7 Symptoms of a Bad Fuel Injectors

The fuel system inside most vehicles has something called a fuel injector. The function of the fuel injector is to supply the engine with fuel. The injector basically sprays fuel into the cylinder of the engine through a nozzle so that the internal combustion process can begin. The computer which manages the engine (called the Engine Control Unit) also manages its vital components, such as the fuel injector. It makes sure the injector sprays fuel at just the right intervals so that the engine can give its best performance possible.

If something were to go wrong with the fuel injector, then your vehicle’s engine won’t be able to perform the way it’s supposed to. A bad 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, it will render your vehicle undriveable.

Below are 7 symptoms of a bad fuel injector that you can recognize early on. Then you can get the injector replaced before any serious damage is done to your engine.

Engine Vibrates – When the engine cylinder doesn’t get enough fuel, the engine will vibrate after it tries to finish each cycle without fuel.

Engine Misfires – If the engine does not get enough fuel sprayed into it, then the engine will misfire as you try to start it up. If you are able to start it up, you will have a hard time taking off or there will be a pause after you step on the gas pedal. Either way, you likely won’t be able to drive very long because the engine will eventually stall.

Engine Light Turns On – The most obvious sign of a problem is when the “Check Engine” light illuminates on your dashboard. Although this could mean a lot of things, a bad fuel injector could be one of them.

Fuel Odor – If the fuel injector is not closed completely, then fuel won’t be getting burnt. This means the odor from the fuel will be easy to smell.

Engine Surge – If the fuel injector is spraying too much fuel into the engine cylinder, this will create a fast surge in the engine and cause your acceleration to be much slower.

Bad Fuel Economy – If the engine is not getting the right amount of fuel it needs for combustion, then it will place more demand on the injector to supply it with additional fuel. This means your fuel economy is going to go down as you pay more for gas.

Fuel Leak – If your fuel injector is actually broken or cracked from damage or old age, then gasoline will begin to leak out of it. This means the fuel won’t be able to reach the nozzle but instead, it will leak from the body. If you check the fuel injector, you will be able to see the gasoline all over it if there’s a leak.

Symptoms of a Bad Fuel in The Car and The Solution

It is possible for water to get into your vehicle’s gas tank when you’re pumping new gas into it at the gas station. The weather outside can also cause condensation to form which puts water in your gas tank as well. Whichever way it happens, when water gets into a vehicle’s gas tank, it needs to be dealt with promptly.

Common Symptoms

The first symptom you will notice is when your vehicle doesn’t perform the same. As you put your foot on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle will hesitate before it moves faster or forward. If you’re on the interstate and try to go fast, the vehicle simply won’t go as fast as you want it to. The car may even sputter and then randomly move at faster speeds than you want it to.

If these symptoms just occur out of nowhere, then your gas tank probably has water in it. The hesitation and sputters is due to the injectors having water slugs go into them. Since water does not burn the same way gasoline does, the piston is not pushing anything upward after the combustion chamber is sprayed with water and causes steam to form. Therefore, when water is sprayed into the chamber, the injector is probably getting a water slug into it. This is what causes the sudden jolt of higher speed.

The Solutions

To fix the problem, all you can do is drain the entire gas tank so you can get rid of the contaminated fuel. After that, you then fill the gas tank with new uncontaminated fuel. Make sure the fuel system is cleaned while you’re doing this too. Sometimes you may have contaminated gas if the suppliers of the gas didn’t mix the fuel additives properly. This will make the additives ineffective at keeping out deposits. Then, the fueling system will have varnish in it.

Alternatively, you may end up contaminating your gas if you don’t have a gas cap over your tank and then it rains outside. Sometimes your gas station may be at fault if its water filter was bad before supplying you with the gas. If not that, then their fueling tanks could have dirt, water, or corrosion contamination or perhaps your own car’s fuel tank does. Filtration systems are not 100% accurate, despite all the filters it has. As a result, residue and contaminants end up in your vehicle and cause damage to it.  If you don’t have a lot of octane in your gasoline, then it is probably from the gas station advertising their standard gas as having lots of octane in it. That way, they can charge more money for it even though they aren’t giving you the octane in your fuel.

It is normal to have a little bit of water in your fuel tank. This little amount won’t cause the symptoms above to occur. But if you do notice these symptoms, then chances are you have a lot of water in your tank and you need to deal with that promptly.

