine is sputtering, especially when you accelerate, it’s possible that your fuel injectors are partially clogged. The reason why your engine is sputtering is that it is getting less fuel than what it actually needs. What little fuel that is making its way through the clogged fuel injectors is firing up the engine but only in spurts.
Rough Idling
Clogged fuel injectors will also cause your vehicle to idle roughly. In fact, the opposite, which is leaking fuel injectors, can also make your engine idle roughly because the fuel is flooding the engine. No matter the cause, your engine should not sputter. The idling should be smooth and you shouldn’t hear any strange sounds, either.
Poor Fuel Economy
Another sign that your fuel injectors are having problems is in the gas tank. No pun intended, but if your gas mileage tanks, this could be caused by clogged or leaking fuel injectors. The amount of fuel sprayed into the combustion chamber helps determine how efficiently your engine will run. If your engine is not running efficiently, you will burn more gasoline or diesel fuel.
Sporadic RPM Needle
Faulty fuel injectors can also cause a sporadic needle on your vehicle’s tachometer. Again, if the fuel is only making its way into the cylinders in spurts, this can cause your RPMs to go up and down and, as a consequence, your tachometer needle to dance up and down.
Dead Engine
Finally, if you cannot get your car started, it’s possible that there is no fuel in the combustion chamber because the fuel injectors are clogged. You may notice that it gets more and more difficult to start your automobile before it won’t start at all. It’s important to have this looked into when the starting gets difficult to prevent a dead engine.
Stringer Auto Repair in Johnstown, OH, would be happy to take a look at your fuel injectors and professionally clean them if necessary or replace them if they are leaking.
