The fuel injectors are responsible for spraying the gasoline or diesel fuel into the combustion chamber. Vehicles with direct fuel injection mean that the fuel injectors spray the fuel directly into the cylinders. Vehicles without direct fuel injection mean that the fuel injectors spray the fuel into an intake manifold. Carbon deposits will clog your fuel injectors eventually. Fastlane Automotive lists five signs that your fuel injectors are clogged below.
1. Dancing RPM Needle
If the fuel injectors are only partially clogged, they will spray an uneven stream of fuel into the combustion chamber. This will cause your engine’s revolutions per minute or RPMs to be unsteady. You will notice that the needle on your tachometer dances up and down as the revolutions change. This is definitely a sign that your vehicle is not getting a steady stream of fuel injection.
2. Hard/No Starts
Clogged fuel injectors also make it difficult to start your automobile. In severe cases, you may not be able to get the vehicle started at all. Obviously, if the injectors are clogged, there is no fuel making its way into the combustion chamber to be ignited by the spark plugs.
3. Misfiring Engine
Another problem with clogged fuel injectors is that they cause your engine to misfire. As the unsteady stream of fuel makes its way into the cylinders or intake manifold, your engine will sputter and stutter because it is being fuel-starved. This can also cause problems with your vehicle’s acceleration when you press down on the accelerator.
4. Poor Fuel Economy
You will also notice that your automobile’s gas mileage is much lower than it should be. This is because the struggling engine is burning away what little fuel it gets from the fuel injectors more quickly than it would if the injectors were providing a steady stream of gasoline or diesel fuel. Clogged fuel injectors can definitely make it noticeable that you aren’t getting the gas mileage you normally get.
5. Rough Idling
Finally, we talked a little bit about how your engine will stutter above when the fuel injection is clogged. Clogged fuel injection will also cause your idling to be rough because, again, the engine is fuel-starved. It’s difficult for an engine to run smoothly when it has too little gasoline or diesel fuel in it. A professional fuel injector cleaning will restore your engine’s performance.
We can do that here at Fastlane Automotive in Orlando, FL. Give us a call today.