8 simple steps to save fuel and money

Focus on these 8 simple steps to save money on petrol and you’ll free up your cash for other things. It works for diesel too

Adopt Good Driving Habits

Drive Sensibly
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town. Anticipate traffic situations and maintain
adequate spacing between vehicles to avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration. When you do accelerate, do so smoothly at a moderate rate. Sensible driving is also safer, so you may save more than gas money.

Driver feedback devices can help you drive more efficiently, leading to behavioral changes that can improve fuel economy  by up to 10%.

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 kilogram in your vehicle could reduce your fuel economy by around 1%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner (AC) use. Turn off your engine when your vehicle is parked. It only takes a few seconds worth of fuel to restart your vehicle.

Keep Your Car in Shape

Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned

Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%. However, results vary based on the type of repair and how well it is done.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated

You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3% for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer. The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver’s side door jamb or the glove box, as well as in your owner’s manual. Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire’s sidewall.

Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

You can improve your gas mileage by 1%–2% by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1%–2%. Using 5W- 30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1%–1.5%.

Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains frictionreducing additives.

Replacing a Clogged Air Filter on Modern Cars Improves Performance but Not Fuel Economy

Replacing a clogged air filter on vehicles with fuel-injected, computer-controlled gasoline engines—such as those manufactured from the early 1980s to the present—or diesel engines does not improve fuel economy, but it can improve acceleration. Replacing a clogged air filter on an older vehicle with a carbureted engine can improve both fuel economy and acceleration by a few percent under normal replacement conditions.

Other Ways to Save Fuel 

Combining trips can reduce the distance you drive, and it allows you to travel more miles when your engine is warm. Your engine runs more efficiently when it is warmed up.

• Stagger your work hours to avoid peak rush hours so that you spend less time in stop-and-go traffic.

• Drive your most fuel efficient vehicle often.

• Participate in carpools and ride-share programs.

• Walk or cycle short distances when possible.

• Use public transit if it is available and convenient for you.

• Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.

SOURCE: AutoMedics

6 Reasons Your Car Consumes More Fuel Than Normal

Fuel consumption of a vehicle is of much concern to majority of the people that drive internal combustion engine vehicles. It is even more disturbing when you realize that your car is thirstier and is consuming more than it’s supposed to.

In case you have noticed that your car consumes more than normal, here are some reasons why it is so.

1. Bad Engine Oil
This shouldn’t sound strange to you. Engine oil has much role to play when it comes to the performance of your car engine.

When you use the recommended grade of engine oil, the engine runs well with less strain and hence will avoid your engine from working hard – low mileage is the price it pays.

It is therefore wise to use the recommended OEM engine oil.

2. Driving style
Aggressive drivers are bound to have poor fuel mileage. The way you drive your car has a lot of role to play when it comes to improved mileage. The way you accelerate, the way you apply the brake, the way you change your gear (for manual transmission) etc.

Unnecessary revving makes your car consume more fuel.

Using the cruise control can go a long way in curbing this especially during interstate travel.

3. Under or over inflated tyres
Driving your car on tyres that are not properly inflated consumes fuel. When the tyres are under-inflated, the surface area of the tyre in contact with the road increases. This will in turn cause rolling resistance to increase; more fuel will burn. On the other hand, over-inflation causes loss of traction which makes your car do more work to stay on the road.

Research has shown that a decrease in tyre pressure by 10 psi can lead to 2.5% increase in fuel consumption.

4. Misalignment in the chassis and suspension part
It is not only unsafe to drive your car when the suspension systems and the chassis are bad; it also affects your gas mileage.

Always inspect for misalignment. Broken springs, worn suspension, bent wheel and bent axle can cause the drivetrain drag to increase.

5. Bad air filter
If you always drive in dusty conditions, it is advisable to change the air filter at least the number of times specified by the car manufacturer.

6. Bad spark plugs
Bad spark plugs cause your car to under-perform, consume more fuel, and sometimes cause engine vibration.

For example, in an inline-4 cylinder car that uses 4 spark plugs. If you have a bad plug, one cylinder will be affected and this will cause the engine system to be insufficient of one cylinder.

This will make the remaining 3 cylinders to work harder than normal. This burns more fuel and causes more strain on the engine.

If you notice your vehicle is consuming more fuel than usual, have your plug checked.

In a nutshell, always maintain a good maintenance habit when it comes to your car.

Source : AutoJosh