Your fuel injectors deliver gasoline into your vehicle’s cylinders using a regulator to determine the correct pressure. The fuel is then sprayed into the combustion chamber so the spark plugs can ignite it. This is a fundamental explanation of how the fuel injectors work, and if they get dirty or clogged, you’ll notice problems with your vehicle’s performance. Padron Automotive lists what these are below.
Stalled Engine
Your vehicle cannot start if it doesn’t have fuel in the combustion chamber. If the fuel injectors are stuck in the closed position, your car, SUV, or truck’s engine isn’t getting any fuel. If they’re stuck in the open position, the engine is getting too much fuel, and it won’t start because it’s flooded. Even if you do get your vehicle started, the engine might misfire, sputter, or stall because the fuel mixture is off.
Slow Acceleration
The fuel injectors also push fuel into the engine when you step on the gas. Sluggish acceleration indicates the vehicle’s engine is fuel-starved. As an aside, it could also mean a problem with your transmission or a clogged fuel pump. You may also notice speed variances as you drive even though your foot pressure is steady on the accelerator or you have the cruise control set.
Rough Idle
When you sit at an idle – say, in the drive-thru of your favorite fast-food restaurant – your vehicle shouldn’t shake or sputter. If it does, the fuel injectors (or fuel pump) do not provide a constant stream of gasoline to your vehicle’s engine. Aside from idly roughly, you may also hear the trouble brewing underneath the hood until you press on the accelerator and get moving again.
Gas Guzzling
Finally, if your vehicle is guzzling gas as if it were in a keg at a frat party, your engine could be burning through excess fuel. As mentioned above, clogged fuel injectors can get stuck in the open position, which means gasoline is pouring into your vehicle’s engine. If it isn’t enough to flood the engine, the engine will burn it away, which means you’ll be heading to the station and filling up more often.
Call Padron Automotive in Topeka, KS, at 785-783-5772 if you suspect you have clogged or dirty fuel injectors. We’ll inspect and clean them if necessary. If this isn’t the problem, we’ll find it and fix it so you can be on your way with your vehicle running as it should be. Call us today.
