When car manufacturers stopped using carburetors in engines, fuel injection systems were used instead. Fuel injection systems were designed to provide greater fuel economy and faster, more efficient delivery of fuel to your engine's intake valves. However, when your car idles roughly and its initial take-off is hesitant, you may be seeing symptoms of fuel injection problems. When your car is hard to start, it could also be the fuel injection system failing. Learn more about some of the most common problems your car's fuel injection system may experience.
Dirty Injectors Can Be Troublesome
When fuel injectors get dirty, they do so because of various fuel additives and detergents. Some fuel additives cause deposit build-up in the combustion chamber. The deposit build-up can create dirty fuel that in turn leads to dirty fuel injectors. Dirty injectors can cause your car's engine to misfire or hesitate when you try to start your engine. Cleaning your car's fuel injectors should always be an important step in your regular maintenance. Most auto parts stores carry fuel injector cleaners that you add to your fuel tank. One of the best fuel injector cleaners is polyetheramine. Polyetheramine cleans your engine's fuel injectors, combustion chamber and valves without the addition of fluidizers that can create fuel debris and build-up in the combustion chamber in the same way as dirty fuel does.
Fuel Varnish And Your Engine's Throttle Body
As fuel enters your engine's throttle body, fuel varnish can accumulate around the plate and circuits that control air bypass. If fuel varnish deposits become too great, you may see poor engine performance and idling problems. Anytime there the ratio between idle air and fuel becomes off-kilter, you will see problems with idling. Cleaning your engine's throttle body and the intake tract that supplies fuel to it is important and should be a part of your car's regular maintenance. Auto parts stores sell throttle body cleaner that comes in an aerosol spray. You may be able to find cleansers and replacement throttle body parts at a used parts dealer as well. If you are unsure about how to clean your engine's throttle body, having it done by a qualified mechanic is a good idea for maintaining peak engine performance. An experienced mechanic will be able to tell you if any parts in your fuel injection system need to be replaced.
Cleaning Intake Valves Is Essential For Proper Fuel Injection
The same fuel debris deposits that build up in your combustion chamber also build up on the backs of your intake valves. One of the greatest symptoms of build-up on intake valves is hesitation in your engine when the throttle opens up. Spark-knock, also referred to as detonation, can also be a result of dirty intake valves. Bear in mind that spark-knock can cause expensive damage to your car's engine. Cleaning the ends of your engine's intake valves can help to increase the amount of fuel making it into the injectors. When the ends of the intake valves are dirty, the build-up acts in the same way as a sponge and absorbs a great deal of fuel. When the fuel is absorbed by the build-up, it never makes to the injectors, thus causing hesitation and poor fuel economy.
Making time to include fuel injection system cleaning to your car's maintenance schedule is vital for it to run smoothly and to always have the highest engine performance. If your fuel injection system needs to have any parts replaced, contact a store selling used car parts in your area.
